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The Atlanta Constitution,

Saturday, 21st March 1914,

PAGE 1, COLUMN 7.

BY WILL M.

SMITH

Lawyer for Jim Conley Pictures Detective as "Movie Picture, Stage Lecturing, Tangoing Sleuth."

SAYS BURNS MUST AGREE TO TERMS HE WILL MAKE

Charge of Conspiracy Made by Burns Roasting Private Detectives

Mysterious Telegram Sent Conley

"Detective Burns in this matter will, at least, be taught that he is merely a 'private detective' working for his employers, 'private parties.'

He is not even a citizen.

Burns has no rights in this matter. He is in no way connected with the administration of the law of this state."

In this manner Attorney William M. Smith, counsel for Jim Conley, arraigns William J. Burns, America's noted sleuth, who is engaged in probing the Leo Frank case.

Mr. Smith last night issued a public statement in answer to the recently published statement from Burns that the sleuth, in event he cared, would interview Conley at will.

Smith declares that if Burns ever sees Conley, it will be necessary for the detective to consult with the negro's counsel in a gentlemanly manner, and to agree to conditions which the attorney will stipulate.

Smith says that Burns cannot affront the laws which govern the rights of a prisoner in a predicament in such as his client situated.

Will Smith's Card.

His statement follows in full:

"If the papers are correctly quoting William J. Burns, this movie picture, stage lecturing, tangoing sleuth, following his usual methods of playing to the galleries, he must prove not only a disappointment to his employers, but a downright injury to the cause in which he was hired, and for which, I presume, he is being paid."

"Atlantans generally no doubt hoped that a Daniel had come to judgement and that a truly great mind, with lofty purposes, had quietly moved into this great issue to search out the truth, without parade or display."

"With the responsibility for the right in this crisis of our law administration resting, in a measure, upon, me, I had hoped for something from Burns, but with a great deal more hope, however, than faith, I must admit."

"Burns' statements (like many of his swiftly-formed and published opinions) that my co-operation was unnecessary to an interview with Conley may be a prematurely formed opinion, and, at least, an unfortunate expression of them.

Unless the sheriff or his deputies fly in the face of the order of court and the expressed wish of this ignorant negro prisoner and his counsel and I have no reason to believe they will Mr. Burns will find that his expressed opinion in this matter is sadly wrong."

"Mr. Burns in this matter will at least be taught that he is merely a 'private detective,' working for his employers, 'private parties.' He is not even a citizen. Burns has no rights in this matter. He is in no way connected with the administration of the law of this state."

"If Burns ever sees Conley, he must come to me as a gentleman should and express an understanding that he has no rights in the matter, and, if his requests are reasonable and meet with Conley's approval, and Burns will agree to such terms as I dictate, Burns will receive consideration as fair as the situation in my judgment demands."

Will Be a Courtesy.

"If Burns is allowed to see Conley it will not be as a matter of right, but as a matter of courtesy from Conley and his counsel."

"It ought to be to the everlasting shame and disgrace of William J. Burns should he come here to perform a high service for truth's sake and sacrifice it upon the altar of his desire for publicity. This is no time for bombast and braggartry."

"The public mind of our people is sternly, determinedly bent upon truth seeking only.

Human life is at stake. Human justice is in issue.

What ever prevails must be right. It is high time to sink individualities and for every man to rise to the highest there is within him."

"As has been quoted:

What we need at this time are 'men, tall men, sun-crowned men.'"

"For once give us facts, give us light, give us truth and eliminate the advertising program."

"Lest you crucify where you seek to save."

Burns Charges Conspiracy.

That a conspiracy has been created to throw obstacles into his path in the Frank mystery was openly charged last night to a reporter for The Constitution by Detective Burns.

He attributed the conspiracy to private detectives whose enmity he had incurred by frequent attacks upon their methods which he had made from the lecture platform.

One of the first manifestations of the plot against him was stated by Burns to be a message that was sent Jim Conley, the convicted accomplice, Thursday night by a man in Newark, N. J., who signed himself John Black.

The message advises Conley against Burns, and accuses the detective of being a "fake."

In talking to the reporter, Burns asserted that the message had been sent by none other than a representative of a hostile detective organization who had slipped over from New York headquarters to the New Jersey city.

A similar message was received by wire by The Constitution Thursday night from the same person.

It requested that Conley be advised of it.

It was signed "John Black."

All suspicion that the slender was Detective Black, of police headquarters, was dispelled when it was learned that the headquarters man had never been in Newark and was in Atlanta at the time the wire was sent.

