The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-28
Charge of Burglary from Dis- trict Attorneys Office Is
 Cause of Arrest
PRINCIPAL IN AFFAIR
 CONFESSES HIS CRIME
Idea That Actuated the Men Was to Save Patrick Calhoun From the Penitentiary, But Detectives
 Block the Game.

San Francisco March A.-(Special.)-A series of burglaries committed upon the district attorneys office with the idea of saving Patrick Calhoun from the peniten- tiary were exposed today in the arrest of five men, two of them employees of the district attorney and three agents of the United Railroad detective bureau.
 All five are immured within separate cells within the city prison
 The first of the prisoners taken into GUS tody was R. N. Hamin, for two years private secretary to Special Agent Will liam J. Burns and the apprehension of the others in the conspiracy-A. L. McKin- ley, William Corbin. b. A. Platt and Jerry Van Wormer-followed in short or der
 Their criminal connection with the Uni- ted Railroads was quickly established
 After his arrest Hamin broke down and made a complete confession of his part in the felonies, writing a statement on the same typewriter he had used so fre- quently to transcribe confidential reports to submit to the inspection of the Cal houn defense.
 A Trusted Employe.
 For long time Hamlin has been trusted employe of District Attorney Langdon and Detective Burns, and was the oldest man in the office who possessed a key to Burns desk and the combination to the safe.
 But about the first of last December Calhoun agents succeeded in secretly win ming the mum over to the side of the de- fense since when he has been on the T1f.f4r Ioeal AEs atA o1F $3y0 month.
 Hamin's enlistment in Calhoun's ser ! vice came about in this way: He had first 1 been recommended to Burns by Mckinley, 1 who was at the time in the employ of the prosecution. But Mckinley later listened to the overtures of Calhouns agents and became sleuth in their service. At eheir direction he thereupon began to werk upon Hamlin and so successfully that ths latter agreed to accept Calhoun's $200 l month as the price of crimes to be conil. mitted within the district attorneys or flee, to all the files of which he had fuii access. Since then it has been his prac- tce to transcribe confidential documents which he thought would be of importance. turning them over to Mckinley. who in turn submitted them to the inspection of his superiors.
 Close Watch Kept.
 About two months ago Detective Burns became aware of Hamlin's broken trust, since when close watch has been kept on the man, who has been allowed to handle nothing of moment He was not arrested until today, so that discriminating evil dence might be fully established against those who hired him to perpetrate ths series of felonies to which he has con fessed He was taken at his typewriter while he was copying a long affidavit which he no doubt intended to pass along to Mckinley.
 Mckinley and Van Wormer were arrest ed at the Marathon apartments, and Cor bin was taken into custody at the Hotel Brilliant. Platt, who sold reports of his investigations of members of the jury panel to John Helms of the Calhoun de- tective agency, was placed under arrest a little later.
 All the prisoners are already isolated in separate cells in the city prison.