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This is a book about William J. Flynn, America's Greatest Detective. He once served as Chief of the Secret Service and later became Director of the Bureau of Investigations (Now the F.B.I.). Find out more about this amazing man who was lost to history. Find out about his Irish roots, his detective work, working in Hollywood, author of many books, and family man. Learn more here.
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This is a book about William J. Flynn, America's Greatest Detective. He once served as Chief of the Secret Service and later became Director of the Bureau of Investigations (Now the F.B.I.). Find out more about this amazing man who was lost to history. Find out about his Irish roots, his detective work, working in Hollywood, author of many books, and family man. Learn more here.
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This is a transcription for an audiobook called "America Sherlock Holmes, The Life and Times of William J. Flynn." The book is about the life of William J. Flynn, who was the first director of the FBI. The author, Jonathan Gregory Reed, is the co-author and contributor, and William Flynn Sanders, the grandson of William J. Flynn, also provides input. The book includes personal stories and memorabilia from Flynn's life. It discusses his accomplishments and contributions as a law enforcement agent, his family, and his legacy. The introduction explains the author's motivation for writing the book and the challenges he faced in gathering information about Flynn. The first chapter provides information about Flynn's early life, his parents, his marriage, and his career as a plumber and later as a jailer. America Sherlock Holmes, The Life and Times of William J. Flynn All Rights Reserved Copyright June 2023 Jonathan Gregory Reed Co-author and contributor William Flynn Sanders Grandson of William J. Flynn This audiobook may not be reproduced in whole or in part without permission. This audio version may differ with the written version. Please consider buying either the paperback or hardcover edition if you would like the complete version with pictures and documents. Forward by William Flynn Sanders Grandson of William J. Flynn I grew up in a home where conversations about my grandfather's life and times were daily. My mother, Jane Flynn, the youngest child, was very close to her father. She had full memory of so many occurrences that were never written about and were substantiated directly through my one aunt and two uncles and my father's acquaintances with some of his old agents. She had acquired a ton of memorabilia, including his old identification cards from the Secret Service and BOI, the real first FBI. Whenever a newspaper article appeared in the Pittsburgh area proclaiming J. Edgar Hoover was the first director, my mother and father would contact them, correct them, and give them the evidence to see for themselves he was not. Printed retractions and corrections would normally always occur. When the newspaper did a story about me being made an honorary member of the U.S. Secret Service, they correctly listed my grandfather as the actual first director of the FBI. Autographs from many people, even a signed book to him from William F. Cody, aka Buffalo Bill, as well as Tom Mix and other celebrities were there, as well as one of his old spy-wired listening devices and his pocket watches, chain, fob, and magnifying glass were present. I learned that my grandfather also knew an old Irish stick fighting system, shillelagh, from his father and used it well with the batons they carried in the day when needed. I was intrigued enough that when I was offered the chance to learn an old Irish family stick system from a man in Ireland, I did so and still teach it. Time went on, and it was as if the world decided to forget the facts in him. He did his job the way it needed to be done if you want to keep the innocent safe and deter the criminals. It's what we need now, but it's gone out of fashion, and it seems the criminals are the ones the politicians now worry the most about, as the innocent and the weak suffer. A few years ago, I was pleased to see an actual Hollywood movie was coming out about him. While it had moments of semi-realism, I was saddened to see they fabricated his entire family life, degrading my grandmother so much that I contacted the writer and asked him if you wanted to know what his family life really was like. He was married and had children, etc. Why did you not ask me? His reply was all too common. He bluntly said he did not care. He said he wanted to tell a story about a case, and he completely invented a backstory he thought the people would like. Truth and history have taken a backseat to feelings and fantasy. So, I am now very glad to have been a part of two book projects this year that will put more of the facts out there for people who do want the reality of the truth. My grandfather was a giant of a man inside and out, and he was the first to go to Scotland Yard and study their advanced forensics and bring that back to the USA, the first international anti-terrorist agent. People were safer when he was in charge, and the criminals shook in their boots, as should be the case in a safe society. He had other very interesting aspects of his life, and you will read some of them here. The man named Man of War, who went with Theodore Roosevelt to fight at San Juan Hill in the Spanish-American War, fought German spies in the Mafia, Hollywood stars, friends of Bat Masterson, Buffalo Bill, Tom Mix, etc., and still had time to raise a family. I am happy to have been asked to add this forward and some of my input into this book. I know you will enjoy it. I wish I had known him personally, but I got the next best thing, being raised by his daughter, my mother, and my father, who made sure I knew all they did about his life and times, and now, so will you. William Flynn Sanders. Second forward from Megan Mikschel. Great-granddaughter of William J. Flynn. My great-grandfather passed away too early. He was only 60 years old when he died of heart disease. If he had lived to old age, he would have been almost 84 when my father, William Flynn Sanders, was born. My father was the son of William Flynn's youngest daughter, Jane Flynn. My father was unfortunate never to have met his grandfather like most people. If he had lived a full life, I am sure he would have written more books and, probably, even an autobiography. But because he passed away early, he slowly faded away from history. But his family never forgot him, and we hope his legacy will live on in books like America's Sherlock Holmes, The Life and Times of William J. Flynn by Jonathan Gregory Reid. Megan Sanders Mikschel. Introduction. The very first biography I read as a youth was about Benjamin Franklin. I loved the book but skipped pages because it was so detailed. I hope many will either listen to this audio version or get a written copy of the book and read it because it is not overly complicated and full of pictures. I purposefully designed it to give the reader a short and brief history of William J. Flynn. Covering this man's life would fill volumes, even in his short lifespan of 60 years. Doing so will hopefully keep the reader interested enough to finish reading about this remarkable man till the end. I first learned about William J. Flynn from his great granddaughter, Megan Mikschel, whom I was fortunate to meet while living and working in Southern California. I had never heard of the man and knew nothing about him. When I researched more about him, I found only pieces here and there, no complete work. Being a history lover, I felt this story had to be written. Unfortunately, I could never get a complete picture or story about William Flynn from any one source. Even the sources I found had conflicting reports and dates. Hopefully, this will set this man's account straight. Because he was referred to by many during his era as America's Sherlock Holmes, I named this book by that title. I want to thank William Flynn Sanders, grandson of William J. Flynn, for contributing to this book, providing more personal family pictures, and adding to the book's narrative. Jonathan Gregory Read Chapter 1 The Written Version The Early Years William J. Flynn's father, Michael Flynn, was born around 1845 in Wexford, Ireland. In the 1870 and 1880 census, Michael was listed as a butcher and slaughterhouse worker. William's mother, Elizabeth Jane Stanion, was born in New York to British parents around 1846. Michael and Elizabeth were married February 16, 1867, in Manhattan, New York. We do not know the date of Michael Flynn's immigration to America, but if he came before 1860, he probably came through Castle Garden near New York Battery. If he had come after the 1860s, he could have arrived through Ellis Island. Records show that 60% of all immigrants in 1860 were Irish. New York City had large Irish, German, and Italian communities during this time. The Flynn family lived in a large Irish community in the Five Points area, which was considered a poor area at that time. William J. Flynn was born nine months after their union, November 18, 1867, followed by Harriet Flynn around 1873, Theodore Flynn around 1875, Camilla Flynn around 1880, and Jenny Gertrude Flynn around 1891. The Flynn children were born on the West Side near the New York Central car tracks. William played semi-professional baseball in his spare time as a young man, according to his own account. Not much is known of his early life, except he received a public school education in New York City and worked as a plumber and tinsmith on Manhattan's West Side, which was considered a better living environment than Five Points, where he grew up as a kid. While working as a plumber, he met Annie Elizabeth Mackey. Annie was born in Thomastown, Kildare, Ireland, around 1876. She immigrated to America with her family in 1891 at the age of 15. More than likely, she also came through the gates of Ellis Island, as William's parents had. William met Annie soon after she arrived, and they married on September 11, 1895, in Manhattan, when she was only 19 and he was 28. Their first child did not arrive till a year and a half later, when he was almost 30. William James Flynn and Annie Elizabeth Mackey would have seven children over the first 15 years of their marriage. Veronica Flynn, born in 1895. William Wilmer Flynn, born in 1897. Gerald Flynn, born in 1901. Kathleen Flynn, born in 1903. Elmer Flynn, born in 1906. Jane Mary Flynn, born in 1908. Noted by William Flynn Sanders The seventh child, not listed, died very early on. It's a bit of a mystery in all of the published info. I, William Flynn Sanders, learned of the seventh child directly from my mother, Jane Flynn Sanders. She told me the young infant was taken outside into the garden for some fresh air one day and was bitten by some sort of bee or insect that was not noticed at the moment of the bite, so was unidentified specifically. The baby quickly became ill and was taken to the hospital where the infant died. At the time, she had mentioned the infant's name and sex, but I do not recall all those details. But I do believe it was a little girl. She probably died of what we would now call anaphylactic shock due to some allergic reaction. The year after William Flynn and Annie Mackey married, he was hired as a jailer at Ludlow Street Jail at age 29, at an annual salary of $1,000. The jail held city, state, and federal inmates. This was Flynn's first exposure to criminals and helped to form his opinion on their character, which he thought very lowly of. Ludlow Street Jail federal offenders comprised a high percentage of counterfeiters, and this was where William Flynn first learned about these individuals' character and techniques. He would later use this knowledge to his advantage when chasing them down as a federal agent. During his time at Ludlow, a significant event occurred. A large number of inmates had escaped, and it was believed the sheriff and several jailers were involved. The scandal and investigation left Flynn bitter about police corruption. These feelings he had would come out in his later years in reforming the New York City Detectives Branch of the New York City Police Department. His desire to get out of the jail environment and to do more in law enforcement led him to apply with the Secret Service in 1897. Noted by William Flynn Sanders We know exactly how he became interested in law enforcement by reading his own words he wrote in Flynn's, issued weekly starting October 4, 1924, he wrote, My life in the U.S. Secret Service for 25 years Chief Man Hunter for Uncle Salmon said, I suppose I was but one of the few million kids who have cherished the ambition to grow up to be a policeman or fireman or something equally heroic looking, I am one of the few kids who grew up to wear the dreamed of badge of authority. My first hero outside my home was a policeman, Flynn was about 12 years old at this time. Flynn was about 12 years old at this time. He was Patrick Sarfield Fogarty, a brave man who met a violent death befitting a hero. New York City was the perfect place for his ambitions. Because it was the largest metropolitan city in the United States, it also had the largest gang population, many formed from poor immigrants coming through Ellis Island. New York City was also the epicenter for foreign spies as World War I approached. In his later years in the Secret Service and the Bureau of Investigation, he would have to deal with counterinsurgencies due to Marxism's rise and Imperial Russia's fall to the Bolsheviks, German spies, and police corruption. So, New York City was the place to be. Although William J. Flynn led a very high-profile career in law enforcement covering many decades, there is very little known about him today by the general public. History books did not talk about him, nor were many books written about him. As you delve deeper into this book, I hope you will see a premier anarchist chaser and someone who successfully fought counterfeiters, German spies, the Italian Mafia, and more. Even the attorney general who hired Flynn as director of the Bureau of Investigation remarked Flynn was