The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1911-05-25
BURNS A TRAIED SLEUTH
HIS instructor Was M'PharIan. Who
Broke the Bonds That Held the
Molly Maguires Toqether

nidue Oh indianapolis a few DAYS
ago, the arrest of J. C. Mcnamara
and his subsequent removal TO Los
Angeles for trial is an incident
winch. is linked to the notorious
Dand of Molly Maguires of a gener-
alton ago.
| While there is no resemblance
between the Molly Maguires and
the dynamltlng last October of the
Los Angeles Times, still there is q
direct connection. After the law
had tried every scheme conceivable
10 catch these criminals of forty
years ago, James McPharlan, the
greatest private detective of his
day, was put on the case. For two
years he worked elbow to elbow
with Pennsylvania miners. eating
and sleeping with them, all the
while gathering the information
which later convicted large num-
bers and resulted in routing com
pletely the entire band.
1t was under this man that
William ]. Burns got his training.
Now forty years later finds Burns
attempting to solve a series of dyn-
amite explosions, crimes more das-
tardly than any Mcpharlan ever
attempted to unravel.
The Molly Maguires.
The Molly Maguires started be-
fore the Civil War. 1t flourished
for twenty years and got its name
from the ancient band of Irish
IRibbonmen, who, disguised as wom-
en-, made forays. They were named
for Cornelius Mcguire, who took
part in the Irish rebellion of 1911.
Membership in the Mollies was
not confined to miners. There were
|saloonkeepers. traders. artisans,
ofiiceholders and men of no occupa-
ton in the band. The meetings Of
the various lodges of the organiza-
ton were opened with prayer; then
the business assassinating enemies
was taken UP. 1t was not until the
early COS, however, that the muir
ders became frequent.
Some boss of mine, some OBJ
noxious policeman who had dubbed
a drunken Molly, some miner who
had incurred the displeasure of a
member of the order, or some eiti-
zen who had spoken of it direspect-
fully would be either beaten within
an inch of his life, or murdered,
occasionally. But the crimes were
sporadic. During the Civil War
they increased rapidly in numbers
and by 1871 there was a reign of
terror in the whole anthracite re-
gion, extending over five counties.
During that year and the year fol-
lowing there were forty-eight muir
ders and innumerable assaults and
crimes against property.
Beginning of Terror.
Gradually the enmity of the Mol
lies was directed toward the mine
owners and the railroad corpora
tions One boss after another, who
made himself unpopular with the
miners, was murdered. Mines were
blown up or filled with water. Rail-
road property was burned or de-
stroyed. Finally President Gowan
of the Philadelphia and Reading
Coal and Iron Company, seeing that
the city and state authorities were
powerless, determined to call on the
pinkeTtons for aid. They sent Nc
parlan to the scene. That was in
1873, when Mcparlan was 90 years
old.
He came from the Chicago office
of the pinkertons, and was sent to
Pennsylvania with instructions TO
learn all he could about the Mollies.
He changed his name TO McKenna,
struck up an acquaintance with ev-
cry one, and got a job in mine.
Finally he was admitted to member
ship in the Mollies, and every night
he sent his reports to the Pinker-
tons.
Avoided Obeying Orders.
Whenever he was detailed by the
Mollies to commit some crime or to
participate in the commission he al
ways found some plausible excuse.
But events moved swiftly. The ev-
idence which he was furnishing
gradually frightened the coils around
the Mollies. One arrest followed
another. And by and by it became
apparent that someone was giving
to the government all The secrets OF
the organization. One morning all
the signs and passwords af the Mol
lies were published in every news
paper. Then there was no doubt
that they had a traitor among them
Suspicion fell upon MeParlan. He
had accidentally dropped a letter on
the street. The Mollies accused
him of treachery. He became in
dignant and brazened ii out. He
persuaded them that he was ter
ribly abused man. They begged his
forgiveness. At least they all did
except two of his brother officers
in the order. The evidence against
Mcparan was too strong to be
doubted. SO they determined tt
KIN him, not the next week or the
next day, but right off.
But McParlan gave them the slip
Sixteen men lay in wait TO murder
him. but he was warned just in the
nick of time. Still, he kept at hi:
work, although he had another en-
envy to face. Outraged citizens hae
formed vigilance committees to re-
taliate on the Mollies. Mcparlar
was known as an active leader o.
M oroaui1ofion and hiq life was In