The San Francisco call., 1905-02-10
NORTHSUSPENDS
MISS BURBANK
Alleges That Stenographer
Betrayed Secrets of the
Office to Eca da Silva
WANTS HER DISMISSED
Woman Denies She Gave Aid
to Her Friend and Will
Fight to Retain Position

Miss Agnes Burbank. stenographer
In the Chinese Bureau. was suspended
by Hart III. North, Commissioner OF
immigration. yesterday, pending an
investigation of charges that she has
betrayed secrets Of the office and act
cd In a manner unbecoming in an en1-
ploye of the Government
Miss Burbank is betrothed to Eca da
Silvo. who was recently in difficulties
because of his alleged connection with
a ring to import Chinese women for
immoral purposes. When Da Silva
was arrested several letters from Miss
Burbank were found in his effects,
and Commissioner Hart North sets
forth excerpts from them to show that
she was keeping her lover informed as
TO what was going on in the bureau.
Miss Burbank's position is under civil
service. and she can therefore not be
discharged without hearing.
The charges against me are the re-
suit of my refusal 10 give testimony
against Mr. Eca da Silva during his re-
cent trial" declared the stenographer
last evening, and / believe they were
instigated by Benjamin Mckinley, AS
sistant United States District Attor-
ney. and George w. Hazen of the Sc
cret service. These two men had me-
"a
to extract information from me that
/ did not have, and now because I
would not help them to railroad an in
nocent man to prison they have had
Mr.. North take this step against me.
LETTERS WE'RE GOSSIP.
THE burden of the accusation against
me Is contained in my letters that were
taken from Mr.. Eca da Silva when he
was taken into custody in st. Louis
But betrayed no secrets of the office.
A perusal of the misives will convince
any fair-minded person that wrote Of
nothing that was not of common
knowledge and printed at length in the
press. / merely gossiped about things
in general and did not give Eca da
Silva any secret information
Il did refer to Mr.. North as arrogant
and cowardly. but that cannot be re-
garded as betraying office secrets
shall certainly combat the effort to
have me dismissed from the service
Da Silva was formerly employed in
the bureau as a Chinese interpreter,
and Commissioner North had occasion
several times to rebuke him for neglect
of duty caused by his lettering about
Miss Burbank's typewriting machine
when he should have been elsewhere.
On one of these occasions Da Silva was
requested by Mr.. North to keep away
from Miss Burbank, and Da Silva with
all the ardor Of an accepted lover re-
piled:
DA SILVA ASSERTS RIGHTS.
This lady, sir, is my fiancee, and I
have right to speak with her"
But you are married man and not
yet divorced suggested Mr.. North.
Hot words ensued between the two
men, and Mr.. North made complaint
against Da Silva, whose connection
with the Office ceased shortly there
after. At that time a divorce suit was
pending between Da Silva and his wife,
a Japanese woman of education. They
have since been divorced
When Da Silva returned from China
with Lee Toy on the steamship Doric
on August of last year Miss Burbank
met him at the gang plank. threw her
arms around his neck and in the pres
ence of Customs officials and Immigrant
inspectors greeted him with a soulful
kiss full upon his lips