the best in his field. Chapter 2 Personal Aspects of Flynn William Flynn was described as a rather large man, weighing between 250 pounds and reaching over 300. He was six feet tall with broad shoulders. He always dressed professionally in the modern business attire of the day. His blue eyes, along with his boyish face, gave him an appearance of innocence. But Flynn was knowledgeable and clever. This was one of the reasons he was good at figuring things out. His approach to crime mysteries was similar to that of the fictitious detective Sherlock Holmes, written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. He would approach the crime from the perspective of a detective but also from the eye of the criminal. His handshakes were described as that of a bulldog grip. He would take your hand in a friendly manner, give a firm but gentle grip, and hold on as long as possible during greetings and conversations. Because he had participated in semi-professional baseball as a young man per his own account, he would continue that love his whole life. He was seen as a spectator at many games in and around New York City. Flynn liked to smoke cigars and maintained a well-groomed mustache. Although born and raised in New York City, he maintained a slight Irish accent, which he got from growing up in an Irish community and living with his Irish-born father in his early years. Although he was a large man, he was noted to be very light and swift on his feet. He could easily handle men much smaller or equal in size if he had to, which he did numerous times during his career. William J. Flynn had listed himself as a Republican when hired as a jailer and remained one his whole life. He maintained a very conservative lifestyle. He was noted to be very persistent when doing his job. As a result, he had a number of nicknames over the years, the Bulldog Detective, the Hammer, Big Bad Billy Flynn, the Chief, and a few more. As you read about his encounter with the Italian Mafia and the Black Hand Gang, you will see how his persistence over the years would pay off in bringing several underworld figures to justice. He was a very modest man and never took credit, even if credit was due. He always gave credit to his agents and officers working for him. Because of this, almost all his agents loved him. William Flynn told others later in life that he had been drawn to detective work since he was a youth. Before he died, he remarked, All my life, I have been a detective. He was our American Sherlock Holmes, indeed. At the end of his career, he would remark, I've known most of the great lawbreakers of that period. Chapter 3 A Brief Early History of the Secret Service The Secret Service was formed in 1865 as a division of the United States Department of Treasury just after America had come out of a four-year struggle during the Civil War. The Treasury Department, for many years, had been trying to stop illegal counterfeiting, and the Secret Service's primary duty when the agency was formed was to prevent counterfeiting. But as time passed, their duties expanded to cover many areas of criminal activity. Although the Justice Department was created in 1789, and an Attorney General was appointed at the same time, it was not designed for large-scale crime. The position of Attorney General was only part-time, and their department only dealt with minor federal crimes, but would grow slowly as the federal government also grew. It wasn't until 1870 that we got the modern-day Justice Department we see today. But from the time the Secret Service was formed in 1865 until the Bureau of Investigation was formed in 1908, the Secret Service was our leading criminal investigation agency for the Justice Department for 43 years. Their duties grew to cover mail fraud, illegal bootleggers, postal thieves, the rise of the KKK, and other federal infractions. In 1870, the Secret Service was relocated from Washington, D.C. to New York City. This is another reason I said William Flynn was in the right place at the right time. In 1877, Congress finally passed a bill making it illegal to produce, trade, or own fake coins, paper money, gold, or silver. This bill went a long way in helping the Secret Service to bring counterfeiters to justice. Five years later, Congress recognized the Secret Service as a distinct organization within the Treasury Department. In 1894, they were assigned part-time to protect the President of the United States. The assassination of President William McKinley in 1901 gave the Secret Service the full-time duty of protecting the President. As time passed, their commitment became a full-time protection agency for many government officials and their families. Not only was money being counterfeited, but also the United States' postage stamps. So, in 1895, Congress made it illegal to counterfeit stamps. This became another duty assigned to the Secret Service. By the time William J. Flynn started working for the Secret Service, it was a big operation, but not as big as today. For example, in 1906, the Secret Service began investigating land fraud in the western part of the country. Their work helped return millions of acres of land to the United States. In 1915, President Woodrow Wilson directed the Secret Service to investigate all foreign espionage in the United States. This was one of the areas that Chief Flynn was noted to be good at due to his heavy-hand tactics. You will read more about this in this biography. In 1917, the entire family of the President started receiving protection from the Secret Service. Not much is known about William J. Flynn in his early years, but, as mentioned in Chapter 1, his law enforcement career began in 1896 as a jailer. Many of his jail superiors were impressed by Flynn's willingness to learn and his ability to figure things out quickly. He received high recommendations when he applied for the Secret Service in 1897. He was also a member of the Supreme Court of the United States. It is said that Chief John Wilkie handpicked him because of these recommendations. He had heard good things about Flynn and how he handled himself during hard times, especially as a jailer at Ludlow Street Jail. Flynn immediately showed exceptional ability as a young recruit in his new field of work. The agency was growing and continually expanding as the leading law enforcement agency during that era. In addition, the Justice Department constantly called on the Secret Service to do all their investigations. As mentioned, the Secret Service's main headquarters had been moved to New York City. This was a significant factor in Flynn going to work for the agency. If it had remained in Washington, D.C., William Flynn's path would have been totally different. Because the city had many influential citizens, it's possible Flynn became acquainted with a few while growing up there. In just two short years, in October of 1899, Flynn went from New York to Philadelphia to testify in several cases. This would eventually lead to Flynn being reassigned to Philadelphia as the leading supervisor. He was promoted to regional manager of the Pittsburgh office. He took a week off to move his family to Pittsburgh. At this time, he already had two children. His third child, Gerald Flynn, was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1901 after his transfer there. Moving his family to Pittsburgh would be among the few times he ever took off work. He still seemed advanced in finding and convicting suspects. He was later promoted to the head of the Eastern Division in 1903, with his headquarters back in New York. The family became residents of Yonkers for many years after becoming Eastern Division chief. At one time, his home was on Upper North Broadway, and later, he moved to Carroll Avenue. All the rest of his children were born in New York. It was in the years between 1903 and 1912 that he continued to build a reputation for being a great detective. Flynn had a high work ethic and was considered to be a workaholic. He would often work at night and come in to work on weekends and holidays. The only two times anyone noted he took time off was when he took the week he moved his family to Pittsburgh when he became regional manager and another time when he was sick with colic. William Flynn was a man who genuinely loved his career. He was characterized by being precise and conscientious, paying attention to detail. He was good at record keeping and would log his activities daily. It was from these reports that helped me and other writers to follow his career and open a window into his personal life. He was also mentioned throughout his law enforcement career in newspapers nationwide. Many of these articles are shown throughout the printed version of this book. Only a few years after he started his career as an agent with the Secret Service, he began appearing in newspaper articles. Anarchism was also a growing problem in America during the late 1800s and early 1900s. In 1901, when Flynn was still a new agent, an anarchist named Leon Zalgus gunned down President William McKinley at the Pan-American Exhibition in Buffalo, New York. President McKinley would succumb to his wounds and die on September 14, 1901. As an operative, he was assigned to many cases. For example, in 1905, he was investigating the Constitution Club for using a letter from President Teddy Roosevelt and circulating it to promote their club. However, the president was not a member and never authorized the use of the letter. The Constitution Club was started in London, England, in 1883 as a British conservative group of men, basically a gentleman's club. Their views were strictly conservative in nature. Noted by William Flynn Sanders To be clear, the only problem my grandfather had in this case, however, had nothing to do with their conservative views as he was himself a staunch conservative. The issue was the possible use without his permission that they claimed they had of President Theodore Roosevelt. Later, Flynn started a secret group in New York City called the Real Men of America composed of many of the leaders in New York City who were determined to protect the city from lawless anarchists like Richard Joseph Butler, who wrote the book Doc Walloper. One of the members was even the famous Western Marshal of Fame in books and films, Bat Masterson, who at that time lived in New York City and still held his U.S. Marshal designation. Later, he became a sports writer in New York City. The Constitution Club came to America when a group of men from New York chartered a branch of the Constitution Club and opened it in Manhattan in 1905. It was referred to as the Charter Constitution Club of the Borough of Manhattan. The following comes from a three-page letter operative William Flynn wrote to the then chief of the Secret Service, John Elbert Wilkie, who served as chief from 1898 till 1911, regarding his investigation into the club. In the letter, you can see how meticulous Flynn was in describing his investigation into the matter and each step he took. As an agent. On receipt of your telephone message today relative to the Constitution Club, I called at number 3941 Courtland Street and saw the secretary, Mr. Charles T. Bells, who has a desk in the office of Messer J. DeWolf and Company, who occupy three small rooms on the eighth floor. They are supposed to be mining promoters, bankers, and brokers. This is also the offices of the Hudson Supply Company. After having a talk with Mr. Bells relative to the Constitution Club, I asked him to let me have the letter which he received from President Roosevelt. Mr. Bell stated that this letter had been mislaid and that he has been unable to find it and that he had so written to Mr. Leib. There were quite a few people in the office at this time and I informed Mr. Bells that I would call again at 4 p.m. and in the meantime would expect him to find the letter. I also spoke to him relative to any circulars that have been sent out by this club containing the president's name. Mr. Bells stated that there had been printed about 1,000 circulars, samples of which I enclose marked Example A and Example B, and that since receiving Mr. Leib's letter, he had countermanded the order which he had given to his printer, Frank C. Efferton, No. 107 Liberty Street, and that I could verify his statement by calling on the printer. I then called on the printer and he informed me that he had printed a bout 1,000 of the circulars for the Constitution Club, in which the name of the president was mentioned, and that he had an order for 5,000 circulars, none of which contained any names, and that Mr. Bells did countermand the order of circulars containing a number of names among which was that of the president. I then returned to the office and sent Agent Moser to the police headquarters to ascertain if any of the directors of the Constitution Club are known to the police. The only Bells they have any record of at police headquarters is. Charles W. Bells, 57 Broadway, arrested July 15, 1886, in connection with Mary A. Thatcher, S.J. Lowell, and Alonzo J. Whiteman, charged with trying to blackmail C.F. Sears of Buffalo, New York. They have no photograph or description of this Charles W. Bells. There is a record of William A. Wolfe, turf correspondent, who several years ago operated a turf information. It's interesting bureau, under the name of Maxon & Company. He was arrested October 15, 1905, at No. 150 Nassau Street, for swindling. 