SCIENCE DEFEATS THE CRIMINAL.

Dunstan Times, Issue 2676, 28 July 1913, Page 8

SCIENCE DEFEATS THE CRIMINAL.

GREAT DETECTIVE’S LONDON QUEST. Engaged in a hunt after many thousands of dollars, and m searching for su.'pects in the enormous frauds connected with the United States Hair Company, Mr William J. Burns is m Loudon, and hopes to take back with him some fresh knowledge, perhaps a portion of the loot, and possibly one of the family concerned. To a reprosntative of the Daily Chronicle Mr Burns talked irom the depths of his bed at the Savoy Hotel, where ho has a. suite of rooms. And while ho talked ho handled a little 18m by lOiu box, which contains his chief aid in the detection of crime, the detecta phone. Mr Burns’ name is not so well known over hero as that, of the groat Pinkerton firm, but in America ho has been one of the chief agents in cleansing the foul stithies of corrupt municipal government, in the arrest of criminals of various types who were preying on society, and in the capture of tne M usica family. Some of the latter had been carrying on the United States Hair Company, which is alleged to have been used for the fleecing of the business and investing public and ot groat financial oor|x>rations of millions of dollars. ■•For 30 years past old man Mu sic a had carried oai business, and, so far as anyone could toll, was a perfectly reputable merchant, with a floating cash reserve of anything from .£40.000 upwards. The stock of the company was regarded as good, and. there wort 1 agents over here who helped in the manipulation of invoices, hills of lading, and other matters, Indeed, 1 am here seeking an interview with that gentleman now, hut ho is shy.” And Mr Burns laughed a great hearty laugh that told, beyond dispute or doubt, that ho revels in his work and loves it. He explained that although he had secured the arrest of so many of the alleged principals and the capture of between £60.000 and £BO,OOO in cash and security, the total plunder alleged to have been taken is much more than that; and as a missing member of the family has been traced as far as Naples ho has hopes of finding the remainder in London or on the Continent. “Wo had a rare chase after them,” ho remarked. “They got a start on ns, with £16,000 in cash upon them, and dodged all over the place to put ns off their track. Wo traced them to Mobile, where they heard wo wore after them, and took a motor car to a little wayside station. From there they booked to Orleans. “When wc went on board we found them all travelling under aliases, being Haded for Honduras under the names of Mr and Mrs W. I). Weeks and R. I). Weeks; and Louisa Martin, F. Martin, and M. Martin, pin. 'l’llere was the father, the two daughters, and three sons. On the way to the police depot the old man tried to shoot himself with a revolver, but wo were in time to stop him. As one talks with Mr Burns it, soon becomes dear that his great delight and pride is in the exposure and conviction of political ‘'‘grafters.” “The public conscience,” he declared, “has been roused in the United States, and they are determined to have a ‘cleanup’ that will eliminate the corrupt political bosses they have had in the past. “He made it known that it was proposed to build a great concrete broad walk, which would cost £300,000, and an hotel that would involve the spending of, another £400.000. As we anticipated, as soon as he got to work the real estate men gathered round him. They asked him if ho had got the permission of the city council. He professed ignorance that this was necessary, but wa.s assured it was so, and the real estate man added, I will whisper to the right man for yon.’ “Our man replied, ‘Oh, they will give their permission till right; the. 7 will be glad to have the city made beautiful.’ “ ‘Beautiful city be !’ was the answer. ‘They don’t care about a beautiful city, and yon have go to do business with them. I will introduce you to the right man.’ Then it was suggested that £16,000 would be necessary to get the permission, and that was agreed upon. Mo was to take part for him,self, and when wo had managed to get him to take it from us direct and to let ns distribute the remainder to the others, we knew we had got him. “After ho had got his sum, its he left the room I met him and took him into a little office close by, where he saw the clerks busy with the detect a phone, and 1 road off to him ail the conversation, in which he had taken paid when receiving the bribe. I also invited him to hand over the money ho had received, and seeing the game was all over he made a sworn confession. “One by one Ho summoned all the others, and they owned up and had to go to gaol.”