Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-05
BURNS CRAFTY UNRELENTING WORKS LIKE A SCIENTIST
Detective Frank Case Achieved Many Successes

eral Prison at Leavenworth, Kans
This was the method Burns used
| when Secretary of the Interior Hitch
| cock assigned Burns to some land
| fraud cases After 4 time HitchcocK
called upon Burns for a report
| How far have you gomez
Ear enough answered Burns, ITO
| know that -- is taking graft
ana 81 chiefly instrumental in protect
| ing the rauds,"
The name Burns mentioned was
| that Of a Republican leader in the
West and "a man high in Washing
| tons official circle, and a personal
| friend Of Hitchcock's.
Produces the Evidence.
stop right there" said Hitchcock
"You can't accuse a man Of that sort
unless you have the evidence. Have
you got it? If not, get out Of my
office"
Burrs put on his hat and walked
cut
But 30 minutes later Burns walked
In again with the man he had named,
and had him repeat to Hitchcock the
confession he had made TO Burns an
hour before.
chief Wilkie once said Burns gets
confessions from practically every
criminal he goes after because Of his
marvellous knowledge Of the case,
whicn enables him TO catch the Grim
inal upon his slightest slip"
Burns third degree" substitutes
psychology for brutality.
pointed example Of how Burns
employs the much-talked of process
Of elimination in finding unfindable
persons Is found IN this extract from
Dana Gatlin's story OF the Abe Ruef
San Francisco case, quoting Burns:
Tracing a Letter Writer.
THE public sees only outside facts
and results, and the missing links
make the outcome appear mysterious,
III Illustrate
zone morning in 1905. while ! was
Investigating the oregon land fraud
cases. ! walked into the Office of Sec
rotary Of the Interior Hitchcock. He
seemed excited and as he was US
ually very placid, / asked him what
was the matter
"'There IS q Ietter'-he fairly bran
dished it--With valuable information,
And from such a coward.
Il read the letter
INF Secretary | said, therell be
"'But he doesn't sign his name.
How are you going TO find him"
GIera Burns dropped into the voice
and manner of the second speaker,
without PREDATORY comment)
I'VE have a way sometimes
spoke with purposeful mystery. The
Secretary looked at me- and ! seemed
10 hear him thinking, but all he said
was:
"'You think you can do ii?
eyes, ! think So
How It Was Done.
On a few weeks we got the letter
writer and subsequently he was in
dicted in connection with the land
frauds.
Now, let's sec how this particular
mystery pans out" Burns leaned
forward, his hand uplifted. preoccu-
pied again by the pleasure of the.
chased
THE letter was from san Francis
Co You can get an anonymous let
ter mailed anywhere, but this letter
came from someone who, when the
iand frauds were committed, was
close in with Benson and Hyde of
san Francisco, The principal defend
ants lie was delivering goods that
not more than twelve persons could
lave handed out.
Taking up the letter by the proc
ess Of elimination, | came to the con-
clusiou that the letter was from some
person who had actually participated
In the work. He told things he could
not otherwise have known; and his
information was accurate The let
ter went on 10 say that Burns was
on the right track, but that he should