4 p.m. I returned to No. 39 Cortlandt Street and again saw Mr. Bells, and he insisted most emphatically that he tells the truth when he says that the president's letter has been mislaid, and said that if the same was found he would be only too glad to return it. I received from him on my second visit a prospectus of the Hudson Supply Company. This company is supposed to finance the Constitution Club, and the officers and directors of this company are practically the same as that of the Constitution Club. I also received a copy of the charter and bylaws of this club. Mr. Bells further stated to me that he was for a number of years president of the Crescent Drug Company, of Newark, New Jersey, and gives as a reference former chief bell of this service, whom he says has known him since he was a child. Mr. Bells, some years ago, was appointed receiver of the Manhattan Athletic Club by Justice Ingram. Mr. Bells stated positively that the president's name would be stricken from all correspondence and would not in any shape or form or in any manner be connected with the Constitution Club. Respectfully submitted. Signed, William J. Flynn. Operative in charge. Noted by William Flynn Sanders. It is interesting to note that this was all about using the president's name, which was not given and not the views of the conservative group. William J. Flynn would later start his own very secret conservative group called the Real Men of America. Chapter 5 Real Men of America William J. Flynn would later start his own very secret conservative group called the Real Men of America. The members were composed of some of the most powerful and influential men living in New York City, concerned with protecting the city of New York and the values of the USA. One such notable member, as mentioned, was Bat Masterson of western fame, who was living in New York City at the time and still for a period of time held his U.S. marshal position. Bat Masterson, a member of the Real Men of America club, was an acquaintance and friend of William J. Flynn. Masterson himself had become a legend working as a lawman. During his lifetime, he served as an army scout, a lawman, and a gambler in the Old West. He was most famous for being the sheriff of Dodge City in Kansas. Many books and magazines made him a very famous man before he died. Masterson had accumulated many friends from the elite in America, including a very close relationship with President Teddy Roosevelt. His fame lived on way beyond his life. A television series sponsored by the Kraft Corporation named Bat Masterson, starring Gene Barry, appeared between 1958 and 1961. Many of the baby boomer generation grew up knowing about Bat Masterson. But sadly, not so much about William J. Flynn. Noted by William Flynn Sanders As I accurately reported elsewhere in this book, Bat Masterson, a U.S. marshal who also became a writer in New York City, is also seated at the table of the annual meeting and positively identified and told to my mother by her father and pointed out in the printed version of this audiobook in that photo, we all heard the stories on. There is a further connection between Bat and Richard as he says in his book, one night I dropped into Shanley's and Bat Masterson was at a table that was my friend, that also being a friend of my grandfather's. So, the connection for him to be a member makes sense and is solidified by two directors of the group. His years in law enforcement, as well as his then connections to the newspapers and reporters he was writing for, made him another very valuable member for Intel that might be needed. Noted by William Flynn Sanders In the hardcover and paperback edition of this audiobook are the actual incorporation papers for My Grandfather's Real Men of America, a conservative group of patriots dedicated to helping protect New York City from all terrorists, anarchists, and invaders, both foreign and domestic at that time that he created. The incorporation document lists that the annual meeting will be held on the first Saturday of each year in April, and in the printed version of this book photo, it was held at the National Arts Club in Gramercy Park, Manhattan, New York City, which was founded in 1898 by Charles Dekay, an art and literary critic of the New York Times, to stimulate, foster, and promote public interest in the arts and to educate the American people in the fine arts. Many of the real men of America were outstanding citizens and well- known at that time. The first signature on the printed version photo is of director Richard Butler. He can be seen in the Real Men of America photo at the beginning of the printed edition chapter, sitting right of center front, to the right of the guy with the white beard. Everyone called him Dick Butler. He was president of the Longshoremen's Union in New York and once a state assemblyman. More can be read about him in a book called Doc Walloper, The Story of Big Dick Butler by Richard Joseph Butler, noted by William Flynn Sanders. The first signature on the list of directors for the corporation document is Richard Joseph Butler, of whom the book Doc Walloper, The Story of Big Dick Butler was written and aided in the writing by Joseph Driscoll, a famous newspaperman on the staff then of the New York Herald Tribune. He wrote, Seemingly, Butler knows more people in all ranks of human society than any other New Yorker. He has friends among governors and gangsters, politicians and thieves, judges and conmen, cops and palookas, authors and actors, rumrunners and speakeasy folk, showgirls and waitresses. In politics, business, and sports, he knows who's who and why. He has been on familiar terms with presidents and mayors. He has rubbed shoulders with reformers, rafters, gamblers, and bods. He is the Peck's bad boy of the big city. I have identified him in the printed edition of this book for the first time in modern writings on the photo of one of the secret meetings I have from the yearly dinner of the real men of America, which will be so marked for you to see. Being a man like this with his ear into everything happening back then in NYC, from all walks of life, he was an excellent choice to keep my grandfather appraised of anything he heard about that could be brewing that would be harmful to the city and the country. In addition, here is what Richard Butler had to say about my grandfather directly from his book. William J. Flynn was one of the best friends I ever had. A 200-pounder with a black mustache, a black derby, and a black cigar always in his mouth, he looked like a detective, and he was a detective. As head of the Department of Justice Investigators during the World War, he gave me good advice to steer clear of the Germans and their million-dollar bribes when Mayor Gaynor was in office. He borrowed Flynn from the government for about six months to prep up the police department as deputy commissioner and try to rebuild the detective bureau into another Scotland Yard. During his administration, Flynn was my friend and very kind to me. I told him who my friends were, and he never bothered them. He was so honest he bent over backward he never took a dollar but only asked that I never get him in trouble. I kept my word, and he kept his. Our friendship went along like whiskey, improving with age. I thought more of him than any other man in the government. He goes on to write how, after 30 years of faithful service to the government, it was when crooked Harry Doherty and his Ohio gang came into power that my grandfather was removed without a dollar of compensation. Just like today, if you rock the boat against the swamp, they try to take you out. The fourth signature is that of Charles Hankel. Hankel was a famous silent film director of the era. He was under contract with Wharton Brothers Film Studio as a director. He directed films such as The Three Musketeers in 1914, The Eagle's Eye in 1918, and many more. In 1929, the studio suffered a major fire, and most of its films were lost to history. Most films at that time were made on nitrate-based film, and once a fire is started, it is almost impossible to control. Chapter 6 The First Godfather Also, during this time in Flynn's career, Giuseppe Morello came to his attention for counterfeiting. Morello is considered to be the first of all mafia crime families in the United States. It all began with him, according to many writers and experts. Newly arrived Italian immigrants were showing up with large amounts of counterfeit along the street markets of New York City and in merchant shops. Agent Flynn led a few of his fellow agents into following the money trail and right to the home of Morello. But no merchant or street vendor would incriminate Morello in fear for their safety and of their families. The Italian mafia was already having a significant influence in the city of New York at this time. The Italian crime problem was growing stronger in New York City and other parts of the United States. The latter part of the 19th century and the early part of the 20th century saw large increase in Italian citizens migrating to America. Around 2 million Italians immigrated here around that time, and Lupo and Morello was already established in America. They recruited many ex-convicts and mafia figures and increased their criminal activity. Which, in those days, was referred to as black hand crimes. Morello was well known to the New York City police because of his activities. Morello recruited a man named Vincenzo Lupo not long after they first met. Crimes ranged from murder, kidnapping, blackmail, and extortion. Hence, the name Black Hand, Mano Nera in Italian, was the word the Italians used to describe extortion by Italian crime figures. But it became synonymous with all crimes committed by the Italian gangs. Members of the Black Hand Society used a phrase to identify themselves with other members, Have no fear I am not asleep and I have not slept ever since that time. Morello's counterfeiting brought him to the attention of the United States Secret Service. He became one of the top priorities for the Secret Service of that time. William J. Flynn, now 36 years old, was appointed in 1903 as Chief of the Eastern Division because of his skills and hard work. At the time of his appointment in 1903 to Chief of the Secret Service Eastern Division, there was a crisis due to a large amount of $5 counterfeit bills circulating throughout the city, especially in the Italian quarters. Chief Flynn was already a well-established detective, and at this time, many were already comparing him to Sherlock Holmes. He was able to trace the bills back to Little Sicily. Working undercover, Agent Flynn learned that a local grocer in Little Sicily, Giuseppe Di Primo, was working with Morello and his partner, Vincenzo Lupo. Supposedly, Morello and Lupo had become large importers of olive oil to supply the Italian communities. The large barrels of imported olive oil were also shipped with empty tin cans. This was a common practice because the barrel of olive oil would be transferred into the tin cans for sale to individual stores for customers. When Flynn inspected the tin cans in Di Primo's store, they found them stuffed with $5 bills. The bills were made in Naples and shipped to Morello and Lupo directly through Di Primo's store. All three men, including at least a dozen more, were rounded up and arrested. Di Primo would not implicate Morello or Lupo. Neither would the other men arrested. Morello and Lupo were again freed, but Di Primo and the other men went to jail for the procession of counterfeit money. Upon leaving the courthouse, both men sneered and made fun of Mr. Flynn in a few remarks. Again, these two men escaped justice. However, Mr. Flynn vowed to bring them to justice one day as the two men descended the courthouse steps. The crimes of Morello and Lupo spread as far as Chicago, New Orleans, and other places. They laid the groundwork that grew into the much more significant presence of the Italian Mafia throughout the United States and rose to its peak in the mid-1900s with other well-established Sicilian and Italian mob families. William J. Flynn was at the forefront of what the renamed Federal Bureau of Investigation would have to deal with under J. Edgar Hoover. However, William J. Flynn always continued to follow Morello and Lupo during their growth as a crime family and monitored their every step. He knew they would eventually slip up. So, he worked closely with the New York City Police. Not only were the Italians counterfeiting American money, but also the British pound notes. This got the British government involved. Mr. Flynn had to once go to London, England, to identify men involved in passing fake British banknotes in New York. He was helping the British to make arrests as well. Mr. Flynn's testimony in British courts put away many who had posed a danger to the Bank of England. One of the men involved was later released and showed up in Massachusetts, counterfeiting $10 banknotes. When the Secret Service raided where the men had set up operation, one tried to escape through the back door, only to be met with the revolver of William Flynn pointing directly in his face. Mr. Flynn recognized him immediately as one of the men passing fake British pounds and was arrested in England. Scotland Yard sent him to Australia, telling him never to return to England. So, he returned to America to pick up where he started years before. Another case William J. Flynn was able to solve when no other Secret Service agent could, occurred around 1903 when he took over as Eastern Division Chief. Pennies were being counterfeited. Counterfeiting pennies was very profitable because the price of a sheet of copper during that time was $0.13 per sheet. But a person could make $130 pennies from that one sheet. He began an investigation immediately as Eastern Division Chief. He was able to locate the copper sheet distributor in Connecticut and followed up on all 416 customers who purchased copper sheets. He eventually tracked one back to New York City and followed the suspect to where he caught him manufacturing counterfeit pennies. He also apprehended several more operations, one in the city of Pittsburgh and another in the mountains of Pennsylvania. Around 1906, his agents tracked down counterfeiters in Oregon. When they raided the ranch in the interior of Oregon, they discovered counterfeit 5, 10, and $20 gold pieces being made. Four men went to prison over this operation. It is noted that during his years fighting counterfeiting, Flynn was injured severely enough that it slowed him down for the rest of his life. But because he was sharp-witted, he remained a valuable asset to law enforcement, no matter which capacity he would serve. As mentioned before, Flynn worked closely with the New York City Police Department, including Detective Giuseppe Joe Petrosino of the NYPD Italian squad. Giuseppe was a valuable member of the police department because of his Italian roots and ability to work among Italian immigrants in small Italian shops and stores. Working