SPECIAL AGENTS.
The institution of Special Agents did not originate in this country.
At a comparatively early period it constituted a part of the British
postal system, and these Agents are termed "Post-Office Surveyors."
This corps of officials has ever been considered by the English
Government one of the most important adjuncts of the Post-Office
Department.
In the early history of the Department in our own country persons were
occasionally employed, in cases of emergency, to act as its
representatives, and to exercise temporary supervision over some of
the various branches of the mail service; but the Special Agent
system, as it now exists, was first organized in the year 1840, while
the Hon. Amos Kendall was at the head of the Department.
The number of Special Agents in the United States has been gradually
increased since their first establishment, and is now eighteen,
suitably distributed throughout the country, each one having a
district assigned him as the particular field of his operations, but
to act elsewhere if so ordered.
It is not the intention to enter into an argument for the purpose of
proving the usefulness of this branch of the Department. If this has
not been shown by the facts recorded in the former part of this
volume, as well as by the many prominent and familiar cases all over
the country, which have been so successfully conducted by other
members of the corps, it would be in vain to attempt it now. I would
only say a few words respecting the power of this system, to _prevent_
crime.
There are some persons in the world of firm principles and unbending
rectitude, who need not the aid of outward circumstances for the
maintenance of an upright character. But perhaps the majority of
mankind require some external helps in the way of restraints, from
public opinion, and even the threatenings of the law. On such the fear
of detection frequently acts in a most salutary manner, deterring from
the commission of crime, and sometimes leading to a higher motive for
right conduct than apprehension of punishment.
In more than one instance, after the conclusion of some important case
of depredation, I have been informed that money-letters, passing upon
other routes than the ones under suspicion, and even at a considerable
distance, have been regarded with a reverence never felt for them
before. A portly envelope was considered a sort of Trojan horse,
filled with the elements of destruction, ready to overwhelm the
explorer of its treacherous recesses. This extraordinary caution was
owing, of course, to the knowledge (which often gets out in spite of
the utmost endeavors to prevent it) that the Special Agent was abroad;
and when once a person has been thoroughly impressed with the danger
of tampering with the forbidden thing, he does not soon nor easily
yield to the whisperings of the tempter.
The duties of a Special Agent of the Post-Office Department involve a
constant and vigilant supervision of all its interests. This embraces
a much wider range of action, and requires much higher qualifications
on the part of those who undertake it, than any simply "detective"
service. It is believed that neither Congress nor the public generally
attach such a degree of importance to the office in question as it
really possesses, both in itself and in the estimation of the
Department. This is perhaps owing to the fact that so great a
proportion of its duties have of late been connected with the
investigation of cases of depredation upon the mails. This has given
the corps of Special Agents the apparent character of mere "detective
officers," while in truth they are much more than this.
The qualifications which a Special Agent should possess are numerous
and diverse; some, indeed, not often found in connection with one
another. A high degree of shrewdness and tact is required, in order to
estimate probabilities rightly, and to pursue investigations in such a
way as to avoid attracting attention or exciting alarm. And an
essential pre-requisite to success is a good knowledge of human
nature. To calculate beforehand with correctness what a given person
will do under certain circumstances, and thus to anticipate his
movements, and make him subservient to the execution of your plans; to
vary the mode of approach to suspected persons, according to the
combinations of circumstances and the shades of character existing in
the case in hand; to do all this, and much more of a like description,
demands no small knowledge of the workings of the human mind.
It is comparatively an easy matter to follow up a mail robber when
once upon his track, (though there is often nicety even in this,) but
to collect the scattered rays of suspicion and conjecture, and to
bring them together into one focus, throwing its revealing glare upon
the criminal, requires a higher order of intellect than any after
operations. And the caution which is always necessary in the
conducting of these cases, in order to secure a successful result, is
called for not only for the sake of detecting the guilty, but in order
that the innocent may not suffer blame.
