San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-04-15
Burns Says Use of Radio
g. Destined to Help Stop Crime

of dishonesty takes root quickly in
corrupt soil. In almost every in
stance, one will find that a criminal
is the prddust of a criminal environ
ment. either brought about by early
training, or by corrupt associates in
later ife."
The war made many good men bad
and many bad men good, Mr.. Burns
believes. Many who had known moth
ing but a bad environment all their
lives came into contact with men of
honesty or refinement. They were
inspired to follow a good example
and after the war, changed their
course of living.
On the other hand, there were
certain men who lost their per-
spective during the troublous times
of the world war. After the war was
over, rather than 20 back to the
humdrum toll of every day life, they
engaged in criminal activities. They
did not commit crimes of ingenuity.
As a rule, after the first crime was
committed, they were caught. They
saw the error of their ways and got
back their normal perspective.
Not Enough Punishment.
Punishment in this country is
not sufficiently swift and sure" Mr..
Burns believed. statistics will show
that there are far more persons. in
proportion to the. population, MUIR
dered annually in the United States
than in England. In the latter coun-
try. punishment for crime is usually
swift and certain. In England. there
is not the opportunity to delay trials
from time to time as is the case in
the United States.
Not so very long ago there was
an example in England that might
indicate why murders are not so
common in that country. A woman
was to be hanged for murder. OF
course there were parades and ban
ners carried by those who allowed
sympathy to get the better of judg-
ment. But, Notwithstanding the pro-
test that was raised, the murderess
paid. the penalty for her crime.
The advent of prohibition is re-
sponsible for the alarming increase i'm
the narcotic traffic, Mr.. Burns be-
lieves. He declared that prohibition
had acted as a deterrent to certain
forms of crime and had acted as an
irritant to other forms. One of fine
most beneficient results of prohibit
ton. he asserted, was the abolishine
OF the saloon of ill-repute along with
the saloon of the better type. The
saloon OF ill-repute was the breeding
place of crime.
The "parlor bolshevik" was de.
neunced in no uncertain terms BIZ
the man who has been relentless in
his warfare upon the radical element
OF this. country. He declared that
the emissaries of bolshevism are en-
devoring to instill their insidious
propaganda and their spirit of I'M.
rest into the minds of the people in
working from the top, rather than
from the bottom of the social scale
Through college students and pro.
fessors. the propaganda OF commun.
ism is being broadcasted.
The Russian soviet has ruined
that country, socially, economically
and politically. 1t sends its ennis.
sarles to this country which has the
most nearly perfect social system OF
any country In the world. WHY
don't they go back to Russia Il
they like the soviet form of govern
ment! We should have more of the
propaganda of contentment than Of
the propaganda Of unrest"
. Mr.. Burns has recently put int
effect, complete reorganization O
the bureau of investigation. Attor
| ney General Daugherty, he said, wa,
not satisfied with the way things hat
been run. He disliked the antiquatet
, methods of the old-time sleutb, sucl
as the promiscuous flashing of badges
gumshoe work, and arrests without
warrants. He wanted the dVartmen
, to be placed upon businesslike basis
! This, Mr.. Burns believes, has beer
! accomplished.
{ Meets an Old Friend.
/ While he was in San Antonio. Mr.
Burns tttked over old times with T.,
Tyrrell, secret service agent in charg,
Of the San Antonio office. Mr.. Tyr
! rell once worked with Mr.. Burns il
New York and the two men were re
5 sponsible for the apprehension o
: scores of counterfeiters.
: On the walls Of Mr.. Tyrrells of
flee, two burls are hung. These burl,
are fnementoes of a famous counter
feiting case investigated many year
ago while Mr.. Tyrrell was working il
New York under Burns.
The country was being flooded
with notes that were as nearly per
feet as counterfeit notes could be
They had been accepted by the bank
aud thus distributed. On account o
this method Of distribution, we ha,
but little upon which to work." Mr.
Burns said.
"But, we started at the case from ,
, theoretical angle. BY examining tn,
, notes we could tell that since the,
. were perfect reproductions that ,
camera had been used. From the clea
! Impressions and other signs we dis
covered that they were printed from
! steel plates. The only tenable theor,
was. therefore. that the notes ha,
been made by one or two persons VIII
were acquainted with photo-mechan
: les. The number Of that class
? necessarily limited. Within tw,
months, we had established the idcr
) tity OF the counterfciters. but il tool
I us over year TO accumulate suffl
q cient evidence for conviction"