with Flynn, he agreed to go to Italy and try to track down where the American-Italian crime families came from and see where their source of the counterfeiting was coming. Unfortunately, Giuseppe was murdered in Palermo, Sicily, where he was following the trail of the New York crime members. It is believed Giuseppe Morello was behind the killing. It took Flynn seven years to collect enough evidence against Morello and Lugo, but he was always persistent in his investigations and never gave up. Finally, in 1909, he was getting close to having all he needed to put Morello, Lupo, and other members of the Black Hand Gang behind bars. Flynn finally brought Morello and Lupo to justice in January of 1910. Through continued investigation and collection of more evidence, William Flynn was eventually responsible for the arrest and conviction of Giuseppe Morello and his partner, Vincenzo Lupo. During the trial, Flynn received many death threats. But he held firm and did not scare easily. Morello and Lugo had used fear to control others throughout their criminal history, but Flynn would not waver in his conviction to bring these men down. They had laughed at him seven years earlier when they walked out of court. But the evidence was too great now, and their old scare tactics were not working. Because of the seriousness of this trial, no one but essential personnel were allowed in the courtroom. Both were given 25 and 30 years in federal prison in Atlanta, Georgia. After fulfilling his goal of bringing Morello and Lupo to justice, he left the position of regional chief of the Secret Service Eastern Division. He went to work for the New York City Police Department as head of the detective bureau. In his interview with the New York Times, he was asked about his spare time and what he did for recreation. Well, I used to play semi-professional baseball. Whenever I can sneak away to a game, I do it. I will never miss a league game if I can help it. His years as chief of the Secret Service are covered in Chapter 8. Chapter 7 The 1903 Barrel Mystery The phrase, The Barrel Mystery, comes from the book William J. Flynn wrote and published in 1919. The first year, he took office as director of the Bureau of Investigation. This chapter will cover the incident leading to Flynn becoming a household name. In April 1903, a body was found stuffed in a barrel on the east side of Manhattan. During this time, William Flynn was focused on counterfeiters. But his interest in the case grew as he read daily of this mystery and the ineffectiveness of the New York City Police in solving the crime. Being a true detective at heart, he decided he wanted to try his hand at solving it. Flynn believed it essential to jump on and solve the case quickly before things grew cold and leads were hard to follow. Flynn was already investigating two high-profile Italian criminals, Morello and Lupo, and building a case against them. He felt the two might have had a hand in the murdered victim found in the barrel, which they did not. But a fellow member of the Black Hand Gang did. Maruana Benedetto had broken a vow never to betray any member of the Black Hand Gang. It was a vow enacted to make sure secrets within the gang family remained secret. Obviously, Benedetto must have broken the vow of secrecy, and Tomasso Petto, another Black Hander, felt it was his duty to enforce the punishment. He killed Benedetto and stuffed the body into a barrel. However, the New York City Police could not get anyone to identify the body. They rounded up suspected gang members, including Morello, Lupo, Tomasso Petto, and many others. But no one would identify the body. Flynn realized the New York Police made a critical mistake by locking all the gang members together when they were rounded up. As a result, the gang was given time to get their story together and stick to it. Plus, the police never examined the papers removed from the gang members when they were incarcerated. Eventually, Flynn figured out who the men responsible for the murder were. He was even shocked to find out it was because of himself that Maruana Benedetto was killed and stuffed into the barrel. In a previous incident years before, Flynn had arrested several members of the Black Handers for counterfeiting. It was during this case that events started that would lead to the barrel mystery. Out of the four men he had identified, he only took three into custody. Flynn wanted information from the three men on the fourth man who escaped custody. One of the men he arrested was a man named Giuseppe DiPrima. As a young Secret Service agent, Flynn wanted to try his skill at interrogation. He separated the men he had in custody by putting DiPrima into a separate room across from the other two men. Flynn attempted to convince or give a false impression that DiPrima had ratted out the fourth man's name. Flynn purposely left the doors open so the two men in the opposite room could see Flynn and DiPrima together. He patted DiPrima on the shoulder, shook his hand, and thanked him aloud so the two other men could see. Flynn wanted the other two men to think they could do the same if DiPrima had already confessed who the fourth man was. But when he tried to get the information from the other two men, they still would not identify the fourth man. They would stick to the gang code no matter what. Not only was Flynn unsuccessful in his tactic, he did not realize the consequences of his action. The two men were left with the impression DiPrima had ratted out the fourth man, and Flynn did not make them think otherwise. DiPrima did not know what Flynn was doing when he went through all his motions during the interrogation and did not know the other men suspected him of betraying the gang elf. Months later, when they did catch the fourth man, the two other men were certain DiPrima ratted out the fourth man. As members of the Black Hand Gang, they had to maintain their strict code and sought revenge against DiPrima. But DiPrima was in prison for his part in counterfeiting. To fulfill the principle of vengeance, they killed DiPrima's brother-in-law, Maruana Benedetto, instead and stuffed his body into a barrel. Poor Benedetto paid the price for Agent Flynn's interrogation gone wrong. DiPrima had never ratted him out. Eventually, even Tommaso Petto, who murdered Benedetto, was murdered for killing Benedetto. The mafia would carry out such killings for decades to come. When Flynn solved the barrel mystery and identified the body, he was considered a hero, although it was his actions that led to Benedetto's killing. But the police also considered Maruana Benedetto a Black Hand Gang member. Therefore, no harm to any innocent civilian occurred. Since the Italian gangs were mainly killing each other and did no harm to anyone else, Flynn was considered a hero for solving the case and identifying the body in the barrel. After this incident, William Flynn took it as a learning lesson and sharpened his skills in proper interrogation. Chapter 8 Security for the 1905 Russian-Japanese Peace Conference 1905 was a busy year for William J. Flynn. He had gained valuable experience in the Secret Service over seven years by this time. The duties of the Secret Service were growing as the federal government leaned more and more on the valuable agency. The United States was hosting a peace conference between two warring nations, Russia and Japan. It was decided Portsmouth Navy Shipyard, New Hampshire, later redistricted to Maine, would be the host site and more manageable to protect the delegates from both nations who would be attending. The Secret Service was chosen to provide security for the Russian and Japanese delegates that would be attending. Because of Flynn's large stature, Flynn was selected for a crucial position in this security detail. He would provide personal security to Sergei Witte, the leading diplomatic representative for the Russian government. William Flynn can be seen in many old photos and silent films taken during the November 6 through November 30, 1905, Russian-Japanese Peace Conference with Sergei Witte. Both Japan and Russia were imperial empires at that time, and both were vying for control of Manchuria and the Korea Peninsula. Japan was willing to compromise by letting Russia control Manchuria if Russia allowed them to control Korea. Russia, in exchange, made a counteroffer to allow Japan only to control Korea north of the 39th parallel. Negotiations soon fell apart, and on February 9, 1904, Japan attacked Russia at Port Arthur, China, where the Russian Navy was leasing from the Chinese government. A war between these two imperial nations continued into 1905, with both sides taking heavy losses, with Russia suffering the most. Japan was often willing to call a truce, but Tsar Nicholas II did not want to lose face in front of his people where his popularity was already waning. Finally, on May 27 to 28, 1905, Russia suffered its most significant loss during the Battle of Tsushima, also known as the Battle of the Sea of Japan. It was the greatest sea battle ever in history up to that time. It was the first battle between modern steel battleships. Russia lost its entire fleet that participated. President Theodore Roosevelt saw the threat modern weapons posed on the modern world and how devastating the casualty rate was in such a short time frame. By March of 1905, both governments were willing to meet for a peace treaty. It was Teddy Roosevelt who proposed the peace conference be held in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The Japanese delegation was led by Japanese Foreign Minister Komura Jutaro. And the Russian Finance Minister Sergei Witt led Russian delegations. The delegates arrived on August 8, 1905, and would be staying at the Hotel Wentworth. The Secret Service, private detectives, and New Hampshire police provided the security. Most Secret Service agents were distinguished at the conference by wearing straw hats, typical for that day. The Library of Congress has scenes from the conference that can be watched on YouTube. Search under Scene and Incidents, Russo-Japanese Conference, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Several versions are available. This silent film is 14 minutes and 23 seconds long but is very interesting if you love history. At the 10 minute and 23 second mark, you can see William Flynn exit from a horse-drawn carriage, which Minster Sergei Witt later followed as Flynn stood security. You will see how large and prominent a man he was by comparing him to bystanders. The treaty would lead to three decades of peace between Japan and Russia, but would eventually lead to Japan's aggressive behavior of expansion and World War II in the Pacific for America. President Teddy Roosevelt won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1906 for negotiating the Russo-Japanese Peace Agreement in 1905. Following the negotiations, President Roosevelt hosted many delegates on his presidential yacht, the USS Mayflower. Chapter 9 New York Police Department Between 1910 and 1911, William J. Flynn was considered the most famous detective alive. In October 1910, Flynn was appointed New York Police Department's second deputy commissioner. He was working under Chief Commissioner James Church Cropsey. William Flynn would serve in this position till April 1911. But Flynn accomplished much during his short time at the department. He immediately identified many detectives who were not accomplishing much and fired at least 150 of them. Flynn broke with the tradition of recognizing no difference between having officers who served as office staff and those who worked on the streets. He started sending the regular office staff out on patrol and taught his men to use aggressive tactics as he had practiced while in the Secret Service. He also divided the city into districts, each overseen by NYPD captains and the lieutenants under them. All working detectives would have to submit a daily report. Under Flynn's leadership, New York City saw a significant drop in crime. Moreover, his leadership brought more structure to the NYPD and brought Flynn national recognition. Although he was there for less than a year, the department saw more change in such a short period since its entire existence. Like Theodore Roosevelt, who was president of the New York City Board of Police Commissioners from 1895 to 1897, Flynn also fought a war against corruption and immorality in America. Cropsey and Flynn were put into office at the same time, but Flynn was the only one with any law enforcement experience. Flynn was not in it to gain more recognition but to clean up the department. Unlike Cropsey, whom Flynn saw as a social climber on the political ladder, Flynn was dedicated to improving. The Police Department Flynn immediately put a stop to all political hiring within the department and hired on merit only. He made all plainclothes officers report to him and not the captains as before. This way, Flynn knew the information was getting to his desk. Flynn would also go out with his officers, not just sit behind a desk all day. The reorganization of the New York City Detective Force added to his fame. His reforms became known to everyone and were soon adopted by other police agencies nationwide. Mr. Flynn, now 44, had again gained recognition and was starting to appear in the newspapers and newsreels. Another incident that brought Flynn national recognition while still head of the NYC Detective Force was the case of two kidnapped Italian boys. Most kidnappings during this time went unsolved. The two boys were taken from the Brooklyn area, and being an ex-Secret Service agent, Flynn jumped on it immediately. He directed every move of his detectives until an arrest was made and the boys were recovered. Even his officers praised Flynn and felt the case would not have been solved if not for Second Deputy Commissioner William J. Flynn himself. Both boys, Giuseppe Longo and Nicola Rizzo, were happily returned to their parents. When the kids were recovered, Flynn personally picked them up in his car and drove them to their parents, showering them with gifts. During his time at the department, several more cases were solved. Most of the kidnappings were for ransom money. Which most immigrants