University of San Francisco - USF Don Yearbook (San Francisco, CA)

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Soublp (UroHSpb ES, I agree with you.” remarked Michael O’Toole, for twenty years a member of the l nited States Secret Service, as he settled back into one of the luxurious morris chairs of the Fortieth Ave. Club, “men have put over some pretty big jobs lately, but when it comes to real clever work, work that requires brains as well as daring, you have to hand it to the female of the species.” “been tricked by some feminine opium smuggler?” queried Harry Rogers of the “Times.” always anxious to hear a good story. “Not exactly,” replied O’Toole, “but 1 have had occasion to admire the ability of a certain little woman, who, only a few weeks ago, made the entire ‘Service’ look foolish.” “bet’s have it.” chipped in Rogers. “Nothing would suit me better than to hear the story of your friend, the ‘female Sherlock. ” O'Toole extricated a fragrant Havana from his vest pocket, lit it, puffed silently for a few moments, and then began. “One morning, about two months ago, I dropped into headquarters to see if the chief had a case for me to work on. I had scarcely closed the outer door, when he grabbed me by the arm. and half dragged me into his private office. Having worked under him for five years. 1 immediately knew that there was something doing, for on only two or three occasions before had he shown such excitement. As soon as 1 was seated he began. “‘Sometime between twelve o’clock yesterday and eight to-day a set of plates for printing the Victory Liberty Loan Bonds was stolen.’ “‘What.’ 1 fairly shouted, ‘the bonds plates stolen? “ ‘Yes he replied, ‘and it means some job for us.

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V. W. Hallinan J. L. Martinelli J. J. Lister M. I. Cronin G. J. Casey D. W. Daly

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DOUBLE CROSSED 10 So far we have no clues. The plates must be recovered before the drive starts in April.’ The chief emphasized the last sentence by bringing his hst down upon the desk with a resounding thud. “ -You have had twenty years of experience he continued, ‘and I am sure you know the game. T am going to allow you to work where you choose, and in your own way. W ire me every day, and if you run across a clue tip me off.’ I le turned his attention to some papers on his desk, and concluding from this that he had no more to say, I left. Outside, I sat down and reflected on what 1 had just learned. Think what it meant! With a set of the plates anyone could skip out of the l S.. run off bonds to his heart’s content, and flood the country with them. If it got into the papers that the plates were missing, the whole Victory Loan would he crabbed. This was certainly one of the biggest things that had been attempted in years, so big in fact, that I doubted if our men would be able to break it up. “During the next few days I learned from wires from headquarters that the entire country was being combed by the ’Service.’ Every port was being watched with hawk-like vigilance to prevent the plates being smuggled away on a foreign-bound vessel. From Maine to California, and from the Great Lakes to the Gulf, agents of the department were searching everywhere tor the prize. So far there was but one suspect, a young man who had been employed for but a few months in the engraving department at Washington. Circumstantial evidence seemed to weave a web around him. but his record was so satisfactory, and his family so highly esteemed in official circles, that nothing had been done beyond questioning him. After considering the case carefully. T decided that the plates were somewhere on the Atlantic roast. I knew that anyone who had enough brains to get away with them in the first place, would never be foolish enough to travel all over the country with them. And therefore, arguing from what my actions would be in a