Page:The American Magazine volume LXIV.djvu/521

Rh for positions. Sometimes they would change the names a little, but the hand« writing was imitated and the signatures forged (if this be forgery) to papers. In many cases real persons were used and these helped Burns. He ran out some of them, both men and women, and he learned from them that for a small fee they had signed applications to the state for school lands. They had a right to take up such lands if they meant, and would swear, to use them for their own benefit. If they took up a claim to sell it, however, they com- mitted perjury. Yet they admitted that at the same time they signed the applications they signed relinquishments of their rights to Hyde and also a power of attorney. These American citizens were as cheap or almost as ignorant as dummies, and, to escape punishment, they turned state's witnesses. Burns was about ready to return to Washington.

Before he left California, however, he did the state a service. A Federal detective after Federal grafters, he had nothing to do with the state grafters, but he gave out an interview describing the corrupt part the state surveyor-general played in these corrupting operations, and, corrupt as the Republican party was, it did not dare carry out its program of nominating men whom Burns' interview implicated. But nobody else did anything else to him and I know that Hyde is still a member of the "best" club in San Francisco; he is still a business man with credit at the banks, and he is still doing "business" in California; and the surveyor-general's office is not preventing his operations. And this is four years later.

When Burns returned to Washington, he went as a victor and as such he was received. Secretary Hitchcock took him over to the White House and there, to the President, he told his story and outlined his evidence. The President, delighted, slapped the detective on the back and, in his vigorous, enthusiastic way, bade him go and get the men higher up, no matter how high up they were. And Burns, delighted, promised to go as high as he could. The prospect for a complete exposure and a thoroughgoing reform was considered. The outlook was bright and there was much rejoicing, very genuine rejoicing. But there was little imagination. Mr. Roosevelt's remark about the men higher up suggested that he sensed the system, but Secretary Hitchcock couldn't see it. Mr. Hitchcock couldn't see, for example, that certain other officials than those who had confessed must necessarily be corrupt. Burns was astounded. He had from the subordinates of H. H. Jones the evidence that the chief of the Forestry Division was "bad"; wasn't it equally obvious that Valk, the head of the lieulands division was likewise bad? And wasn't it clear that Major Harlan, the chief of the special agents, must be implicated with his subordinates who had confessed?

No. The Secretary couldn't believe it. Especially any suspicion of Major Harlan, a veteran and a good man, seemed to offend him.

But Burns "got" Major Harlan and, to show the Secretary, he made the poor old man repeat to him his whole shameful story. Then Burns "got" William Valk. Harlan was easy, but Valk was difficult. He came indignant into Burns' office. He was an honest man, he protested, and a gentleman, and he wasn't going to let anybody take away his good name. It was really a most dignified and rather a convincing bit of acting, but it was acting. And Burns is an actor, too. Telling his secretary, Rittenhouse, to leave the room, the detective got up and came over to Valk.

"Now," he said, "I want to tell you something. I know what you are doing. I know the whole rotten situation here." And he described it. "Now I want you to understand that I won't be bluffed. I am making an investigation and I'm going to prove the crime on every last one of you. And you're first. That's all."

There was more of this, more theory, more assurance. The whole system was as vivid in Burns' mind as evidence is in a legal mind, and he can make those who are part of the system see it as he sees it. After he had made his little speech. Burns called back his secretary.

"Now, then, Mr. Valk, you sit down there," he said, "and you see that you tell the truth, too."

And Valk sat down there and he told the truth; the same truth that Major Harlan had told the Secretary. They were both Benson's men, not Hyde's, and with their help Burns caught Benson red-handed in Washington.