could not afford. Flynn's New York City detectives broke up several of these kidnapping rings. Under the leadership of Commissioner Flynn, one magistrate commented that the reign of intimidation in the Italian community was at an end. Many kidnappers started dumping the children on street corners out of fear of Commissioner Flynn. Flynn's leadership led to 283 arrests in his short time there. Breaking up gambling joints, solving murders, saving kidnap victims, etc. But most of his time was spent reorganizing and developing policies. Eventually, Flynn resigned and returned as chief of the Secret Service. Crime in New York City had dropped so much that it was remarked William Flynn's resignation was a significant loss to the city. It was headline news in most city newspapers. Flynn immediately returned to the Secret Service as chief of the Northeast Region Headquartered in New York City. Chapter 10 The Curran Committee After leaving his position as commissioner with NYPD, he worked on the Curran Committee, which was formed to investigate police corruption. The committee members had broad powers to examine the entire New York City Police Department by any means necessary. After leaving the NYPD, Flynn had returned to the Secret Service as regional chief but agreed to leave his position to serve on the committee temporarily. Which he made known was only going to be temporary. Flynn knew that the chief of the Secret Service role would be available soon, and he wanted the position. The Secret Service granted his request for temporary leave. Members of the Curran Committee first met on August 28, 1912. Flynn was picked as chief investigator. Flynn would receive a monthly pay of $800, equal to the purchasing power of $25,000 in today's money. Their job was not to charge anyone with a crime but to investigate and find evidence. If any crime were committed, then that would be taken up by the district attorney's office. The committee did uncover corruption. They discovered officers and detectives with the NYPD helped arrange robberies by known criminals, bringing the officers and detectives financial gain. The corruption within the department went back many years and would continue throughout the coming decades. Extortion by officers was not much different than that by the Italian gangs. It is recorded that Flynn resigned over pay issues, but this was not the case. The following was issued in many papers. Flynn quits committee, resigns as investigator because mayor holds up his pay. He was making very good money on the Curran Committee at $800 a month. Whether or not the mayor held up his pay, he would have eventually been paid. He had told the committee before taking the position he would leave if the chief of the Secret Service position became available, which it did. No one realized his position would be this brief and were saddened because they were losing the most valuable member of the committee. The following newspaper article supports the claim for his departure due to the opening of chief of the Secret Service. The New York Times, November 16, 1912. William J. Flynn, who got a temporary leave of absence from the New York division of the United States Secret Service to aid the investigation of the Curran Committee, will quit the service of the committee on November 20. Mr. Flynn will probably be made chief of the United States Secret Service to succeed Johnny Wilkie, who is now a supervising special agent in the Customs Service. Chapter 11. Chief of the Secret Service. Because of his great success in fighting the mafia and reorganizing the New York detective force, he was appointed by President William Taft and Secretary of Treasury Franklin McVeigh in 1912 as chief of the Secret Service upon leaving the Curran Committee. Flynn was now 44 years old and would serve as director till the age of 50 in 1917. Flynn succeeded Johnny Wilkie, who was an admiring mentor to Flynn. Wilkie had made many changes as chief of the Secret Service, and Flynn would continue to do so as well. The Secret Service under William J. Flynn saw many improvements during his five years as chief. As chief, he continued many of the duties he saw as a subordinate. He continued searching for spies, stopping wartime plots using counter-espionage tactics, stopping counterfeiters for the U.S. Treasury Department, and dealing with anarchists. But his department was now charged with protecting the U.S. president and the railway system. As chief of the Secret Service, he met many well-known people and received letters from all over. He received one letter from former President Teddy Roosevelt in 1915 asking Chief Flynn to consider a young man, Arthur Young Mike Donovan, for a position in the Secret Service. February 2, 1915 My Dear Mr. Flynn, On account of our old acquaintance I take the liberty of writing you on behalf of a fine young fellow, as I know Arthur Donovan, known in the ring as Young Mike Donovan. The boy is the son of my oldest and best friend, Mike Donovan, of New York Athletic Club. He takes after his father, he is as trustworthy and straightforward and honest as the old man and more than that no human being can say. He is a strapping young fellow, who has won over 50 fights, never having a decision rendered against him excepting in one fight, in favor of Gibbons. He has never touched a drop of liquor, and he is as straight as a string and his game as a bulldog. He is very anxious to get into the Secret Service. I believe he would make as good a name such friends as Frank Tyree, Steve Connell and Jim Sloan. It is a very real pleasure to me to write this on his behalf. I neither know nor care anything about his politics. Very sincerely yours, Theodore Roosevelt William J. Flynn Secret Service Bureau Treasury Department Washington, D.C. Arthur's father, Professor Mike Donovan, was a friend of President Roosevelt, and both were occasional sparring partners. Mike Donovan was a well-known middleweight boxer during that era, and Theodore Roosevelt was always a boxing fan. Roosevelt would spar with Mike Donovan during his years as New York Governor and as President. Unfortunately, I cannot find any records of Arthur Donovan serving in the Secret Service, but he did go on to become a well-known referee for many heavyweight fights. And, like his father, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. President Teddy Roosevelt was still politically active during this time but mostly from his home and retirement. He was shot by an attempted assassination in 1912 and still had a bullet lodged in his chest wall. He would die four years after this letter in 1919. It was the work of President Theodore Teddy Roosevelt and U.S. Attorney General Charles Joseph Bonaparte that founded the Bureau of Investigation. Before both men completed their terms in office in 1909, they suggested the establishment of the BOI as a branch of the Justice Department. The same agency William Flynn would head up in years to come. Noted by William Flynn Sanders What many do not realize is William J. Flynn followed Theodore Roosevelt in the Spanish-American War to join him in the Battle of San Juan Hill in 1898 when he was about 25 years old. A fact well known to all of his children. Perhaps he started his friendship with him at that point. During his years as chief of the Secret Service, Flynn would have many cases in court. One such case is described in the following warrant. Conspiracy complaint charges Max Bradung and Fay paid man to buy Plotter's explosives. United States of America vs. Robert Fay, Walter Scholes, Paul D'Ece, Max Bradung, and Herbert Kienzel. Southern District of New York William J. Flynn, being duly sworn, deposes and says that he is chief of the Secret Service of the United States on information and belief that on or about the first day of August 1915. And at all times thereafter down to and including the date of the filing of this complaint, the said defendants, Robert Fay, Walter Scholes, Paul D'Ece, Max Bradung, and Herbert Kienzel, at and within the City of New York and within the jurisdiction of the court, did unlawfully, feloniously, and corruptly conspire and agree among themselves and with each other to commit an offense against the United States, that is to say, that they should, within the admiralty and maritime jurisdiction of the United States and within the jurisdiction of this court, willfully, feloniously, and corruptly, besurprise an open force, maliciously attack, and set upon a vessel belonging to another, with intent unlawfully to deposit the owners of said vessel of their money, goods, and merchandise on board thereof, and to affect the object of said conspiracy, that said Max Bradung on or about the fifteenth day of August, 1915, at the City of New York and within the Southern District of New York, did pay Paul Selde the sum of 112 dollars for the purchase of ingredients to be used in despoiling said vessel, and further to affect the object of said conspiracy the defendant Robert Fay, at the City of New York and in the Southern District of New York, on the twenty-first day of October did pay Paul Selde the sum of 23 dollars for the purchase of ingredients, and to be used for the destruction of said vessel against the peace of the United States and their dignity and contrary to the form of the statutes of the United States and their dignity and contrary to the form of the statutes of the United States in such case made and provided. The source of the deponent's information and grounds for his belief are information conveyed to him in his official position, the disclosure of which at this time would be against public policy. William J. Flynn. Sworn to and subscribed to before me this twenty-fifth day of October. Clarence S. Houghton, United States Commissioner. While working as director of the Secret Service, William J. Flynn occupied his spare time writing articles for newspapers and a few books. One such book was The Eagle's Eye. Although Flynn was considered a great chief of the Secret Service, he felt his agency was not being used to its full potential. He ended up resigning as chief after a disagreement with the policies of Attorney General Thomas Gregory, who limited the activities of the Secret Service. Flynn wanted to use his department to track down more German spies. He felt his agents could do much more than just seize papers from Dr. Heinrich Albert's briefcase. He wanted his agents to prevent more espionage and sabotage in the United States. In 1918, at the recommendation of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the Secretary of Treasury William Gibbs McAdoo asked Flynn to head up a newly created branch of the Secret Service for the Federal Railroad Administration, giving William Flynn full charge of policing and guarding all railroad property within the United States. Chief Flynn's new title would be director of the U.S. Railroad Administration's Secret Service. He served in this position from September 7, 1918, until he left in 1919 to head the Bureau of Investigation. Railroad security was a significant priority for America during this time because of the threat of saboteurs. The United States entered World War I in 1917 to help Europe fight Germany. Unfortunately, German spies were everywhere, and the United States was now one of their targets for mayhem. He would have been between 51 and 52 years of age at this time. On the following is the letter of the recommendation from Franklin Roosevelt, who served as the Navy's Assistant Secretary at the time. He would later serve as Governor of New York from 1929 to 1933 and as our 32nd President of the United States. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the longest-serving President in U.S. history, from 1933 to 1944. Letter of Recommendation from Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin Delano Roosevelt, July 6, 1917. Navy Department. Assistant Secretary's Office. Washington, July 6, 1917. Dear Tom, I do not know what the definite program about consolidating the Secret Service is going to be, but I should be only too happy to see Chief Flynn put at the head of it. We have worked very closely with him in my shop, and I know what an excellent person he is, but all I can do is to say a word in his favor, as the appointing powers would be higher up. Always sincerely yours. Signed, Franklin D. Roosevelt. Honorable Thomas D. McCarthy. United States Marshal. New York City, New York. Note, Thomas D. McCarthy was United States Marshal for the Southern District then. Chapter 12. Blickenster for Typewriter Salesman An exciting story about the life of William J. Flynn that cannot be overlooked is that of him posing as a typewriter salesman while working in the Pittsburgh office in 1900. It was during this time that Flynn was focused on hunting down counterfeiters. One such counterfeiter was a man named Johnny Henderson, who resided in a place called Big Broken Straw Creek in Warren County, Pennsylvania. Johnny Henderson was not only a counterfeiter but also an expert with explosives. It was dangerous and challenging for anyone to fulfill an arrest warrant. Flynn knew that Henderson had visited the home of John George Bennett numerous times. It was felt Henderson was hiding out at Mr. Bennett's house. Flynn needed a cover to get close enough to arrest Johnny Henderson. During this era, the blickenster for typewriter became popular and was seen in many advertisements. Flynn decided he would pose as a blickenster for typewriter salesman. Thomas Berryman was another Secret Service agent assigned to help Flynn in this sting operation. A Warren County Deputy Marshal, W.S. Blair, was to accompany the two agents to Mr. Bennett's home. Mr. Flynn approached the house first, posing as a typewriter salesman from the blickenster for company. He talked to Mr. Bennett about the typewriter he was carrying and acted as if he was trying to sell one to Mr. Bennett. Mr. Bennett became upset and told Flynn he did not need or want a typewriter. He ordered Flynn to get off his property. The two other men approached as Mr. Bennett was retreating into his home. The Deputy Marshal explained they were there to arrest Mr. Henderson, who they believed was in the house. The three officers entered the house without incident. Mr. Bennett and his wife said they only had a Mr. Hyde, no Henderson. But Mr. Bennett grew uneasy and tried to grab something off a nearby shelf. However, he could not hold whatever he was reaching for because the three officers took a defensive stance, so Mr. Bennett ran upstairs. As the other officers raced after him, they saw Mr. Bennett pouring a fluid bottle into a space between the weatherboarding and plaster wall. The liquid was later identified as cyanide of potassium, a chemical commonly used by counterfeiters in their silver plating technique. Mr. Bennett was brought back downstairs but then tried to slip something to his wife. The officers then recovered a counterfeit dollar bill, not wholly finished, from Mrs. Bennett. Mr. Bennett denied knowing anything about it, he told his wife not to talk to the officers. The officers then searched Mr. Bennett's pockets and uncovered more counterfeits. Further searching in and around the house revealed a large amount of potassium cyanide and more counterfeit. Mr. Hyde was found, and he also denied knowing anything. Since no evidence was found on Mr. Hyde, they could not arrest or identify him as Mr. Henderson. But Deputy Marshal Blair took Mr. Bennett into custody. Mr. Bennett was taken to jail and held till a hearing before a judge. Sheriff John Fuelheart, sheriff of Warren County, was upset because he felt only his department had the authority to make arrests in his county. He brought charges against agents William Flynn and Thomas Berryman for assault on the Bennetts and technically placed them under arrest, but not held until a Warren County Circuit Court hearing. United States X. Rel. Flynn vs. Fuelheart, 106 F. 911, 1901. February 14, 1901 United States Circuit Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. 