The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-08
CHARGES AGAINST T DETECTIVE BURNS Perkins Agency Says Con- spiracy Exists
 tF A PETITION IS FILED
Senate "Third Degree" Committee Asked to Investigate the Alleged Wrongful Methods of Post
 office Inspectors

Washington, July 7-Charges that a conspiracy exists between United States postoffice inspectors and the w. J. Burns detective agency to destroy their bus iness was made today in. a petition filed by the Perkins Detective agency Of Phil adelphia, Pittsburg and Indianapolis, with the select committee appointed by the Senate to investigate the third de- gree" methods of the police. Charles A.. O'Brien, city solicitor of Pittsburg, will ask the committee tomorrow that it un- ' dertake an investigation of the circum- stances surrounding the raiding of the Perkins agency officials in the three cities and the seizure of the papers of that concern by postoffice inspectors and operators from the Burns agency.
 G. B. Perkins, Walter W. Perkins and A. Thomas were accused recently of having written to C. Strong of Erie, Pa. that unless s50,000 was forthcoming the Strong house and masoleum would be blow up The letters were alleged to have been anonymous and forwarded to MT. Strong with the idea in view. it was contended that the Perkins agency would gain employment in ferreting out the authors and preventing the carrying out of the threat.
 The petition filed with the committee sets forth that raids were made on the , Perkins agency in all three cities by postoffice inspectors and Burns detec- tives, and that the former, acting under federal law, seized valuable papers and personal records. In addition. the off cers and employees of the Perkins agency, the petition further charges, were sub jected to third degree methods, to ex- tort evidence or confessions from them.
 Not an Isolated Case
 In asking for an investigation at the hands of the Senate committee the pe- tition says that their case is not an Isolated one, but that they are pre- pared to prove that like conduct on the part of the postoffce inspectors is not an infrequent occurrence in other parts of the country.
 Your petitioners further believe,' the petition proceeds, 'that some, If not all, of the United States postoffice inspect DTS engaged in the conspiracy in this petition set forth are pecuniarily inter ssted in the Burns Detective agency and are prostitutng their offices and exer- rising assumed and unwarranted powers hereunder for the purpose of furthering the interests of said agency to the great peril of the rights and liberties of the citizens and to the scandal and debase- ment of the public service"
 Unlawful Co-Operation
 The petition concludes with the request that the committee inquire fully into the matter of the alleged persecution of the Perkins agency and also as to whether there is any unlawful cooperation or connection between the Burns agency and certain inspectors of the postoffice.
 W. J. Burns, head of the Burns agency, was a former secret service official in the treasury department. He achieved considerable reputation for his work in connectionswith the anti-graft crusade in San Francisco and at present is in the limelight as a result of his work in the dynamiting plot which caused the de- I An yain Tir,an n o n