Evening star., 1934-02-04

considered for the work. From every
angle the applicant is tested-his ap-
pearance, his personality, his pOiSe, his
adaptability, his judgment in crisis.
All are given a grilling, intensive, Scien-
tfic training in crime detection-in-
Guiding course in the divisions
training school here in Washington.
Here they are acquainted with the
machinery of Federal law, are taught
fingerprinting and other sciences, and
given a chance to prove their ability
in actual case work.
The special agents have, of course,
no distinguishing insignia. All carry
credentials and a book of blank passes
enabling them to Jump on any train or
rlane, day or night, but these are hidden
in their pockets. Outwardly they look
precisely like other well dressed, alert,
we'll reared and educated young men on
the streets and trains, in restaurants
:nd at social functions. But always
ihey are ready to take the trail in pur-
suit of the laWleSS.
THAT trail! The underworld knows
how endless it is! 1t may begin in
BROOKLYN, where cars are being stolen,
end lead to Oslo, Norway, where they
are being sold-as in a recently solved
case. Or it may wind on to Copenhagen,
CT back to Paris If the fugitive is
r.anted for murder-and especially the
murder of a special agent-the efforts
are redoubled.
In 1925, when our first agent was
murdered" said Mr.. Hoover to the writer
recently, "the test came. I realized that
if any underworld rat could kill an
agent and get by with tit would i'm
mediately become open season for
agents. I determined to put the fear
of God into persons who would attack
an agent. The whole force concentrated
on running this murderer down. And
lWo months and one week later Martin
James Durkin was captured, was con-
2icted at Chicago of the murder of
Special Agent Edward B. Shanahan and
sven sentences totaling so years"
In pursuing a criminal the agents
trail may lead over the mountains in
an airplane-with another plane just
anead containing the fleeing murderer.
Or it may lead down into the earth,
Where some kidnaper's victim has been
Cltombed alive-as was the case with
gust Luer. Wherever that trail may
,-ad, it will be doggedly, grimly fol-
wed unto the end And along the
way no damning bit of evidence will be
C.erlooked
In his specially constructed valiSe the
; ,cnt carries, when occasion demands,
:; variety of objects: Handouts, finger
pint camera, magnifying glass, day
;nd-night binoculars, a case of vari-
Colored powders for bringing out latent"
Ingerprints, a flashlight, a wrench, a
file, a steel tape measure, a chisel, a
.cIewdriver, glass cutter, a pair of
cutting pliers, a claw hammer, COM
pass, saw and jack-knife.
These scientifically trained young de-
tcctives are hounds for detail No
tiniest scrap of evidence is too insig-
nificant to receive their closest scrutiny
IN one interesting murder case, for in
stance, some human hair was found
c.utched in the victims hand. When
analyZed under the violet ray, it re-
:cted in such way as to indicate that
it contained an abnormal amount of
:.Tpirin. This led to the arrest of one
G. the suspects, who was an aspirin
;.idict. Another suspect was thus
cleared, as the oil in his hair when
under the violet ray, gave off an en-
trely different color.
When a gunmans victim is still living,
The extraction of bullets from his body