The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-11-01
True Tales of the
Secret Service, by
an Elk Operative.

Editors Note-"On Government Or
ders'' is a series Of stories that are incl
dents In the lie OF q formerly Wen Wen, know.
but now retired secret service officer. OF
long and faithful service. New that he is
off duty. ne has been induced 10 tell some
Of the more dramatic of his many fas-
cinating experiences In some there Is
the love element, In others there Is mys-
terry and all breathe a spirit of adVen-
ture complete narrative Is told IN
each issue)
Some years ago. before l became
connected with the United States Sc
cret service in the east. was engaged
by a member Of the western express
companies to do some special work for
Them began Captain Dickson MY
headquarters were in Denver. and the
work. on the whole. was decidedly in
teresting One adventure in particular
made me proud OF my service for our
company, although II was largely a
matter OF luck that brought about my
success in that instance ! am a Arm
believer in luck, for 1t plays an impor-
tant part in every mans life, and 1t
has figured 10 large extent IN my own
affairs, j am free to confess
"A daring express robbery had been
committed I'm the western part OF the
state, near the Utah line. by three
men. The messenger had been muir
dered and the passengers throughout
the train robbed OF all their money.
The holdup men secured something
more than $4,000 from the express
companys safe. and fully 5000 from
the passengers. They took nothing but
money. however. leaving rpluable jew
elry. diamonds and watches with their
owners. and ignoring the parcels in the
express car. This circumstance showed
that the gang was composed Of eX-
perienced thieves. for money is the
hardest thing in the world to trace.
Il was notified of the robbery on the
afternoon of the second day after it &C.
CURED, and although I FASTENED to the
SPOT with all dispatch and made my
arrangement by wire, il was noon of
the third day before / alighied NJ the
nearest station. Here / had arranged
for two horses and a pTospectOr's out
nj. deeming Il best to follow the ban
dts in the disguise of miner. as the
robbery had been made at a point near
the mining region of southwestern Col
orado, and I expected TO find the GRIM
inals az some of the numerous mining
camps.
II have never been a believer in dis
guises. except as 10 clothing. All eff
forts to change the face with grease
paints and wigs and the like only tend
To attract attention and direct suspi-
cion 10 the man thus logged out. The
casual observer might not notice the
deception. but the criminal, and espe-
cially the hunted criminal. Is no cas-
ual observer. ae has formed the habit
Of noticing everything. and he will de-
tect the least false point In a mans
appearance and shun him as II he were
afflicted with the plague.
"A change of dress will work Won
ders in a mans appearance. If a man
can wear other clothes than those he
Is accustomed TO. and wear them easily
and naturally, he can more effectually
disguise himself by this means than he
can with all the wigs and paints and
whiskers in existence.
Coming across the continental di-
vide. had suffered a slight attack of
indigestion. | sent the porter after q
flask of whisky. asking for a certain
brand. He returned in few minutes
With one OF the diminutive little bottles
custOmarily sold on sleeping cars at a
quarter a bottle. II was not the kind
| had ordered. but the porter explained
that this was The only brand of liquor
the company sold. and had to be con-
tent with H. The label OF the bottle
stated that IL was put up expressly for
the company.
ION reaching my destination. I i'm
mediately assumed the character of a
miner and set about my inquiry. There
was little information TO be gathered
beyond what was contained in the ex-
press company's report OF the robbery.
Of which 7 had a carbon copy. Salts
fed that time spent here would be
wasted, / set out for the scene of the
robbery. riding a wiry little pony and
leading another on which was packed
my outfit OF grub and cooking imple-
ments and miners tools.
THE place was a desolate spot The
road ran through broad alkal val
lev which had not at that time been
brought under cultivation by irrigation
u was easy 10 pick up the trail of