It often happens that circumstances of the strongest kind indicate the
guilt of some person, who, notwithstanding, is entirely free from all
connection with the crime. Never, perhaps, is a stronger temptation to
hasty and indiscreet procedures offered than by such a state of
things. Yet he who is guided by discretion, is not led away by the
dazzling hope of immediate success in his investigation, but, aware
how fallacious are sometimes the strongest appearances, he considers
the question before him with coolness and deliberation, fully
conscious of the priceless value of character, and reluctant to make
any movement that might unjustly throw a shadow upon it.
From the nature of their employment, Special Agents are constantly
brought in contact with the most intelligent and prominent men in the
community, who justly expect to find the Post-Office Department
represented by men of gentlemanly bearing, fair education, correct
deportment, and sound discretion. The absence of any of these
qualities, especially of all of them, would lower the standing of the
Department with those whose good opinion is most valuable, and would
naturally cause speculations on the reasons why persons so deficient
in the qualities necessary to make them acceptable to people of
discernment, should have been appointed to such a responsible post.
It would hardly be just to hold the Department responsible for the
existence of all such evils, as there is always danger that the
influence and diplomacy of politicians may be used for the purpose of
securing appointments to persons who are unfit for them. If the time
ever comes when politicians shall act upon truly patriotic principles,
then we may reasonably expect that the appointing of subordinate
officers of this Department will be left to those in whose power the
law has placed it, undisturbed by pressure from without.
The duties of a Special Agent are often made more difficult by the
thoughtlessness or curiosity of those whom he meets in the course of
his official business. The maintenance of secrecy is absolutely
necessary to much success in his plans. It is perfectly obvious that
the measures taken to detect a rogue should be concealed from him, and
it is generally no less important that he should not know that any one
is on his track. The public at large, however, seem to think
themselves at liberty to inquire of an Agent all about his plans;
where he is going, whom he is in pursuit of, and any other matters
that curiosity may suggest. Often have I been saluted, on entering an
omnibus or a railroad car, with the question, "Well, H----, who has
been robbing the mails now?" thus making the person of the Agent known
to all within hearing, and perhaps to some from whom it were very
desirable to keep such knowledge. I received a similar salutation once
from a thoughtless acquaintance, in the presence of a delinquent
post-office clerk whom I was watching, and to whom I was before
unknown.
In country places, also, Agents are often brought to their wit's end
for answers to the questions proposed, which shall be satisfactory to
the querist, and keep within the bounds of truth. Sometimes they find
themselves compelled, in anticipation of this annoying curiosity, to
take refuge in a mercantile character, inquiring the price of butter,
and other "produce." At other times, with parental solicitude, they
inform themselves of the comparative merits of different
boarding-schools; or they, in pursuance of their own policy, discuss
policies of "Life Insurance." I was once indebted to the system
alluded to for my escape from the fangs of an inquisitive landlord. In
the investigations of the case then in hand, it was of the utmost
importance that the presence of an Agent of the Department, on that
route, should not be known. So when mine host commenced his inquiries,
I informed him that I had thought of delivering a lecture on Life
Insurance, and asked him whether he supposed that an audience could be
got together in the village. He appeared very much interested in the
matter, and offered to guarantee at least five hundred hearers for the
proposed lecture. One evening, while I was in my room employed in
preparing decoy letters, he called upon some errand, and, observing me
at work among some papers, he said:
"Ah, at work on your lecture, are you? Well, I won't disturb you."
We went so far as to make some arrangements for the printing of
hand-bills, &c., but the mental illumination which the inhabitants of
the village had in prospect, was extinguished by my disappearance,
accompanied by a culprit, whom it was more important to secure than
even an "audience of five hundred." During the examination of the
criminal, my worthy host inquired of me, with a sagacious wink, how
the "Life Insurance" business flourished?
It may not be out of place here to allude to an erroneous idea
respecting the powers of Special Agents, which prevails to some
extent, namely, that the Agents are permitted by the Department to
open letters addressed to other persons, where the interests of
justice seem to require it. This is contrary to the truth. An Agent
has no more power or right than any other person to open letters not
belonging to him, for whatever purpose he may wish to do so. Should he
see fit to break a seal, he does it at his own responsibility. The law
makes no exceptions in his favor. And the Department cannot confer
this power of opening letters, because no such power has been given
it. The Post Master General is as accountable to the laws as any
private citizen.