106 F. 911. United States X. Rel. Flynn et al. v. Fuelheart, sheriff. 1. Habeas Cobias, Stauchweim Rules. Rules and regulations for the government. Of the agents of the Secret Service Division of the United States Treasury Department, promulgated by the authority of the Secretary of the Treasury, are laws of the United States within the St. Just Section 753, authorizing the issuance by a federal court. Of the writ of habeas corpus in case of a prisoner in custody for an act done in pursuance of a law of the United States. 2. Same, assist in arrest without warrant. Agents of the Secret Service Division of the United States Treasury Department, with a marshal having a warrant for the arrest of two. For making counterfeit coins, visited the House of 15 in the country and remote from magistrates and told me of their purpose. He immediately tried to put out. Of the way articles commonly used in counterfeiting and handed his wife an incomplete counterfeit coin, which she attempted to conceal. Held, quit this was a case within the Secret Service rules, sanctioning arrest without a warrant in cases of exceedingly rare occurrence. So that such agents, having been taken into custody on a charge of assault and battery and that they assisted in the arrest of B, should be discharged on habeas corpus. Basically, the court ruled the officers had a rightful duty to be on Mr Bennett's property. Although Deputy Marshal Blair only had a warrant for the arrest of Mr Henderson, they had the lawful right to take Mr Bennett into custody by observing unlawful behavior. The Deputy Marshal of Warren County had all rights to make an arrest in Warren County. As Secret Service agents of the Justice Department, the two agents had a right to fulfill their duty of attempting to bring Mr Henderson to justice. The ruling set precedents for law enforcement officers and the Secret Service in using its authority to make arrests anywhere necessary when a crime is observed without a warrant. Mr Flynn would use impersonations throughout his Secret Service career. He would later humorously write in 1922 regarding this incident, I talked typewriter to George Bennett for half an hour. Invariably, he would reply, what in the hell would I do with a typewriter? Do you think I write for the papers of something? George let it known that he would welcome our departure. Now and then, he all but ordered me off the place. But I kept talking and urging, taking care to keep one hand in my coat pocket where the gun lay. Maybe a typewriter salesman should use both hands while talking to a prospect. Certainly, he ought to use both if he demonstrates the machine. At any rate, I sold no typewriter to George. Chapter 13 The Bureau of Investigation Years The Bureau of Investigation was started on July 26, 1908 by the United States Attorney General Charles Bonaparte, great nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte. He started the Bureau because, as the United States Attorney General, he frequently had to use the Secret Service to do all his investigations for the Department of Justice. This was not a problem, except those agents for the Secret Service only reported back and answered to the Chief of the Secret Service. He did not like this and needed an agency that reported directly to him and the Department of Justice. The agency began with fewer than thirty-four, primarily Secret Service members who switched to the Bureau of Investigation. The Bureau of Investigation, B.O.I., would later change its name to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, F.B.I. At its creation, the appointed heads were known as Chief Examiners. The first Chief Examiner was Stanley Finch, who served as Chief from July 26, 1908 to April 30, 1912. The second Chief Examiner was Bruce Belaski, who served from April 30, 1912 to February 10, 1919. William E. Allen served as Acting Chief from February 10, 1919 to June 30, 1919, till the position could be filled. An era of terror had begun in America, and during this transition of Chiefs in the Bureau, a bombing occurred at the home of Attorney General Mitchell Palmer. The Attorney General was home with his wife, Roberta, but they were unharmed. The bomb accidentally went off prematurely, killing the person who was planting the bomb at the front door. June 2, 1919, saw dozens of these bombs going off in seven major U.S. cities. New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Patterson, New Jersey, and Philadelphia. Mainly at the homes of high-level businessmen and government officials. Most were intercepted, but one housekeeper had her hands blown off, and ten detectives died investigating other packages in various locations. Anarchists were determined to bring down America's capitalism. This incident made Attorney Palmer rush to replace a new head in the Bureau of Investigation. Because many people had highly recommended William J. Flynn, including Franklin Roosevelt and retired Attorney General Charles Bonaparte, who worked with William Flynn during the early days in the Secret Service, Palmer quickly appointed Flynn to the position, naming him Director, a new title. The Right Man in the Right Place article following is an example of many articles that appeared nationwide when it was learned William J. Flynn was being appointed as Director of the Bureau of Investigation. Dinuba, California, June 19, 1919. The Right Man in the Right Place. It is with considerable interest that those in the know look upon the recent announcement that William J. Flynn, for many years head of the United States Secret Service, had been made Chief of the Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice. At the outbreak of the war Mr. Flynn then head of the Secret Service, found himself and his organization handicapped by the relic of a congressional fight in the days of President Roosevelt when the Secret Service was virtually relegated to the woodpile and forced to confine its activities to Treasury Department work, such as coinage and counterfeiting cases, while the actual work of looking after spies and radicals in the country was left to the Bureau of Investigation, then headed by Bruce DeLasky. William J. Flynn took office on July 1, 1919, just one month after the bombings, and would go on to serve under President Woodrow Wilson and President Warren G. Harding. He would be the first in the office to use the title Director of the Bureau of Investigation. Under William Flynn's leadership, the agency grew, and it was Flynn who hired a very young 24-year-old Justice Department lawyer named J. Edgar Hoover. William J. Flynn believed in strong-arm tactics, which he learned from dealing with the Italian Mafia and spies while serving as Chief of the Secret Service. One of Flynn's first duties was to try to infiltrate the anarchist groups. He even had agents travel to the countries from which these anarchists originated. In 1919 and 1920, the terrorists started targeting America's financial institutions. A bomb hit Wall Street at the corner of Wall and Broad Street in downtown New York. Morgan Bank received extensive damage, and many bank employees were injured, fortunately, no death occurred. A few of the anarchists uncovered through extensive investigations were Emma Goldman, Alexander Berkman, and Johann Most. These were a few of the individuals rounded up and sent out of the United States. These three were on the ship Buford, which you will read about in this chapter. Just eight months prior to William J. Flynn taking the seat as Director, the United States Congress had passed a wartime temporary ban on the sale of alcohol greater than 1.28 percent, which covered almost all alcohol sold for drinking purposes. Flynn inherited this new ban and was required to deal with any citizen who tried to buy alcohol. The ban was to help save grain for the war effort and feed troops. But the war was basically over before the act became law in July 1919. The same day Flynn took office as BOI Director. July 1st, the very day Flynn was sworn in as Director, became known as Thirsty 1st. By January of 1920, the country became a dry country, prohibition was in full force. Noted by William Flynn Sanders. Flynn himself was only an occasional social drinker at best, so this did not matter to him at all. But some family members, to his dismay, drank heavily. We can only imagine how Flynn dealt with this issue and how his agents enforced the new laws. Prohibition would last until 1933. Many people, even government members, continued to drink illegally during this period. And many became rich from it. For example, the Irish family of Joe Kennedy became rum runners during this period, making the family a fortune. Even some of Flynn's own family continued to drink during this time. Noted by William Flynn Sanders. However, Flynn himself was not any sort of a drinker himself. But two of his children later ruined his private investigation business in the early 1920s due to consuming large amounts of alcohol. You will read more on this later in this biography. Another law that took effect the year Flynn took office was the National Motor Vehicle Theft Act of October 1919. This was actually a good law for the agency because now they had a tool to help go after hardened criminals who crossed state lines and committing a felony. 1919 was a busy year for William Flynn. Just five months after becoming head of the Bureau, he was standing on the docks watching the ship Buford, referred to as the Soviet Ark, depart carrying 249 people suspected of being anarchists. It was December 1919, and some of these people were identified as anarchists while Flynn was serving as a regular operative, regional chief of the Secret Service, national director of the Secret Service, and head of the New York City Detectives Bureau. Of all the officials seeing this ship leave the United States, it was William Flynn whom many suspected anarchists saw as the man responsible for them being forced out of America. One of the accused anarchists, Alexander Berkman, who was mentioned earlier in this chapter, called out as the ship was pulling away, Oh, it's you, Mr. Flynn. Well, we're coming back someday, and when we do a curse word, we'll fix you. With the war over, Flynn could return his focus to everyday criminals and less on espionage and anarchism. Fortunately, Flynn would be out of office before the era of gangsters, known as the Lawless Years, started, covering a period from 1921 to 1933. Lifting the prohibition in 1933 helped considerably in ending that era. Also, during this time, there was a rise in white supremacy and a revival of the Ku Klux Klan, which had been mostly quiet since the late 1800s. These would be the years that made J. Edgar Hoover famous as director of the FBI. After years of law enforcement and seeing the worst in people, Flynn became a harsh man against criminals. He did not think they could be rehabilitated in any form. Therefore, he used very rough treatment when interrogating suspects. One such suspect was a man named Andrea Salcedo. He was a suspect in a 1919 mail-bombing attack. Flynn was so rough and brutal in his questioning and interrogation that Salcedo made a full confession and then jumped from his chair, ran to the closest window, and threw himself out, falling stories to his death. Flynn hated criminals so severely that he said once that out-of-hand crime was a significant threat to American society. During his first year in 1919 as director of the Bureau, he published a book called The Barrel Mystery. The book detailed the story of a body found in a barrel in April of 1903 while he was in the Secret Service. It was covered briefly earlier in this book. Noted by William Flynn Sanders. Complaints about his tactics, politically motivated by the new Democratic leadership, led to his resignation on August 21, 1921. His men were loyal to him, however, the ones who remained were fired. But the truth is his tactics were never as rough or strong-armed as those of the future director J. Edgar Hoover, just five years after William Flynn left office. J. Edgar Hoover would lead the Bureau of Investigation from 1924 to 1935 and the Federal Bureau of Investigation from 1935 to 1972. Noted by William Flynn Sanders. This name change was Hoover's idea. He simply put the unneeded and redundant word federal in front of the B.O.I. J. Edgar Hoover abused his power for almost 48 years. Hear more about J. Edgar Hoover in Chapter 13. Attorney General Palmer praised his new appointee as the leading, organizing detective of America. Flynn is an anarchist chaser, the greatest anarchist expert in the United States. Even as director of the Bureau, Flynn would personally participate in raids on illegal gambling establishments and other areas of criminal activities, he was a hands-on type of boss. Flynn's adventures as director can be read in his book, The Eagle's Eye, which is available to read online for free under the Project Gutenberg e-book of The Eagle's Eye by William J. Flynn. One of William Flynn's accomplishments was recovering secret German documents. His B.O.I. operatives continued to surveil a German diplomat named Dr. Heinrich Albert. One of the operatives was able to snatch Heinrich's bag containing secret documents while on a streetcar. Noted by William Flynn Sanders. The inside story of how my grandfather actually planned and executed getting the German doctor's briefcase is way more exciting than the bland version the news reported. Mr. Richard Butler writes in his book Doc Walloper, The Story of Big Dick Butler, Chief Flynn told me the inside story about those valuable papers that Dr. Albert lost on the 6th Street elevated train. The press said at the time that Albert had absentmindedly left them on his seat. What really happened was that as Dr. Albert was about to get off the train, secret service agents tripped him and swiped his briefcase containing the papers. The conductor of the train was in on the scheme and Dr. Albert was pushed off the train and the door slammed in his face before he knew what it was all about. That train went on with his paper and Washington thus learned what he had been doing on the sly in this country. The documents uncovered an extensive network of German spies and discovered a money trail of $27 million. The money was used to stir up union workers and cause dock strikes. They also provided funds for bombings around the United States, especially at munition plants and shipyards. New York State was a central hub for American munitions. 