The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-12-02
IN TOPEKA
Detective Who Solved the Nc
Namara Case Worked Here.
Came as Agent of US. Treasury
to Solve COunterfeiting.

| George Sharitt, clerk of the Unitec
! States circuit court, followed closeH
the developments in the McNamara
cases and paid particular attention t
the work of Detective William }
| Burns, who brought the two brothers
to the bar of justice. Burns has
worked On several cases in Topeka ano
! Mr.. Sharitt became well acqualnteo
with the famous detective and thlro
| degree man.
| It was nearly Is year sage when the
! government encountered much trouble
with counterfeiters, who seemed 10
thrive in Kansas. Burns, burly red
haired Irishman, was at that time IN
the service of the treasury department
at Washington and was sent to Kansas
to solve the trouble. In the Kansas
work Burns never exhibited excep-
tional ability, according to the tederaI
officers, and the trouble in this terri
tory was more often disposed OF by
the United States marshaFs force.
Not until several years after his
Kansas experience. did the Chicago de-
tective begin to show his real worth
His experience as an attache of the
treasury department was probably the
foundation on which he built his career
and recently came into prominence as
one of the foremost of the country's
secret service men.
Il recall especially one Of Burns
visits to Topeka" said Mr. Sharitt to-
day. as he talked of the unexpected
pleas of guilty in the recent Mcnamara
cases, "but at that time l didn't look
on Burns as man of special AFFINITY.
Burns had worked on several counter
feiting cases, when suddenly Topeka
man was suspected of passing bad
money From enclosing plates, the
man had produced a very presentable
SIS bill. In fact, it was above the ordl-
nary. Men in the local office laid
trap for the TOpekan and he was
caught in the act of passing $1,000
worth of the bad money.
mot until after the arrest in the
case did Burns come to Topeka. re-
member the tilt in the district attor-
ney's office, when Burns demanded
that the worthless bills be turned over
to him to be taken to Washington The
district attorneys force refused to
comply with this request and Burns
returned to Washington without the
money. After securing a conviction in
the case. the money was sent to the
departme
w. H Thompson, a deputy marshal at
the time of Burns visits in Kansas. today
recalled the Chicago man. To the men
who were in the service in those days,
Burns was known as a determined, hard
headed and unrelenting Irishman WITH
something of the disposition of a bulldog
There were never any conflicts between
Burns and the Kansas officials, but the
detective became known as an advertiser
and this suspicion kept down a too well
come reception to the state
AS a third degree man, Burns showed
his. real worth One day he sent for
suspect. Burns gave the man chair
near a window, with the light shining
brightly in the visitors eyes. In SLOW
monotone. BuFns began to question his
visitor Then his voice began to rise to a
higher pitch. The man became uneasy
and the burly detective jumped to his
feet and lowered above the man in the
chair. His tones grew louder and louder
and Burns heaped abuse on his man
without stint Near the close of the in
terview. Burns branded the man as guilty
of the charge. When he denied it, Burns
applied the fighting word. Every minute
he kept right after his victim and his
eyes never left those of the man in the
chair Burns got the desired information.
1t was his way of doing things
John P. Glynn. a member of the Burns
service. was in Topeka a few hours Fri
day He visited the United States mar
shal's office late yesterday afternoon and
left on an evening train for Chicago. He
left Topeka before receiving news of the
pleas of guilty in the Mcnamara cases in
Los Angeles which was printed in the
postscrip1 edition of the State Journal.