The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-02-26
q p 3 HA SIX I'm LETsTsE B
Federal D tive Bureau
By Frederls ]. HasEin.

3, Frederic
Best known Of ali the. detective
agencies OF the government, sur
rounded by an atmosphere OF ro-
nance such as attaches to no other
Organization Of its. kind In America.
1.-THE Secret Service represents In the
public mind our Uncle Sam when he
Isoes forth in the guise OF sieuth.
yet the Secret Service is but one Of
dozen detective bureaus Of the
government. Several Of these have
much larger forces than has tho
Secret Service. Some Of them cover
la much wider field OF activity. Bit
the Secret service is a sort Of parent
Organization and the one that has
gained first place in the public COR
scfousness. Il.
The activities Of the Secret Ser
vice are limited by the statute. which
lcreated 1t and are confined to safe
!suarding Of the coin and currency Of
1.-THE nation, and to the protection OF
the president. II has small body OF
men assigned to the White House
land to the presidents stan when he
travels. There are never more than
six men so assigned. The number OF
cmploys Of the Secret Service is un-
known, but 1t is believed to he about
seventy. The chief duty OF these de-
Electives Isl to prevent counferfeiters
from duplicating the money Of the
nation and from thereby upsetting
THE stability OF its circulating lmedj-
Jun. 1t Is no easy task. for every
terminal in the nation sees the vision
tof unlimited wealth II he only can
print a bill that cannot be disting-
uished from sthc goyernment-,na
currency. e
But few months ago bank tell
ers in st. Louis and Kansas City be-
4 gan to detect an occasional counter
ifeit. One of these was Immediately
lsent to the Kansas City headquarters
perienced man OF the force was In
n charge. a casual look at the bill
convinced him that he. was familiar
with the workmanship OF it.. Every
man who engrayes a plate Is bound
H to allow his individuality to steal
into the work. An expert. knowing
the technique OF given counterfeiters
can recognize their product just as
an art connoisseur can tell that a
4 painting IS. by Reynolds or Gains-
borough the moment he sees 1t.
So this Secret Service agent knew
1.-THE counterfeit was made by certain
imam who was an old offender. and
Iwho, as he remembered, was serving
a term at Leavenwortb. He called
up the warden OF that penitentiary
and found that the suspect had rc-
Gently been discharged. He comnlu-
nicated with the central office at
Washington and was told that the
whereabouts of the old offender We're
known, for 1t is the policy of the SER
vice to Keep track of such men. His
arrest and feconyiction soon fol-
lowed.
4 This is the simplest sort OF Il case.
4 n bit different in the working out
was that OF frank and attractive
iyoung man who appeared ut the race
track Of a western city and bet hun
dred-dollar bills on various horses.
Someone suspected that the bills were
counterfeit and a Secret Service man
was called into the case. The man
was arrested.
He acknowledged betting the bills
in question. He produced twenty
'nine more of them from All inner
pocket. He stated that he had found
an envelope full OF them in the rail
way station the day before. He said
that he had, wanted to return them
TO the owner and had placed an adj
yertissment in the papers to that eff
feet. He showed the advertisements.
He had bet this money FROM indiffers
ence, as ne had plenty of other other
mony to make 1t up in case the owne.
was found, f'
n So plausible was his story that his
accusers were almost convinced. But
he made single mistake as every
man who is lying will do If he Is
required TO furnish sufficient detail.
He had left the advertisement at one
OF the newspaper Offices two hours
before he claimed to have found the
money. He was held for a thorough
investigation.
4 The men OF the Secret Service try
lizard for confessions. They are mas
tiers Of psychology. They know that
1.-The counterfeiter has his secret al
ways Will ulM. ne ma! Hot sicit.N
for moment for fear OF betrayins
himself. It is a great weight on his
mind. The effect of 1t may be h1igt-
tened BY solitary confinement.
SO the suspect In this case was left
alone for a week. In the meantime
Ibis past was investigated. 1t was
found that he had printing shop in
al New England town. He was o
skilled engraver. He had once
worked In Washington ,where he as.
ISOLATED with the men who make the
dies from which the money OF the
1 government is printed. With these
facts in hand. fhe Secret Service man
4 visited the accused. 1t was easy to
construct the whole story OF the
downfall of the engrayer, of the sug-
gesuon OF note-making received in