75% of all munitions shipped to England and Europe during this time were shipped from New York harbors. Mostly Lower Manhattan. It was a primary target of German spies. One place in Lower Manhattan was a small island known as Black Tom. It would become the first known bombing by German spies. But because there was no direct evidence at that time, America would continue to stay neutral. The bombings on Black Tom occurred with two bombs that happened 30 minutes apart, killing five people, including a baby, and causing significant damage. The damage was estimated to be around $20 million or half a billion dollars in today's money. These bombings occurred long before America declared war on Germany. The sinking of the British passenger ship RMS Lusitania, with the loss of 124 Americans on board by a German U-boat in 1915, pushed the United States into a war stance. America finally declared war on Germany in April 1917. The German spy network was widespread, everyone suspected every German to be a saboteur. German immigrants made up a large population in the United States. In New York City alone, a German newspaper sold 75,000 copies daily. Officials were worried that bridges, railroads, and even skyscrapers would become targets. The nation was in fear when William J. Flynn became director of the Bureau of Investigation. William Flynn did not hold back on his views regarding the threat Germans posed to American society, and his public comments raised anger against Germans in general. German Americans started seeing a backlash from American citizens by attacks on their stores and shops. Flynn was labeled a scaremonger by other officials. Noted by William Flynn Sanders. But history proved his right to be worried about Germany's intentions years later. His superiors with political motives finally blindsided him by saying that he must retire or work for their hand-picked replacement. However, not only was he given no warning of this, but when a close friend warned him of the political plot to remove him, he did not believe it was possible due to all the good he had accomplished and the fact he was never given any sort of clue it was coming. Not only did they remove him for no good reason then, but they also cheated him out of his retirement. He got nothing for all the service he rendered, and his men and acquaintances were both stunned and furious. So furious, all loyal to him had to be let go as well to accomplish their ends. Later, it was evident to them they had made a terrible mistake. On September 27, 1921, 54-year-old Flynn, who would never work for Burns, resigned from the Bureau of Investigation. Flynn lived in a completely different era than we do today. People thought differently then, so we cannot judge their tactics as we can today. According to Brent Roberts in his Steady Hammer, Origins of Counterterrorism, Flynn practiced a form of coercion and domination when interrogating suspects. A practice that continues in counterintelligence communities to this day. His toughness was hard for a few to handle. Flynn also believed no amount of prison time would change a criminal's character. They were criminals because of their mindset. He was always harsh on criminals and felt they desired whatever punishment they received. Flynn was never bitter toward anyone after his resignation and was always a big supporter of the Bureau of Investigation. His work in both the Secret Service and the Bureau of Investigation contributed significantly to the federalization of the Bureau Counterterrorism Force, from which we have benefited today. Noted by William Flynn Sanders What few realize is the mistake of removing him from office did not fall on deaf ears of others in power. My mother informed me and showed me that just before his death, he was once again offered the position of Director of the Bureau due to his successor's quick involvement in numerous scandals. He was preparing to accept this at the time of his unexpected death. She had the letter I saw and read. Had he once again taken the position of Director, perhaps many more would have learned about him before now, and the J. Edgar Hoover Building would be the William J. Flynn Building. Chapter 14 Who was William J. Burns? To write about William J. Flynn, one must also write something about William J. Burns. Why? Many people during that era compared the two men as being similar. Both men shared the name William J., one for James and the other for John, and had a similar appearance. Both were sons of Irish immigrants. Both had a Teddy Roosevelt-style mustache. They were so confused in appearance that even today, you will see pictures of William J. Flynn mistakenly pictured as Burns and vice versa. Although both men served as Director of the Bureau of Investigation, a significant difference was that William J. Flynn had a much more extensive background in law enforcement and investigation before being appointed Director. After Flynn resigned, William J. Burns served as Director of the Bureau of Investigation. He served as Director from August 22, 1921 to May 10, 1924. Before being picked for the Director position, Burns ran a private detective service known as Burns National Detective Agency. He was a good friend of President Warren Harding, which was why he was recommended for the position, strictly political favoritism, unlike Flynn, who had the actual experience. Burns was also a good friend of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the Sherlock Holmes mystery series. It was because of his acquaintance with Sir Conan Doyle that he was referred to as America's Sherlock Holmes, a title that was actually bestowed on him by Sir Conan Doyle himself. Again, nepotism and political favoritism won William J. Burns the title he did not deserve. William J. Flynn had a much more extensive law enforcement background than Burns. During his operative years in the Secret Service, Flynn did more hands-on work doing serious investigations. Because of this, I have titled William J. Flynn as America's true Sherlock Holmes, as did many during his era. Not long after taking office as Director of the Bureau of Investigation, Burns became heavily embroiled in a number of scandals. These scandals tied up much of his time during his B.O.I. days. One of the major scandals was his abuse of office as Director. A few of President Warren Harding's cabinet members were personally profiting by leasing government lands to private oil companies, which became known as the Teapot Dome scandal. The scandal covered the period of 1921 to 1923, most of William Burns's time as Director. The name of the scandal came from the leased land called Teapot Dome, Wyoming, but it also involved Elk Hills, California. Since Burns got his position as Director by the endorsement of President Harding, he took it upon himself, and at the request of the Attorney General, Harry Dougherty, to use his agents to dig up dirt on Senators Thomas Walsh and Burton Wheeler of Montana, who were looking into the scandal. Because his position as Director was a political payoff, he felt his duty was to protect his friend, President Warren Harding. His agents attempted to dig up dirt on the Senators to pressure them from further Congressional investigation. Also, when Congress subpoenaed all of Burns's records regarding the Department of Justice, he refused. This in itself became known as the Dougherty-Burns scandal. Burns' DOI agents also had targeted newspapers who were doing stories on the scandal, trying to intimidate them from running it. When his part in the cover-up and his illegal use of agents came to light, he was forced to resign from the office. The Congressional investigation eventually uncovered that one of Harding's Cabinet members, Secretary of Interior Albert Baconfall, took $400,000 in bribes to endorse the land-lease agreement. He would be the first Cabinet member to receive prison time for his crime. President Harding would die in office, never being linked to the scandal. The Bureau of Investigation's abuse of power could be said to have started with William J. Burns. This abuse would continue with J. Edgar Hoover in his days as Director of the Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Some say the abuse continues even today. But this was not the only disgrace to befall William J. Burns. In 1927, with further investigation into the Teapot Dome scandal, Harry Sinclair, founder of Sinclair Oil, was put on trial for conspiracy to defraud the United States government for his part in the leasing agreement of naval oil reserves to private companies during the 1921 to 1923 scandal. William Burns secretly assigned 14 of his private investigators from his Burns Detective Agency to investigate the jurors appointed for the Sinclair trial. Burns had learned nothing from his mistake during his years as Director of the BOI or from the Dorothy Burns scandal. He was repeating his same old corrupt behavior. Government investigators discovered Burns agents and their misdeeds. Sinclair was eventually convicted of corruption and given a six-month sentence in jail. William J. Burns got a much lighter sentence of 15 days in jail, and William J. Burns' son, William Sherman Burns, was required to pay a $1,000 fine for his part. William J. Burns was definitely not America's Sherlock Holmes, but a corrupt individual who used his private detective business and his time as a government official for unethical behavior. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle lived until 1930 and saw all this happening. I can only imagine he regretted ever bestowing that title on William J. Burns. Because I brought all this to light in this book, I honorarily move the title, America's Sherlock Holmes, to William J. Flynn, a man who rightfully deserves the title. He was a hardworking, honest detective who would not allow politics or favoritism to influence him. Chapter 15. Who was Charles Joseph Bonaparte? Charles Joseph Bonaparte was born in 1851. His grandfather, Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte, was the youngest brother to the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte's first wife, Elizabeth Patterson, was an American born in Baltimore, Maryland. He was married to her from 1803 till 1805 before the marriage was annulled. The marriage was annulled by the order of his brother Napoleon. But before the marriage was dissolved, they had a child together, Jerome Beau Napoleon Bonaparte, in 1805 while in London. Elizabeth had to return to Baltimore, Maryland, with her son, and her ex-husband was forced to marry an actual princess. Their son, Beau, eventually married an American, Susan May Williams. Their son, Charles Joseph Bonaparte, was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1851. If Emperor Napoleon had allowed the marriage to stand and Elizabeth had never returned to America, we probably would not have the Federal Bureau of Investigation as we know it today. But as luck would have it, Charles Bonaparte, our 46th U.S. Attorney General, started the Bureau of Investigation. Charles was an acquaintance of William J. Flynn because he worked closely with the Secret Service between 1906 and 1909 during his time as the U.S. Attorney General. Although many years had passed and he was in retirement by the time Attorney General Palmer asked William J. Flynn to take the seat as head of the Bureau in 1919, he remembered William Flynn. When Attorney General Palmer was looking for a new leader for the agency, Flynn was highly regarded by many leading officials, including Charles Bonaparte. Unfortunately, Charles Joseph Bonaparte passed away several years later on June 28, 1921. William J. Flynn resigned as Director of the Bureau of Investigations on August 22, 1921, just nine weeks after his old friend died. Flynn was under pressure from many in the government because of his hard stance against Germans. He saw no reason to fight for the position anymore. Chapter 16 Flynn's B.O.I. Years Hiring J. Edgar Hoover It was William J. Flynn who hired J. Edgar Hoover soon after taking over the reign of the Bureau of Investigation. Hoover, at first, was his file clerk but had zero field experience. Noted by William Flynn Sanders Flynn was appointed to the