Here Is Black's Message.

The message is as follows:

"Please send this message to Jim Conley:

'Glad you called the fake detective's bluff.'

He wanted you.

Refuse to see him.

Ask him about his uncle, Dick Burns, better known as Ohio Dick, notorious bank burglar.

Dick did his bit penitentiary Massachusetts, Ohio, New York, Delaware, where his picture and record are."

"JOHN BLACK."

"These dirty liars have pestered me recently," Burns told the reporter.

"They can do nothing but such measly, petty tricks as this. They are the most incapable set of asses who ever existed."

"Talk about the penitentiary!

If half of their criminal records were known, they'd every one be serving time on rock piles and in chains.

They are antagonistic to me because I always have attacked them and have revealed their crookedness.

I warn everybody against the private detective.

And I don't exclude myself.

I lay my cards upon the table and say to all:

'Look at them and see for yourself.'"

All Open to Suspicion.

"I show my hand openly to everyone who suspects and let them draw their own conclusions.

The act of every private detective is open to suspicion, and the act of everyone should be revealed and should be open and above board. Otherwise, it will always rest under suspicion."

An announcement of wide interest was made by Burns Friday afternoon when he declared that he had wired instructions to the headquarters of his agency in New York for Guy B. Biddinger, assistant general manager of the Burns service, to come to Atlanta to assist his chief on the Frank case.

Biddinger, is considered the most competent criminal investigator in the Burns service.

Burns himself avers that he is the most able detective in America.

Biddinger was formerly sergeant of the detective bureau of the Chicago police department, and has a reputation of having solved many of that city's biggest murder mysteries.

Pays Tribute to Detectives.

During course of his talk with the newspaper man, Burns paid a tribute to the detective department at police headquarters, two members of which had served as prosecutors of Leo Frank.

He said that their zeal and vigorous efforts were to be praised instead of censured.

And, he, added this of Solicitor Dorsey:

"It is foolish to condemn Dorsey, Dorsey was sincere in his convictions.

He felt that he was prosecuting the guilty man, and he felt that he was doing his duty to the final letter.

And he is to be commended.

If only all of our public prosecutors were as spirited and vigorous as this Dorsey."

"Now, mind you, I'm not saying this to gain the favor of Dorsey. I won't strive for this favor in that manner. When I have accumulated enough facts, I am going to submit them to him, I am going to submit them to him, and he will then be glad to offer me his heartiest co-operation."

Can't Bumfoozle Dorsey.

"You can't bumfoozle Dorsey with honeyed words.

You've got to show him facts undisputable facts, at that.

He is a man of keen perception. I would judge although I do not know him personally and he is a man with remarkable perspicacity."

In explanation of the telegram which referred to an alleged uncle of the detective.

Burns told the reporter that the "uncle" scheme was a favorite one with certain private detectives who had tried to in jure him for years.

"The fellow to whom they refer was a crook.

Dick Johnson, alias Dickie Burns, who once turned informant for me while in prison.

In payment, I assisted in obtaining his release, for he had really been convicted unjustly and by mob clamor.

He promised to reform and did.

I got him several jobs.

In fact, he was a sort of prot g of mine until he again went crooked through an error of the mails which lost him from my influence."

"Was Proud of Me."

"He was as proud of me as he was of a father. He continually talked of me while he was in prison, and, somehow or other, the reporter got out that we were related.

When he was last sent to prison, he was lost from me, and for years, I have heard nothing of him. Poor fellow! I fear he is dead by now."

"Well, the private detective enemies of mine jumped at the chance to injure me.

One day a crook came to me in Mansfield, Ohio, and said that although he didn't know me, he knew my uncle very well, that he had met him in prison."

"I took the crook by the neck and told him;"

"'You d d scoundrel, you go back to your sneaking employer (here Burns mentioned the name of the head of a nationally known detective organization), and tell him that if all his sins were known, he'd be under the noose with all of his dirty associates. I do not doubt that the crook had been hired to circulate the story, as he was a 'stool pigeon' of the detective outfit.'"

"The only uncle I ever had is now dead. He formerly was a police commissioner in an Ohio city."

Two Conferences.

Solicitor Dorsey Friday afternoon held a conference with Detective john Black, of police headquarters, after which Black went to the office of William M. Smith, counsel for Jim Conley, where he was closeted with the attorney for considerable while.

No one would talk of the two conferences.

Dorsey left last night for Valdosta, where he goes to visit his wife and child who are spending several days with her parents.

Saturday, 21st March 1914: Detective Burns Given Hot Roast, The Atlanta Constitution

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