The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1937-06-09
BY A. N. WECKSLER

While tribal drums Sounoeo
their monotone in the Usage
Hills, a swarthy Indian medicine
man sat among elders of the
tribe. A fire threw fantastic
shadows on their grim faces.
The medicine man was in
truth a Oman on the trail OF
murder, but his disguise was so
perfect and his knowledge Of In
dian life so versatile that no one
suspected his true identity.
Members of the Usage Tribe, who
had been settled on the Oklahoma
reservation. were wealthy through
oil royalties, which they received
when the land assigned to them
was discovered to contain vast OIL
resources.
The wealth of the ignorant In
diants attracted numerous bandltS
and robbers. More than a score
of Usage Indians had died under
suspicious circumstances, when
the Omen were called to the hunt.
Indians Panic Stricken
The natives were panic stricken,
and afraid to talk, fearful that the
murderers would take revenge on
them if they divulged any clue.
Principals in the murder drama
were a wealthy adventurer, who
dominated a large section OF the
Usage country, a gangSter, ana
"squaw men," who had married
full-blooded Usage women.
An aged Indian woman, and her
three daughters, all OF whom had
become tremendously wealthy
through oil discoveries, had been
marked for murder. One of the
daughters was shot to death at
the order of the master mind"
adventurer.
A large number of the suspicious
deaths were found by the Omen
to have been caused by the muir
der ring, whose members would
get an Indian drunk, and then
have a physician examine him.
The physician would declare that
the Indian was intoxicated.
Morphine Deaths
After the medical examiner left
the scene a large shot Of morphine
would be injected under the arm
pit of the drunken man, which
would result in his death. The
subsequent doctors Ger tificate
would read: death from alco-
holic poisoning"
Into this maze Of murder myS-
terry, the Federal Bureau Of Inves-
tigation had to send men who were
qualified to speak the language"
Of the tribeSmen, and Of the West |
ern frontier bravado.
A Oman who knew the native |
customs and habits was sent to
take the role of medicine man, and |
played this character so success
fully that he was taken into the |
inner councils Of the tribe.
Another agent, who was familiar |
with ranching life, played the part |
of a wandering Texas cowhand, be-
coming intimate with members of
the gang.
Still another Oman posed as an
insurance agent and actually sold
several life insurance policies, be-
ing on the point Of closing a con-
tract with the master mind"
when the Omen cracked down on
the gang and took them into Gus
tody.
Letter Perfect in Roles
The three special agents who
were assigned in the various roles
were letter perfect in theft decep.
tons.
They had been chosen from
special list at the Washington
FBI headquarters which contains
in detail the qualifications Of each
Oman.
Every industry and profession
has furnished men for the ranks
of the special agents. Attracted by
the glamour of law enforcement
work, they enlisted in the services
Of the Bureau of Investigation.
Fifty-six of the Omen speak
French. 46 speak Spanish and Is
speak German. Other languages
spoken by Omen include Hin
dustani, Italian, Hungarian, Ma
lay, SlaviSh, Russian, Swedish, He
brew, Yiddish, Greek, Danish and
Czechoslovakian.
In the recent white slave round.
up in Baltimore, a Oman, fluent
in Italian, gathered vital evidence
by bringing his knowledge of this
language into use.
Approximately 81 per cent of
the investigating personnel of the
bureau have had legal training or
were experienced accountants be.
fore entering the bureau. OF the
staff of 639 special agents, 487
have university degrees.
Know All TraIes
A list of trades from which
Omen have been enlisted includes
such types of works as stevedore,
truck driver, woodsman, diver,
cook, baker, blacksmith and boiler
maker.
From the field of science, the
F. B. I. has brought men who spe-
cialized in such academic sciences
as archaeology, astronomy, orni-
thology and topography, in add.
ton to the sciences which have
more practical application in the
field of crime detection.
When a case breaks involving
any specialized trade, the office
files furnish the name of a special