position of director because of terrorism and anarchy in America and his actual field experience in dealing with criminals and solving cases. In the early period of 1919, a coordinated campaign of terror began across the eastern United States, covering areas stretching from Boston, Massachusetts, to Cleveland, Ohio. The target of the terror was the U.S. Attorney General Mitchell Palmer, three judges, a state representative, a mayor, immigration officials, and Catholic priests. Explosives equal to 20 pounds of dynamite. Dynamite was much more powerful than black powder and much easier to handle. Terrorists could place the bombs quickly by putting them into packages. Twenty pounds would equal up to ten sticks of dynamite, which would produce a massive explosion. The explosions destroyed stores and home fronts and scattered debris in all directions. Chapter 10, the Bureau of Investigation Years, covers most of this. Attorney General Palmer hired William J. Flynn because of these waves of attacks. Flynn wasted no time convening a conference of law enforcement officials in the federal and local government. He immediately assigned agents to follow up on every lead he received. To do this, he had to hire more agents. One of the young men he bought into the agency was J. Edgar Hoover. At the time, Hoover served as a lawyer for the Justice Department. He appointed Hoover to head up a new division he created to seek out intelligence. The new division was known as the General Intelligence Division. Many would refer to it as the Radical Division because of the radical tactic that the Bureau had adopted in seeking intelligence information. Hoover learned a lot quickly in investigation and intelligence techniques. Hoover was also appointed to head up the raids against the anarchists, later known as the Palmer Raids. As the Bureau got closer to the terrorist network and arrests were made, the group lost its ability to cause terror by surprise, and it started to fall apart, and many deserted the terror network. After William J. Flynn resigned in 1921, William J. Burns took over and served as director from August 22, 1921, to May 10, 1924. Director Burns left the office after serving two years and nine months, and J. Edgar Hoover was appointed as the new director. J. Edgar Hoover was much more political than the previous directors and had many political friends. He would go on to serve as director of the Bureau of Investigation from May 10, 1924, to June 30, 1935, 11 years and 51 days. Then, the Bureau's name changed to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He would serve as director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation from July 1, 1935, till May 2, 1972, 36 years and 306 days, the day he died. Serving almost 48 years, J. Edgar Hoover was credited with forming the FBI into what it is today. Noted by William Flynn Sanders. However, in fact, this is entirely false and is nothing but a play on words. Please see the photo in the written version of this audiobook, representative of all the prominent newspapers who printed this when the reorganized BOI was formed under Flynn as the first director. U.S. Detective Force will lead the world, William J. Flynn to direct the largest force of detectives in the world. Noted by William Flynn Sanders. Here we see the actual birth of what is now called the FBI, a massive law enforcement arm of the United States Justice Department. All Hoover did was simply put the word federal in front of an organization that had always been a federal agency anyway, but this made it appear to be a new agency to the uninformed, and with this twist, he stole the title of the actual first director from Flynn. J. Edgar Hoover will always be known for his abuse of power and unethical tactics, some of which still exist within the department today. It was learned later that his abuse extended to blackmailing high government officials and private executives. Chapter 17. Private Detective in Writing Years. After being forced to retire from the Bureau, Flynn founded a New York detective agency headquartered in New York City at 1457 Broadway, where all the action was. He also opened a satellite office in Boston. The agency was able to generate a small income for Flynn, but he was also spending more time writing and doing other things while letting his children manage the agency. Flynn loved to write and would dedicate most of his time doing so. He spent his time writing more books, articles, and scripts for Hollywood. A few of his writings ended up in such newspapers as the Washington Post, the New York Herald, and many others nationwide. Flynn was well known for being the director of the Secret Service and the Bureau of Investigation. Supposedly, he served wealthy clients in his detective agency. Many of the detectives he had working for his agency were ex-Secret Service men. Who wouldn't want to hire Flynn Detective Agency for their service? His agency got a lot of advertisements in local and major papers. In 1922, Flynn produced a radio show about various criminal activities and how to deal with them. One such show aired was Czech Forgers by William J. Flynn, teaching listeners how to protect themselves against forgers. He also started writing stories for Argosy magazine. The magazine began in 1882 and shut down in 1978, a long run for any magazine. It was America's very first pulp magazine and drew an audience nationwide. All Story Weekly was another magazine that merged with Argosy in 1920 and called itself Argosy, All Story Weekly. The magazine wrote adventure stories and many authors contributed, such as Edgar Rice Burroughs, Johnston McCulley, C.S. Forrester, and many more. Much of William Flynn's stories were based on his years in law enforcement and the many things he experienced personally. But then there are some questions about fact or fiction in his writing. Like most authors, he wanted to make the story exciting and sellable. Americans were fascinated with crime and mysteries during the early 1900s, and this is one reason people like Flynn were in big demand when it came to their writing, fact or fiction. This was the era of crime fiction, and Americans loved it. Also, in Argosy, All Story Weekly, he wrote The Adventures of Peabody Smith. Peabody was also a past agent for the Secret Service, and Flynn liked the name, creating crime fiction centered around this character. Between October 4th and November 8th of 1922, Flynn published My Life in the Secret Service in the Red Star News. It was published in four episodes covering his time in the Secret Service. Also, Time magazine published many stories by Flynn. Not only was he receiving a steady income from his detective agency, but also from his writing and his work in Hollywood. When he wasn't writing, he was enjoying his time gardening at his home. A man who worked hard and took very little time off work was now slowing down and enjoying his life. But the stress from his detective business caused him a lot of headaches. In addition, his daughter, Veronica, and son, Elmer, were heavy drinkers. A shared account says the detective agency business began to have problems and financial issues because Veronica and Elmer did not know how to run a business and because of their heavy drinking. In addition, many of Flynn's clients started seeking business elsewhere because they could not handle the unprofessional behavior of Flynn's two children running the detective agency. The growing failure of his detective agency was hard on Flynn. He put on more weight during this time and started smoking more cigars. He was about 355 pounds at the time of his death. But in his last years he continued to write books about his adventures in the Secret Service and the Bureau of Investigation and produced scripts for Hollywood. He also received some income as an advisor to Hollywood directors and producers. Flynn was enjoying the attention he was getting from celebrities in Hollywood. He became so close to Hollywood's top people that he even became a scenario writer for the motion picture industry. One of the Hollywood elites Flynn befriended was King Bagot, one of Hollywood's most prominent actors and directors of that time. He was known as the King of the Movies. Bagot's father also came from Ireland, which drew the two men together. King Bagot had been commissioned to write the storyline for The Perils of Pauline, in which he quickly sought help from William Flynn in writing. King Bagot also took a story written by Flynn years earlier called The Eagle's Eye and made a production out of it, starring himself as the leading actor. Later, they published more about it in a magazine called The Eagle's Eye, True Story of the Imperial German Government's Spies and Intrigues in America. The Eagle's Eye would run in almost all major theatres across the country. Americans were engrossed in spy mysteries and detective work. Small newsreel stories about William J. Flynn and his earlier exploits as Chief of the Secret Service and Director of the Bureau of Investigations appeared at local theatres. These short reels ran in a series of different stories. One such newsreel was named The Mighty Hand of Chief William Flynn. Flynn had become much more of a celebrity in his later years than his previous years, thanks to the rise in theatres and radio nationwide in the 1910s and 1920s. William J. Flynn had positioned himself as an American hero fighting the bad guys and saving democracy during the era where we saw a rise in the Italian Mafia, German spies and espionage, and the beginning of the Red Wave, known as Communism. Silent movies, newsreels, and radios promoted him to celebrity status. He was as well-known to the average American as Brad Pitt is today. In 1924, William Flynn agreed to edit a new detective magazine that Frank Amunsi was publishing. Both agreed to call it Flynn's Weekly Detective Fiction. He edited this magazine from 1924 till 1928 when he died. This magazine became the longest-running detective magazine in the country. After his death, the name was changed to Detective Fiction Weekly, dropping the name Flynn. Over a 28-year period, 929 issues were published. Finally, in July 1942, the magazine changed its name back to Flynn's Detective and focused on true crimes nationwide. After only six more issues, Frank Amunsi sold the magazine, and the name again changed to Flynn's Detective Fiction, like the original. The magazine eventually merged with Dime Detective Magazine. The original early Flynn magazines can sell for $100 or more per issue today. Flynn also did many radio shows educating his audience and followers on methods of dealing with criminals. Radio broadcasting began in the early 1920s, and William J. Flynn was among the first to take advantage of it. The purchase of radios in homes around America was booming, and most Americans would gather in front of the radio, whether at home, at a neighbor's house, or in stores, to listen. The so-called Golden Age of radio lasted from the early 1920s through the 1950s. People were listening from coast to coast. This produced a tremendous boost in Flynn's popularity. He was one of the first to recognize the value of radio, which led him to promote and produce many radio shows around the United States in the early stages of radio. Many law enforcement agencies also called on Flynn nationwide to solve crimes they could not. Chapter 18 Death Because Flynn put on more weight during his semi-retirement years and smoked more heavily and cigars, he began to have heart-related issues. Finally, two weeks before passing, he had a major heart attack. Flynn died at midnight, at the age of 60, of heart disease on November 18, 1928, in Larchmont, New York, just 18 miles northeast of Manhattan, New York, where he was born. Larchmont is considered the 15th wealthiest place in the United States to live and the third wealthiest place in the state of New York. His youngest child, Jane Flynn, was only 20 at the time of her father's death. Being Irish Catholic, he had funeral services, with high mass, at the newly constructed Gothic-style Church of St. Augustine's. He is buried in a family plot in Valhalla, Westchester County, New York, at Kensico Cemetery, then called Gate of Heaven Cemetery. Other notable people buried there are Florence Ziegfeld, founder of the Ziegfeld Follies, and Bancroft, American actress, Danny Kaye, actor and comedian, Robert De Niro, Sr., father of actor Robert De Niro, Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor and writer, and the list goes on. Flynn's obituary said he had played professional baseball. Earlier in this biography, Flynn remarked he played semi-professional baseball during an interview with the New York Times. We will never know if the remark professional came from a family member who misunderstood Flynn's history or a misunderstanding by the paper printing the obituary. Noted by William Flynn Sanders But we can find the truth if we read his own words, again from his writing in Flynn's issued weekly, where he made it clear. He wrote, I became a pretty good semi-professional first baseman and pitcher, but I was never good enough to make the big league managers barter for my services. Another obituary remarked, in 20 years with the Secret Service. There developed a mighty legend around William J. Flynn. His activities against counterfeiters, smugglers, diplomatic enemies, bombers, and wartime food hoarders brought a halo around his name and the word Secret Service. The New York Times wrote, Mr. Flynn was a quiet, unassuming man, of large build, was slow-spoken and claimed no superhuman qualities for himself as a detector of criminals. He succeeded by his persistence, knowledge of human nature and of criminal nature in particular, and his coolness and bravery at critical moments. He won the devotion of all his men. Author Mike Dash, who wrote extensively about Flynn, interviewed some family members for his 2009 book, The First Family, Terror, Extortion, and the Birth of the American Mafia. They told Mike that after William Flynn's death, the family took over the agency and admitted that family issues and bickering caused Flynn a lot of stress. Having a history of heart disease was probably one of the reasons for his early demise. