San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-17

plains, because he was working on"
senators and cabinet officers and a
lot of such small fry" The handing
over of 100 $1,000 bills to jess Smith,
the friend and roommate Mt Attorney
General Harry Daugherty, was the
merest sort of incident In the hectic
life of Mr.. Means. During the war
he handled millions-millions in a
black satchcl. Even Edward J.. Do
hcny only handled 100000 satchels.
Mr.. Means is the biggest fish the
Senate has ever caught. Yet fish
doesn't seem to be exactly the word.
Certainly Means is NOT of the sucker
variety. He reminds one more of the
barracuda, THE tiger of the sea" that
swins along in proud disdain of all
weaklingS and wants always to fight
something twice its size.
Accused of Everything.
Having been accused of every crime
on the calendar" has merely been an
amusing experience to Mr.. Means. He
proudly proclaims he has never been
convicted of anything more than few
fisticuffs when occasionally he has
been ''fisty" and other occasions he
has been pretty badly cuneu.
Means says he has kept within the
law" He has known the law all his
life. That is why he smiled when the
senator's gravely asked him if he
would waive immunity in testifying
Why shouldn't he waive it? He ha,
had il all his life and he feels he j;
too old bird now 10 be caught in any
net spread by the other agents Of tn,
Department of Justice or any other de
partment. Since Means got out o.
the government service it seems thai
about every department of the gov
eminent has had its agents after him
The justice people have had him in
dicted in the glass casket" case. Tn,
treasury people are after him for al
legged participation in a "whiskcy
ring
"The more the merrier." says Heans
Bring on the indictments. | would
be lonesome il / wasn't under one
Might catch cold. you know
One of the incest things about Mr.
Means is that he never forgets {
friend. BILLY" Burns gave him fin,
character before the Senate oil com
mittee. Means has done the SAM,
thing for Burns before the Daughert!
! committee. There's n fellow you car
trust" says Means; "a mighty fint
| man.
Is Able Investigator.
Washington was amazed some tint
ago to discover that CASTOR Means wa
one of Burns right-hand men. Means
record was known in the capital ever
if Means himself was not. 1t haC
been known that he worked for thu
German government even before thu
World War started. He was sort o.
commercial ''spy" for the Germans. en-
! abling them to underbid and under
sell British and other connections u
the American market. When th,
World War came along il was bu'
natural that Means should slip quietly
into the German secret service in thu
country. II was also natural that al
a German spy he should try TO gair
employment with the British govern
ment. Means did splendid work fol
the Germans.
They. too, found him to be one Of
the ''ablest Of investigators" Cap
tain Begged and Count Won Berns
torff adored his WORK. that work rar
gamut from shadow sleuthing Il
supplying the big blockade runner:
off the American coast.
Washington had also known Means
because of his connection with the cast
of Mrs. Maud King Of Chicago. Means
had taken Mrs. King on visit to hi:
home in Concord, n. c. He also tool
her TO target practice. Mrs. kins
unfortunately became a target fol
same stray bullet. 1t was charged n
| the trial that Means had attempted
| 10 get some of her fortune. Mean
smiled at the judge, at the jury ant
at the prosecutor. He shrugged hi
shoulders when the foreman said
Not guilty
In the face Of Means record, Burn'
sent for him soon after he entered
the Department of Justice. He hat
known Means as one of his best oper
atives in the Burns agency. He knew
what Means could do. He wanted
him in Washington.
Means himself has told the rest Of