A REAL SHERLOCK HOLMES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 24, 22 July 1911, Page 2 (Supplement)

A REAL SHERLOCK HOLMES.

EXPLOITS OF A SMART AMERICAN DETECT IVR. New York, May 29. If Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ever runs short of Sherlock Holmes adventures, he can replenish his stock by consulting with William J. Buriis, the American detective who has run to earth the trade union dynamiters. Burns is the greatest detective America has known. He is a genius at the game, and he works like Sherlock Holmes. Common sense, he calls his method, but it is in reality his brilliance of deduction that has sent him to the top of all American secret service agents (writes W. J. T. Mason). For twenty-five years Burns has been in the business of catching criminals. Most of that time his employer was the United States Government, but a couple of years ago he left the Federal Secret Service and set up in business for himself. His chief work now is guarding the twenty thousand banks that constitute the American Bankers' Association, but lie finds time occasionally for other employment. His operations against the labor dynamiters constituted one of these little side-trips of his. Burns is the physical antithesis of Sherlock Holmes. He is not a tall, thin, nervous individual relying on stimulants i to keep his brain going. He is fat, if not exactly dumpy, phlegmatic, and far removed from neurotic influences. He destroys another illusion by never carrying a revolver. But he does wear disguises. He proved the efficacy of a disguise by his work on "The Case of the German Counterfeiter."

The counterfeiter was Charley Ulrich. the most versatile producer of bad money who ever bothered the American Government. The Government itself adopted U1 rich's method of engraving notes after he was caught. Ulrich was once convicted, but after serving part of his sentence he was pardoned. He went to Germany, but the Berlin police promised to notify Washington if Ulrich attempted to return to America. Ulrich got out of Germany secretly, and the first thing the American secret service knew was that Ulrich was back again, chumming with a gang of counterfeiters. The gang wanted Ulrich to engrave some plates for them. Ulrich, however, had reason to believe that he was watched, and he was cautious. He moved from New York to Cincinatti, and Burns was assigned to observe him.

Burns moved into a flat opposite, disguised as a working man. His wife was his only assistant. Burns knew Ulrich was on the. watch. So every morning, in his working clothes and carrying his dinner pail, he left his flat by the front entrance.' Mrs. Burns, from a window, saw Ulrich observing from his own house the supposed working man, as he observed everybody in the neighborhood. Burns, once round the corner, returned to his house by a back entrance and changed his clothes. Then, when Ulrich started out, Burns rushed out also, by the back way, and picked him up at the corner.

For six months he followed every movement of Ulrich. One morning tflrich went to the railway station. He bought a ticket and left. A few moments after Burns aprpoaehed the ticket window, running up and panting. "I promised to meet my uncle here," he said to the booking clerk. "Has he arrived yet?" and Burns gave an accurate description of Ulrich.

"Yes, he has just left," replied the clerk.

"Well, give me a ticket like his," said Burns, and the clerk gave him a ticket to New York.

Then Burns knew Ulrich believed he had thrown off all suspicion, that he was back again with the counterfeiters, and intended going to New York to meet them. Burns boarded the next New York train as soon as it was made up. A little later he saw Ulrich arrive at the gate. He hung around, watching everybody, until just before the train started. Then Ulrich jumped on, the last man aboard, convinced he was not shadowed.

Tip left his bag in his seat after the train started, and walked into the smok-ing-car. Burns examined the bag and discovered a full set of engraving material. The evidence of Ulrich'p intentions was complete. At New York Ulrich entered a telegraph office, and wrote a message to the chief of his gang, ''Have just arrived." He had not filled in the address or the signature, when ne looked up and saw Burns gazing down at the telegram. "Are you interested in this?" asked Ulrich sarcastically. "Yes." answered Burns. 'Well, mavbe von had better write it." invited Ulrich.

Burns took the pen and wrote the address and the signature. "You 'are' interested, aren't you?" exclaimed Ulrich.

That was all he said. Burns took him to an hotel and persuaded him to confess. As a result of the confession, a trap was laid, which resulted in sending the notorious Hradford-Broekway counterfeiters to prison. That was one of Burns' most famous cases. Another was his capture of twelve counterfeiters, who put into circulation a hundred-dollar (£2O) bill bearing the head of President Monroe. Banking experts were unable, in many cases, to detect the counterfeit, so superb was the execution. Burns spent fourteen months on the job, and finally got his clue by eliminating every engraver in the United States who had not the skill to produce the notes.

Burns secured all the evidence in the scandals attending the fraudulent sale of Government land in Oregon, a case which practically caused the death of a United States senator through the disgrace. He also unearthed the evidence in the San Francisco "graft" scandals, a short time ago, for which "Abe" Reuf, the San Francisco political "boss," is now serving a fourteen-year term of imprisonment.

The evidence in the San Francisco scandals was obtained bv securing a series of confessions, starting with underlings and gradually working to the top. Each subordinate confession was used to frighten the next higher man, until at last Reuf himself was driven to confess. He seems to hypnotise them. Most of his evidence has come to him by this curious trait which he possesses.