The Washington herald., 1910-05-01
By JAMES II. MORROW.

SHOW, tells him the beast has gone into
the hills at the north and not through
the valley toward the south.
Nothing more is TO be done but the
mechanical operation OF finding the den
y case Of that sort. and it is typical thl
world over. is merely pedestrianism and
slaughter OF a sodden kind
Authorship. idealizing the work o.
criminal search and discovery. has mad,
it interesting but perceptibly impossible
The drama DISCUSSES it with billion,
grease-paint and a CHASTITY black beard
arming it meanwhile with a horse pisto
and handouts as huge as wolf traps. A
living man. William J. Burns contra
dieting literature and the stage, has giver
1t the real romance OF actual achieve
ment and the stirring dramatics Of dem.
onstrated facts
Intellectually. Burns is the most re.
sourceful and brilliant detective in thu
United states: nowhere else on earth
perhaps, can any one match him in the
ability TO think out the snarled problems
OF mystery and crime. For twenty years
he was the unchallenged leader OF the
governments secret service.
GIVE me your best man." begged Ethan
Allen Hitchcock, the grave and taciturr
Secretary OF the Interior. when he found
that eminent personages and vulgar
thieves were stealing the lands OF the
public. Burns exposed the whole con-
spiracy and uncovered a band OF busy
scoundrels IN Hitchcock's own depart
ment
Next, Burns was sent 10 san Francisco.
Technically, he was loaned 20 a group
Of good citizens who had determined 10
empty the city OF pickpockets, highway
men. procurers. and grafters. Once at
work, applying the fortunes OF the third
degree and checking one frightened liar
against another. a donative OF $4,000 in
money was cautiously suggested. along
with an observation that Washington,
after all, was pleasanter. cllmatically and
professionally, than California.
The second experiment looked like hon
est business. A lawyer 1000 miles away
Burns liked him personally-wrote about
a difficult case and a retainer. in ad-
vance. Of $4,000. There was to be as
much more If -all-comprehending
and hitherto unbafed-were ultimately
successful Also. there were tricks with
loaded revolvers and unsigned communi-
cations. but Burns stood to his task and
kept mis- nerve and temper.
Always Keeps His Temper.
Keeping his nerve and temper is no
small part Of Burns technique and
genius. His gray eyes smile in conf
dence while a clumsy and stupid adver-
sary makes falls Of his own arms and yeIls
for justice or vengeance. During the up
roar Of denial and denunciation. exactly
at the most disastrous instant. there Is
quick CLEAN Of the poniard Of the vigi-
liant, acute, and remorseless wit that IS as
destructive and unerring as a deadly
weapon, and the battle Is over.
Closed, 50 far as It touches Burns. IS
the coarse and ugly tale Of San Fran
cisco. Nor will the Secret Service com
mand his talents in the future. Here
after the associated bankers Of the coun-
try will be hts employers. Late to-day
he was quietly studying the financial dis
trict of Chicago. Yesterday he might
have been seen in Wall street Tonight
likely enough, he will take a train for
St Louis or Boston. He lives. the best
part Of his time, in n pair OF yellow
valises. Rarely, I venture TO say. could
revolver be found in his pocket. He is
not that kind Of a detective. OF medium
height. or less, a dapper and youngish
man OF middle age. having dark hair
that doubtless was pretty red at his
birth. he walks swiftly talks In spas
modic jerks, and thinks. in his own spe-
cialty' at least, with the precision and
rapidly Of a current OF electricity.
How He Became n Detective.
How" l asked him. did you come to
get into the detective business?"
Partly by chance and partly by nat
ural selection" he answered. NV father
was merchant tailor in Columbus. the
capital OF Ohio. Detectives came TO our
store, and cases were discussed at our
home. After I quit school and was
clerking in my fathers tailoring estab-
hshment policemen. in uniforms and
plain clothing talked 70 me OF their wor-
ries and problems. They seemed 10 be
rather deficient OF vision. Naturally l
acquired the habit Of making sugges-
tons. Before I realized it. 1 was a con-
sulung detective Of the Columbus police
department, without any pay but get
ting, all the while. something Of local
reputation. l thought right along. during
my amateur performances. that If detec-
tives would apply common sense 70 their
work results would probably follow.
when was twenty-five years old. I
made the acquaintance of Thomas Fur
long. who had a detective agency Of his
own in 81. Louis. He wrote and offered
mo situation. I didn't know Il az the
time, but his object in sending for me
was 70 try a new man with new methods
on what was known as the Jim French
gang Of flrebugs. French had a big fur
niture store on an important business
street, and was in league with a lot OF
Russians. A house would be rented and
furnished with costly merchandise from
French's stock Of goods And then in
sured 10 the limit. In a night or two the
furniture would be switched and cheap
tables, chairs. beds. and so on substi-
tuted. Later. coal oil. we'll applied. and
slow candle would burn everything up
but the insurance policy.
His First Task.
French and his Russians were dimlv
suspected, but they were too foxy for
any OF the customary traps OF that
period. Marshall Mcdonald, a celebrated
criminal lawyer Of St Louis. was attor-
ney for the insurance companies He
finally talked to Furlong and Furlong
wrote to me. and thus 1 took up regu-
larly the duties Of detective.
Il always evolve a theory and often
get into difficulties and disputes for the
reason that my theories don't always