Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1911-06-07
HOW DETECTIVE OPERATES.
w. j. Burns, Famous Detective,
Uses Photograph to Convict
Criminals.

1t is reported that the crux of the
case of w. ]. Burns, the Chicago de-
tective against the Mcnamara broth
ers for participation in the Los An
geles Times, and other dynamite out
RACES through the country will large
ly rest upon statements declared to
themselves without their knowledge,
in the hearing of unseen witnesses.
The discovery that the three oper-
atives of Burns, arrested at Column
bus, O., while engaged in ferreting
out legislative corruption there, had
been using photograph to overhear
the supposedly confidential converse
lions of legislators and lobbyists, is
said to forshadow the announcement
of an even more startling use of the
instrument in the Los Angeles case.
The fact that Burns has been en-
ploying such methods in working up
his cases against suspects has been
carefully guarded as one of his most
treasured business secrets. Outside
of his operatives the only person who
knew of it was K. NJ. Turner of New
York, inventor of the instrument.
Absolved from the further obligation
of secrecy about it by the acknowl-
edgement of the former secret SER
vice man, when his men were arrest
ed in Columbus, that they had been
employing it, Turner told the story
here today.
Burns" said Turner, has been
using the photograph for a year in all
his important indoor work and has
found it very effective, in providing
him with a means of keeping in
touch with the conversation of sus-
pected persons in room to which
he is unable to gain access without
betraying his presence and showing
his hand. In this way he can place
the transmitter behind a picture on
the wall, the clock on the mantle
piece or attach it to the bed springs,
and in an adjoining room with a pad
and pencil in hand can keep an alb
solutely correct and unimpeachable
record of everything that is said
Burns used the instrument in the IL
linois Central scandal and in that
connected with the Chicago and
Western Indiana case. Because of
the facility with which the trans
mitter, about the size of an inkwell,
was concealed its presence was not
discovered in either case and invalu-
plans of those on the inside became
known to the detective detailed to
the investigation. When the COM
plete story of the case against the
Los Angeles dynamiters is told, the
part played in it by the photograph in
recording supposedly confidential
conversation will add new and
dramatic chapter to the scientific
work of the modern detective. In
the past prosecuting officers have had
to depend a good deal on circum-
stantial evidence, often not trustwor-
thy. This does away with such evil
dence where the instrument can be
introduced without attracting atten-
ton and definitely fixes responsible
ity on those engaged in crime or
acts in violation of law"
Chief Wilkie of the United States
secret service has been using the die
tograph for several years and Burns,
while a member of the organization
became acquainted with its peculiar
ability to pick up a whisper in a
room and make it distinctly audible
in a distant room to which it is con-
nected. The instrument has been in
stalled in Police headquarters in
New York and in the branch head
quarters in Brooklyn for the last
thirteen months. 1t is also extern
sively employed in the financial dis
trict to enable financiers to have
secret record kept of the converse
tions of visitors for such reference
as future needs may make necessary.
Most of the Offices of the Standard
Oil and John D. Rockefeller's Ma
tional City Bank are equipped with
it.