Omaha daily bee., 1911-07-09
DETECTIVE AGENCIES AT OUTS
Perkins Concern Files Charges
Against Burns Organization.
ALLEGATIONS OF A CONSPIRACY
Petition A. ruled VITA ths select oo"-
usIttee OF the senate 60 Inauire
late 'sThird Degree" Meth
eds 81 Police.

WASHINGTON, July S-Charges that
conspiracy exists between United states
postoffice inspectors and the w. J.. Burns
Detective sgency. the conspiracy being
aimed al the destruction OF their business.
was made yesterday In petition filed BY
Perkins Detective agency OF Philadelphia.
Pittsburg and Indianapolis. with the select
committee appointed by the senate TO In
vestigate the third degree" methods Of the
police.
Charles A. oBrien. city solicitor Of Pitts
burg. tomorrow VIII ask that the committee
undertake an Investigation Of the eircum-
stances SURROUNDING the raiding OF the Per
kius agency offices In the three cities and
the seizure Of Its papers by Postoffice in
spectors and operatives from the Burns
agency
@. b. Perkins. Walter w Perkins and A.
Thomas were accused recently OF having
written 10 c. Strong OF Erie. Pa. that un-
less 5000 was forthcoming. the Strong
house and mausoleum would be blown up,
The letters were said to have been anony-
nous and forwarded TO Mr.. Strong with
the idea m view. a was contendea that
the Perkins agency would gain employment
In ferretlng out the authors and preventing
The carrying out OF the threat.
Contents of PetitIoa.
The petition sets forth that raids were
made on the Perkins agency in all three
cities by postoffice inspectors and Burns
detectives and that the former. acting
under federal law. seized valuable papers
and personal records. In addition the off
GERS and employees Of the Perkins agency.
the petition further charges, were sub
jected to third degree' methods to sxfort
evidence or confessions.
in asking for an Investigation. the petit
ton says their case is not an isolated one,
but that they are prepared to prove that
like conduct on the part Of postoffice in
speetors is not an infrequent occurrence
in other parts Of the country.
Your petitioners further believe and
therefore aver" the petition proceeds.
that some, IL not all. of the aforemen-
toned United States postOffiee inspectors
engaged in the conspiracy Of this petition
practically set forth are primarily inter
ested in the Burns Detective agency and
are prostituting their offices and exercising
assumed and unwarranted powers there
under for the purpose of furtherins the in
terests Of said agency. to the great peril
OF the rights and liberties OF the citizens
and 70 the scandal and debasement OF the
public service"
Asks for an Investigation.
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 con-
nection between the Burns Detective agency
and certain inspectors OF the Postoffice de-
partment
w J. Burns. head of the Burns agency.
was a former secret service official in the
Treasury department He achieved con-,
siderable reputation for his work In con-
nection with the anti-graft crusade in San
Francisco and at present is in the hmelight
as result of his work in the dynamiting
plot which caused the destruction OF the
Los Angeles Times plant. 1t was under his
direction that the labor leaders now being
held for the affair. were arrested.
D. e h. g.