Evening star., 1938-01-05
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
BY MARGARET CERMOND.

Mead G Co.
In the service OF the United States
Government, operating primarily in OBJ
scurity, there are fourteen agencies in
cessantly engaged in thwarting the
schemes OF lawbreakers and in tracking
and capturing those members OF our vast
criminal population who run afoul Of
Federal laws. The average American II
asked to enumerate them would be hard
put to name more than three and would
probably not be able to give more than
q vague definition Of the duties of two
of the most widely known units. Thanks
to the rapid and sensational rise to
prominence of the Federal Bureau OF
Investigation of the Department of
Justice, even small children are now ac-
quainted with some of the methods and
with the results achieved by that or
ganization. Popularity known as Gmen,
these courageous operators OF the F. B.
l. won the confidence and esteem of the
American people at time when respect
for State, county and local law enforce
ment agencies was at low ebb-and for
good reason.
But how about the other thirteen units
of G-men-some of them almost as old
as the Government itself-that operate
with all-seeing eyes and all-hearing ears
to safeguard life and property and to
place behind the bars those who engage
in criminal practices against society?
They live just as dangerously and operate
in some instances on even more battling
cases than those brought to the in
evitable climax by the F. B. I. men. Their
activities have on the whole spread over
a far greater span OF years and their
records of accomplishment contain hair
raising experiences that Surpass the most
exciting episodes in classic mystery thrill
ers That they have seldom been SEN
sationalized is perhaps due the belated
arousing of public sentiment against
laWbreaking as an organized industry.
The authors of this splendid survey
of our Federal law enforcement agencies
and how they operate have gone into the
records and brought forth outstanding
cases to illustrate the specific kinds of
criminal investigation entrusted to the
handling of the fourteen separate Serv-
ices. Briefly they outline the duties and
the jurisdiction of the G-men of the
Bureau of Internal Revenue, the Secret
Service. the Federal Narcotic Bureau,
the United States Customs Service. the
United States Bank Examiners, the Coast
Guard and the Alcohol Tax Unit. all OF
which operate under the Treasury De-
partment. Seven other units, operating
under other departments. include secret
agents of the Bureau of Navigation and
Steam Inspection of the Department of
Commerce, the Federal Bureau of In
vestigation of the Department of Justice,
the United States Post Office Inspectors,
ha nHioo nd ho
of Indian Affairs of the Department of
the Interior. the Bureau of Immigra
ton of the Department of Labor and the
Forest Rangers of the United States
Forest Service.
Chapters dealing with several of the
outstanding cases handled by the Fed
eral Bureau of Investigation relate the
story of Red Boyle of North Carolina
extortion fame. of George Dixon Sujyna-
mie, murderer, of the Fort Whipple Res
ervation of the Navajos: of the Urschel
kidnapping. of John Dillinger, Baby Face
Nelson, Ma" Barker, Alvin Karpis and
others, and of the arson ring that op-
Grated on the Fort Sill Military Reserva-
tion.
Tales of the tracking down of GRIM
inals by the G-men of the other agencies
include the case of the sinking of the
freighter Rose Murphy. the thwarted
robbery near Fort Worth. Tex. of
crack express train of the Texas g. Pacific
Railroad carrying more than 100000
in cash; the final roundup of the
famous tri-State gang. the breaking up
of racketeers who fake professional roles
and victimize aged people who live in
small villages. the famous case of Little
Augie" and Eli i-Giurion, leaders OF an
international drug ring: the sorry story
of Molly Wendt, smuggler OF heroin, the
murders committed by rum-runners on a
Coast Guard cutter, the capture Of
Charles Mccullough. bootlegger and alien
smuggler. and Ram Singh, also engaged
in smuggling aliens, and the story Of
Harry Mills. engraver, who became the
tool of notorious counterfeiting gang.
Some day public sentiment will be suf-
ficiently aroused to demand that the
same high standards of service and
efficiency maintained by these diligent
Federal agencies shall prevail in all
quarters Of the country. Such books as
Our G-Men" contribute valuably to
knowledge concerning Uncle Sans
watchdogs and encourage the belief that
acquaintance with the steadily widening
activities Of these Federal agencies will
be influential in bringing about State
and local reform in law enforcement
methods.
COUNTY COURT. BY Roy Flanagan.
New York: Doubleday. Doran & Co.
Roy Flanagan is Virginian, born lin
the shadows of the Grecian columns OF
the university" and living in Richmond
most of his life. For his newest novel
he has selected small Virginia town
named Juliaville and staged scene
based upon the one-time popular custom
Of shooting up" q court when trial
was in process.
Anna Fry, who came to Juliaville from
Cole County as the wife of Webb Fry,
is on trial for his murder The court
room is packed and most of those pres
ent believe she is guilty. A State police
man is on guard to prevent shooting If
possible, for group of Annas relatives
from Cole County are present, visibly
armed and believed to be intent upon
serious business.
In the courtroom and in the town are
all Of the old familiar characters of q
small Southern community, each one
bent upon getting the most out Of the
limited social life of such a place, and
not any Of them unaware of the sins
and virtues of their neighbors and
friends or the members of their own
familiea The result is a hodge -podge
OF immortality that savors Of genuine