The Detroit times., 1912-08-28
BlEUTH IN BIG CASES NOW
| WORKS AS CLERK HERE
| NO MYSTERY, He SAYS
Peter Dick, in U. S. Secret Ser
vice 10 Years, Is Found
By Reporter
FOE OF CoUNTERFEITERs
Is Pressed For Explanation, But
Insists He Is Just Biding
His Time

How did you know was here?"
asked middle aged man of the strik-
ing brunette type. with piercing brown
eyes, as he shook hands with his in
terrogator In Sanders candy store to-
day. He seemed nonplussed for a
| few seconds. then recovered his COM
posture and said the fact that he was
working as clerk was not really sig
nificant. II would seem there was
much significance, though, for this
man Is Peter Dick, a member of the
United States secret service for fifteen
years. who. formerly had charge of the
central division, which embraces
Michigan and Ohio, and the deadly
foe of counterfeiters, many Of whom
he has run down and landed behind
prison bars.
When a Times reporter sought him
out In the candy store scores OF en-
ployes were making their way hither
and thither, apparently not aware OF
the fact that real Hawkshaw with a
long record OF successful pursuits OF
criminals to his credit was standing
In their midst. He had recently come
from Cleveland, where he went into
|partnership with William J. Burns,
head of the detective agency which
set the trap for the Detroit aldermen.
but severed his connection with the
widely-advertised sleuth and. accord
ing to his own story, has been biding
his time since. He quit the govern
ment secret service in Cleveland last
October and Immediately became iden-
tilted with Detective Burns.
What are you doing here?' he was
asked as he thought very seriously
and surveyed the surroundings and
the employees In the store.
Merely here for short time. help
ing them out" he replied with twin
kle in his eye. There was evidently
much more in his mind and the report
err would have given q whole lot to
know who II was.
Are you here on the Detroit graft
cases?" shot back the reporter.
mo. my boy" he said with much
reserve. Il left Cleveland recently and
came TO Detroit with no real mission
in mind. | eventually drifted into this
position and | can't tell how long |
will be here. may go to Cleveland
or Chicago tonight and open up de-
tective business tomorrow"
As the interview went on II seemed
strikingly unique to see this gumshoe
expert donned In the garb OF a clerk,
wearing thin alpaca coat, and en-
gagged In line OF work so widely sep
arated from that 10 which he has d.
rected his life's efforts. One could not
resist the thought that he was here
on some important mission.
mo mystery whatever" he insisted
when pressed again for the reason for
his presence in the role OF an every.
day clerk
Detective Dick, or CLERK" Dick.
finally became more friendly and his
mind drifted 10 his sleuthing acuvi
ties which evidently held fascina-
ton for him He recalled the arrest
In Hammond. Ind. yesterday, of
Peter 4. Malatin, notorious counter
feiter. after two-years' chase by
federal officers. and said he had run
down Malatin's pal. named Windish,
who is now serving time in the fed
eral penitentiary at Leavenworth,A
His mind drifted farther into the
realm OF other pursuits in which ne
had been engaged and ht recalled
that he worked also on the Hun
garian counterfeit case" In Cleveland
some years ago. These counter
letters. said Dick, who now really
felt that he was more at. ease, cir
culated the smoothest $40 bill ever
put out. Some of them were run
down in this country and others in
Europe and given long prison SEN
fences
When the reporter made a maj
effort and pressed the former United
States secret service operative for
better explanation for his presence
In Detroit. he again became reserved
and repeated his statement that there
was nothing really significant In the
fact that he was laboring as clerk.
He had many acquaintance In De-
troit, where he has visited often, he
insisted, and felt perfectly at home.
He would not say definitely how long
he was going to stay, where he would
establish headquarters II he went
back into the detective business, or
give any direct reply To questions
which would pin him down on this
point Whereupon the air seemed TO
thicken with mystery again, and the
famous detective made MS way
through the store "a An everyday