Disturbed by many events in their city, the Secret Service men guard
very carefully the speakers for the Liberty Loan, the Red Cross or the
Y. M. C. A. hut work. Fearing lest some German agent might injure the
good name of their town, the Secret Service men of a certain community
recently told the following incident, merely as a warning to all public
speakers who might, by their words, arouse the enmity of half-balanced
German fanatics. Because it was intended to put us all upon our guard,
and because no interest could possibly be injured, but many persons be
benefited, the incident is here set forth in detail. The speaker was a
young lawyer, of position, influence and fine education, who was serving
his country during the period of the war.
"One morning I received my assignment through a sealed envelope.
Experience told me that I was to take up the work of some other Secret
Service man and complete the task. Of course, one Secret Service man
does not know who else is in the service. Since the war began we go by
numbers, rather than by our names. When I opened my envelope I found
these directions: 'Go to No. ---- ----. Wait until there is no customer
in the tobacco store. Then put down on the counter two ten-cent pieces,
and say to the woman, "I want that package of green leaf tobacco." When
you have left the store, open the package, and you will find full
directions therein.' I followed the instructions strictly, and out on
the street I opened the package, and found a large key and a small one,
with these words written: 'Go to No. so-and-so (mentioning a third-class
little apartment house in one of the worst districts in the city). The
large key will open room No. 14. The small key will open a little
writing table in the room. In the drawer of that table you will find
full directions.'
"I soon found the apartment house, climbed to the second floor, found my
large key turning in the lock, and the small key opened the drawer in
the desk. In that drawer I found these words: 'The man we want is in the
adjoining room. He will come in about seven o'clock, but he may not come
until eleven or twelve. It is important that we have his testimony.
Don't wound him seriously or kill him. You will find a hole bored
through the door between your room and his. That hole is filled with
putty, but underneath the putty is wax. Warm the wire in the drawer in
the gas jet and melt the wax.'
"I waited until eleven o'clock for the man to come in. For a while he
sat on the bed, with his back towards me. He was reading. Finally he
lifted his pillow to shake it up, and I caught sight of a big revolver
under the pillow. For several reasons I decided to do nothing until he
had fallen asleep. I kept my ear glued to that little hole for one hour
after he turned out his light. When he was sleeping soundly I went into
the hall, with my skeleton key turned the lock in the door, and then
with my lantern in the left hand and my revolver in the right made one
bound into the room, struck my light and my revolver into his face under
the light and shouted: 'Hands up!' Within three minutes I had him
handcuffed and within ten had him bound. In that room, when the police
came at my call, we found enough chemicals and powerful explosives to
have blown up the entire block. In his satchel were found incriminating
letters, secret documents, and, with their help, we soon landed the
entire crowd. All have now been taken care of. Their flames were stamped
out before they were kindled." That one incident was only one of a
series of closely-related dramatic events. Outwardly, life in that city
is very safe, simple and straightforward, but as to the forces of evil,
the anarchists, the I. W. W.'s and German plotters the patriot can only
say that but for the Secret Service and the police and the Department of
Justice, society could not go on for one single month.