Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-22

tireaoy aluocd You VIII See TOT eNauhptes
that In the year 1907 the Department Of
Justice asked for one man IN a land fraud
case: that on January Is Il asked five men
TO be detailed for timber entry frauds; on
January % four additional men to assist
In land frauds investigation; on Febru-
airy q six more men: on March 4 two more
men; on April 2 three more men; on April
10 six more men; on May % and June 10
one additional man; on August % three
additional men. These men were not as
signed 10 the Interior department, but they
were used for the Interior department cases
under the Department Of Justice.
Work an Nebraska Commended.
How such officers discharged their du-
ties in a previous case OF which I happen
to have personal knowledge, is shown by
the following letter; y
Department OF Justice, Dec. q. 1e6.-To
the Chief Of the United states Secret Ser
vice. washington, d. C.-Sir; The depart
2st inst. from the United States attorney
Dor the district of Nebraska, reporting the
trial and conviction Of Bartlett Richards
conspirins to defraud the United States
OF public lands This is one OF the cases
In which several operatives of your office
Glen Wheeler, and the United States at
torney takes occasion. In making his re-
port, to commend most highly the very
able service of the operative in charge,
Mr.. Bucien @. Wheeler, and his secret
service agents.
The department Is also in receipt Of a
letter from the secretary OF the interior,
dated the zd inst. expressing his 'sp-
probation of the SPLENDID work done by
the United States attorney. his special as
sistant and Mr.. Wheeler and transmitting
a COPY Of a telegram which he sent to Mr..
Wheeler ON the 21st inst. as follows:
/ congratulate you most heartily on the
WORK you have done in connection with
the verdict, which muset give renewed
confidence to all those who believe that
the law must be obeyed.
I desire to add to what has been quoted
above the appreciation of the department
here of the work done by Mr.. Wheeler,
who has shown himself to be a conscien-
tious and highly efficient fundamentally
In bringing about much desired results IN
Nebraska Very respectfully,
Afford w. COOLEY.
Acting Attorney General.
Limitation Not Technical.
THE limitation Of the case OF the secret
service was not in the least degree techni-
cal; 1t was actual. II such a condition as
arose In the Interior department from four
years ago again arises in that department,
with this Limitation we should be prevented
from employing the secret service agents
and the result would be harmful to the
government and OF berefit only to the
criminals, unless, of course, we are able
to build up a precisely similar secret
service In the Department of Justice, in
which case the action OF the congress
would have been effective only as show
irg its disapproval Of the admirable work
done by Chief Wilkie and his division.
Unless the new secret service in the De-
partment of Justice does its work in pre-
cisely similar fashion of wilkes secret
service 1t will not do any good and effec-
tive work, and ] call your attention to the
fact that the result of the action OF con-
gress has hitherto been, by the creation
of two secret services, markedly to In
crease the total cost of this class of work.
THE facts In reference to the detection
and suppression Of the land fraud and the
punishment Of criminals engaged in them
have been made public again and again.
but In view OF the report of your COM
mittee, II Is as we'll to refer to them once
more. Secretary Hitchcock became con-
WINGED that there were widespread frauds
In his department and that his own force
was unable to deal with them. Through
the Department of Justice he had a number
OF secret service operatives assigned TO
work on the Interior department cases, to-
gether with one secret service operative
who wal assigned direct to the Interior
department. Mr.. Hemenway speaks as IL
the attorney general and the secretary Of
the interior had not known of such az
signments, when as a matter Of fact every
such assignment was made on the written
request Of the head of the department. The
first result OF the work In question was to
find various departmental officials had
failed in their duty and some OF them were
actually dismissed.
influential Men Convicted,
THE results of the assignment OF the
secret service men taken of course in con-
nection with the activity Of the reorganized
force of agents in the Interior department
are found in the conviction Of man. de-
PENDANTS. some Of them being among the
wealthiest and most influential people In
their communities; others standing high
In the political world. one of them being a
senator and another a representative in
congress. while a second representative In
congress was indicted. II the Limitation Of
the use of the secret service which your
committee upholds had been in force at
the time OF which / speak, the senator, the
representative anu ING NdIhOuS men OF
wealth and high political Influence who
were convicted would all have escaped
punishment. i hold such an outcome would
have been In the interest OF the criminals
only.
Once the emergency has passed. the
needs of the secret service men no longer
existed, and they would accordingly be
withdrawn. But the history of these land
frauds shows conclusiveiy the need Of hav-
ing sonae secret service body subject to
emergency detail to departments in which
it is not ordinarily employed.
former Results insignificant.
Before the secret service was used in
the Interior department. as / have outlined
above, the prosecutions for land frauds
we're insignificant in their results. AT that
time there was no effective desire shown
to limit the use of the secret service. Then
the secret service agents were used In con-
nection with these land frauds and they
secured the prosecution and conviction OF
many men, Influential because of their
wealth or social or political prominence.
Forthwith there began that active agita-
ton against the use of the secret service
go