The sun., 1910-01-02
BURNSAMAN WHOMAKES GOOD
NEW BANKERS DETECTIVE 4
FAMOUS WORKER.

A Lsng Career OF success In Running
Down CrimlnaIs-HandIed the Mos
Famous nterfeItlng Cases OF Late
Gears-The Big san Francisco Case
William J. Burns, who has just startec
national detective association and
taken one OF their biggest jobs from the
Pinkertons, had been doing the protec.
tive work OF the American Bankers Asso-
citation for three weeks before anybody
knew anything about it except himself
his clients and the Pinkertons. whom he
superseded. It was not until he had
been tried and had given satisfaction
that the announcement was made. and
then by the bankers association itself
II is one OF Burns's characteristics to dc
his work without any noise"
II you find Mr.. Burns in the offices OF
the William J. Burns National Detective
Association in the Park Row Building you
discover a man of about middle height.
broad shouldered. with prominent features
and pair OF gray eyes that bore through
you and the wall beyond. II is hard 10
guess his age, for his hair, which is OF a
reddish brown. seems untouched by age.
while his mustache, which is OF a lighter
color, is literally strea<ed with gray.
His manner Is alert and positive. He
speaks slowly and distinctly. but you get
the impression that while he is talking he
is not only answering your questions but
weighing something else in his mind at the
same time. Then too you get the impress
sion that IL you attempted TO pull a gun
on him he would have his pointed at you
before yours was out OF your pocket.
Mr.. Burns said that his age was 20 and
that he was born in Baltimore. and he was
sorry he had a rule about not being inter-
viewed. Yes. he had read sherlock
Holmes" and liked il. but thought chasing
crooks was more interesting than reading
about them To be a good detective
nowadays a man must be honest to begin
with. He must have a gift OF intuition,
he must he persistent; and then he must
be broad enough to make his theories
fit facts instead Of trying to mould No. 10
facts into a No. , theory. That was all.
and good day.
He has his work cut out for him. has
Mr.. Burns. for he will have hundreds Of
men under him and he expects TO have
Offices in every city of Importance in the
United States and 10 exercise personal
supervision ONNh nih VI tHctu- NJ DTbothO
he has as correspondents all the prin-
cipal detective agencies in the United
, States except the Pinkertons. The Pinker-
tons issued a statement the other day in
which they predicted that crimes on banks
by all classes Of professional criminals
would very greatly increase and that
insurance on bank safes and vaults would
go up. but Burns only replied that he
was willing to be Judged by results.
Before Burns went after the grafters in
the Oregon land frauds. which was his
big job preceding his trailing OF the
grafters in San Francisco. he had had a
remarkable career in the secret service
OF the Treasury Department. Chief Will
kie called him his star man, and Burns
had run down not only noted counter
feiters but smugglers and every sort Of
criminal with which the Treasury Depart
ment has to deal.
Burns's father was Commissioner Of
Police in Columbus Ohio, and there he
got in touch first with police work. He
showed an aptitude for IL. but his first
real detective work was done in 1885 in
connection with what was known as the
tally sheet forgery" when in the State
elections the tally sheets in Columbus and
Cincinnati were altered. in one case a
candidate getting 0sS instead of 2s5 votes.
Burns assisted in running the guilty per-
sons down and getting a confession.
Shortly sfterward he was called into a
case in st. Louis. where the notorious
Jim French and a gang OF firebugs had
been getting hundreds Of thousands Of
dollars out OF insurance companies
French was a furniture dealer. He and
his confederates would At up dwelling
houses with expensive furniture. insure
them to their full value. remove the
furniture and substitute junk. and then
set the houses on fire. All the big de-
tective agencies had been working on the
case but failed to get convictions. Burns
worked on the job two months and got
enough evidence to convict and French
was sentenced to the pcnitentiary for five
years. The case was carried to a higher
court and the verdict and sentence sus-
tanned. but French, who was out on bail
and who had powerful friends, heard Of
what was co ming to him and skipped
Later he entered on life Of open crime.
He associated himself with the two Sasse
brothers. who were regarded as the most
expert safe burglars in, the country.
and they made a speciality OF post offices.
After a few months they were arrested in
Arkansas. and when the local Sheriff
found that French was the man for whom
a big reward had been offered by the
authorities Of the State OF Missouri he
took him away surreptitiously and put
him in thu penitentiary.
Burns was appointed to the secret SER
vice in 1890 and was located in the West.
working in Indian Territory, Texas. Ar
kansas and the South. He was soon
placed in charge OF that district, and in
1894 was transferred to Washington.
where he was promoted for good work
and got a rowing commission, going
wherever there was an unusually impor-
tant case.
One Of his biggest feats in those days
was running down the principals In the
Brockway- Bradford Courtney case here
| in New York and near by.
Brookway was a celebrated counter
feiter, and in his early days he had forged
Erie Railroad bonds. His speciality was
q counterfeit note OF large denomination,
one favorite being a 81 600 compound