Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-04
RMS CRAFTY UNRELENG WORKS AS SYSTEMATICALLY AS SCIENTIST
Detective Investigating Achieved Notable Successes

ess of elimination, / came to the con-
clusion that the letter was from some
person who had actually participated
ir the work. He told things he could
not otherwise have known and his
information was accurate The let
ter went on to say that Burns was
on the right track, but that he should
keep up his work. The writer thought
/ had quit.
Il was able also by the process of
elimination to narrow the possible
list of twelve down to five or six, in
Guiding the defendants themselves,
though it wasn't likely they were Civ
ing out information on themselves.
personal" Traps Him.
81 inserted a personal in the San
Francisco papers to the effect that the
letter had been received, and the in
formation it contained was valuable
that further information was de-
sired and would the writer commu-
nicate with the Secretary and give
his address?
The personal got the right man,
but he was discreet. He advertised
that he could communicate only
through personals in the newspapers.
Il took a chance on the biggest of
the men / had in my eye. | formu-
lated some questions that could be
answered only by Hyde, Benson or an
attorney who had acted for them.
The reply came with the correct an
swer My theory had worked. The
anonymous letter writer proved to be
Hyde's former attorney, who proved
to be trying in this way to collect
$4,000 from Hyde, which he claimed
was due him.
He was a most surprised gentle
man when he was later called to the
stand at the preliminary hearing OF
Hyde and Benson. and confronted
with his anonymous letters by Fran
els J, Heney.
There are no mysteries-every
criminal leaves a track behind him. 1t
is the ability to see and follow traces
so slight that others do not perceive
them that makes the successful de-
tective."
He Never Quits.
Burns never gives M.
In the famous Philadelphia Lar
caster counterfeiting case he was Of
fered $4,000, then $4,000, to stop. In
the San Francisco graft case Burns
was offered 100000 to leave the city.
Another later offer guaranteed Burns
S125,000 if he would take up work
elsewhere
Regarding the running TO earth OF
ANONYMOUS lettkr Writers-and Leo
NJ Frank says when you ind the
man who wrote the notes found be-
side Mary Phagan's body, you will
have the man who killed her'-De-
tective Burns has this to say from
the wealth Of his experience, as told
in McCiures Magazine:
Most people believe it is extremely
difficult TO locate the writer of an
anonymous letter. Usually it is a
very simple process.
During the Boer war Lord Paunce-
fote, then English Ambassador to the
United States, received in his mail
one day an Anonymous communica
ton, written evidently by a very in
tellisent person who knew all the
facts that had led M to the war. The
letter concluded with the statement
that if Lord Pauncefote did not stop
the war within six months, the writer
would 90 to WASHINGTON and Kill MIN
Caught in 48 Hours.
Lord PaunCefote scoffed al the idea
Of the secret service being able to To-
cate the writer OF the letter. lie was
dumfounded when the man was In
custody in less than As hours. Then
Lord Pauncefote insisted that this
i.deep mystery be unraVeied Tor MIN
and III unraVel it for you.
ITO one who is accustomed 10 trac-
ing the authorship of anonymous let
tiers it lisa well-knOwn fact that when
person undertakes to write an
anonymous letter he starts out with
the intention Of Disgusting his hand
writing. but that as he proceeds with
his composition he unConsciously re-
turns to his normal manner of writ
ing. He may catch himself<at TINS
and resume lis disguised hand; but
he is sure TO incorporate some of MS
peculiar characteristics in the letter,
through which it is possible to iden-
tify him.
at was so in this case We were
able TO determine from an occasional
Joining of the words, which Is peCu-
liar to telegraph operators, that the
writer probably was an operator
when | reached Detroit | called
upon one OF the telegraph companies,
and at this point it may be noted how
necessary it is to appear confident IN
order to succeed in securing the in
formation one is after.
Plays Bold Hand.
"When / resented a portion OF the
letter to the chief operator of the tel
egraph company. instead of asking
him whether or not he could tell VINO
the writer was from an examination
of the handwriting, ] made the bold
statement that the writer of the letter
was at that time in his employ
This at once had the effect OF
stimulating the chief operator IN ms
endeavor to find out who the writer
was After making careful exam =
nation of the letter, he admitted
there was certain familiarity about
the handwriting but said he was
sure the writer was not then en-
ployed by his company
81 then visited the other telegraph
company. Here | went through the
same procedure, ard | noted that the
chief operator Of this company, after
he had carefully examined the hand
writing, showed considerable surprise
and amusement / was satisfied in
my mind that he recognized the writ 70
ing and [ was very much chagrined,
thorefola IN have him turu to me ana