The Calumet news., 1912-07-30
BURNS ABLEST
OF DETECTIVES
He Is Called Upon Whenever
There Is Graft Investigation

The name Of william j. Buriic hs,
become familiar 10 most people Ia th'
United States before the announce
ment that he had been awarded th'
contract of the detective WORK of tE'
American Bankers association. E'i.'
lcontract. which is probably TIE mos
extensive OF its kind in america. haC
been for upwards of 20 years in IN,
hands OF The Pinkerton detective agen-
cy and the dropping OF the PinHerton'
lhy the Bankers association came as d
surprise. Mr. Burns had long sine,
proved himself the aDlest man ia mis-
line in the United States, IL not IL
ihe world
| Wherever there has been an hon.
est attempt drTing the recent years
To bring influential srafters TO jus
tice William j. Burns has been called
in 10 do the work as ne was called
! IN Detroit on this occasion. Wherever
there has been graft Burns has un-
rapeled the most intricate systems al
depreciation, has brought the guilty be-
fore the bar Of Justice and there has
submitted such incontrovertible evi-
dences of guilt that big grafters have
son
His work IN the Los Angeles Times
Idynamiting case. his capture of the
IdcNamarss, their confessions and
sentences 10 prison last ycaI are fresh
In public memory. James h. Mcnamara
aud Oriie McManigal having been cap
tured IN Detcoit
Was Government Man.
William j. Burns has been in de-
tective work the greater part of his
life. For 22 Years. up TO 1908, he vas
in the government secret service and
handled nearly all TIE big cases for
the government In 1903 he was de-
tailed by Secretary Hitchcock of The
department of the interior. To investi-
gate land frauds which haG just been
unearthed. The work he did resulted
n the convict OF a United States
senator, congressman. a .arge num-
ber OF federal. state and city officials
and few millionaire citizens OF calf
fornia.
The people of California remember
ed Talrns. and wheE they had more
housecleanine TO do he was called in,
with the result that Abe Ruef the poll
tical boss of san Francisco, Mayor
Eugene SchnitZ and other big officials
were convicted and sentenced IL prison
In this latter case Burns was offered
at first 100000 IN cash to let the guilty
escape. Those who offered the bribe
could not understand why any man
would refuse and when they met with
a determined refusal at the hands Of
Burns They decided To make the offer
ia another way-a way by which there
was no possibility of the recipient Of
the bribe being caught. They We're
again refused and went away wonder
ing what manner Of man was Burns.
Bribes in various forms have been
offered Burns frequently. When he
was In the government service in
1891, George Manning a noted coun-
terfeiter. who had been brought TO
justice offered him $4,000 II he would
allow the principal witness To escape.
In Lancaster, Pa, Burns was offered
sac, 900 Ia 1907 il he would stultify
himself. These offers had but one ef-
fect-increased determination To bring
about conviction of the guilty.
Born In Baltimore.
William j. Burns was born October
10, 1861. in Baltimore. Md. His par
ents Michae. and Bridget Burns, were
born In Limerick. Ireland. and came
to this country in youth. Their son
William was educated in the pub
lie schools of Columbus. o.. and grad
uated from Columbus college. He
was first employed as clerk in a
store, and his pext business step was
in detective work. In 1885 he took part
In unearthing tally sheet corgeries In
Columbus and Cincinnati, his first not
able case. Mr.. Burns married In 1880
Miss Annie NJ. Reesler. of Columbus.
For the purposes of the work Of the
American Bankers association and his
other Investigations Mr.. Burns has
gathered about him men who know
The faces. history and habits Of near
iy All the known criminals in this and
many foreign countries. Probably the
best known among his associates Is
William +. Sheridan, for "a years q
member of the New York police force
and tor nearly IS years in charge Of
the rogues' gallery of New York po-
lice headquarters. Sheridan is known
the world over as the man with the
camera eye, because of his ability
To recognize criminals after he has once
seen them no matter what method ot
disguise they may use.
In 1899 Burns ran down the Pnit-
| adelphia Lancaster counterfeiters
These men. Taylor. Bredell. Jacobs and
Kendig. bought a paper mill whies
made treasury note paper exactly Ike
that used by the government Thes
put out thousands Of 500 bills the
were accepted by United States sub
treasures. They robbed the govern
ment Of $3.50, 900 In counterfeiting cigai
I