New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-02
,ner have flocked to pastures new.

men have flocked to pastures new.
conditions at Atlantic City when l
was first called in. something like year
auo." said Detective Burns. were dis
graceful. The place had grown to be
the dumping ground of smart thieves
and their kindred from all over the
country.
"How did this come about? We'll
Atlantic City Is perhaps the greatest
summer and winter resort In the coun-
try. Men and women OF wealth, WIN
their families, spent their vacations
there. and went there for rest and recre-
alton.
Well. when the underworld heard the
word that everything was right there'
why they Just naturally took the nrs'
train for the town. Right means that
privileges Of questionable character
are sold 10 any who can pay for them.
For instance, if a pickpocket knows that
in a certain locality he can ply MS
crooked game after paying price tha'
locality, in his jargon, is right
Good Citizens Called on Burns.
"The good people Of Atlantic city
tired of the rotten state of things. ana
they made UP their minds that they
would not stand for these things any
longer. and asked me If l could make
Atlantic City a place where decent peo-
pie could go and be protected
II told them could. and I did
You would be surprised. / suppose II
YOU we're told that an official In the
employ Of Atlantic City. who was sup
nosed TO rid the town of thieves, was
nothing else than stall for big
thieves? Well. that Is one Of the things
I Iearned-and stopped. Think OF II:
man supposed to arrest thieves really
one of them"
MIR. Burns then told Of one rich man
who went 70 Atlantic city little over
year ago and was met by some wire
tappers. who worked their way into MS
confidence As a result, the rich man
was poorer by s125.00o.
The detective then told Of the women
criminals whom he drove from the lob
bies Of some of the best hotels at At
lantic City These women, for the most
mart. were blackmailers. and their prey
rich men.
There were about thirty Of these
women" said Mr. Burns. They were
beautiful and gowned In the latest
mode They put up at the best hotels
where they passed as respectable. Their
victims were many. and the amount or
money they wrung from wealthy men
would nc hard to estimate. And 1t was
10 easy matter to get enough evidence
on them TO order them to leave town,
for. as you may imagine, they were
pretty wary"
The gamblers who were permitted TO
operate in the city had touts by the score
in their employ, who decoyed their VIC
tins into the crooked gambling dens
How Councilmen Were Trapped.
Speaking of the work that resulted in
alleged confessions being wrung from
Councilmen Phoebus, Lane, Kessler and
Malta, the detective was forced to laugh.
That plan for the reconstruction OF
the Boardwalk with concrete said
Burns, was nothing but stall II
originated in my mind. and no one but
the grafters took II seriously But they
were so anxious for the graft that they
fell into the trap with eyes open.
But we really engaged engineers 10
draw up plans, and had blue prints made
and all that, In order to give 1t SEM
blance OF reality.
I'VE had little difficulty at first In
getting the Councilmen to treat directly
with us. but we were fortunate In that
one of their. GO betWeens a year ago fled
TO Europe with several thousand dollars
that he should have paid to the Council
men for voting In favor Of certain
contract and this helped our game along.
When we first approached the Coun-
cilmen when the ordinance was intro
duced permitting the Boardwalk TO be
reconstructed the Councilman refused TO
deal directly with my man, Frank Smiley.
who went under the name Of Franklin.
But we insisted. saying: Now. we don't
want to be swindled out OF our money
by crooked agent like the fellow who
beat it to Europe. IF you want to deal
with us, you must deal with us direct" y
The rest Of the story, how the Coun-
cilmen were trapped by means Of the
dictagraph has been told. Detective
Burns refused TO mention names. but
said that between forty and fifty Attain
tic City officials and business men were
involved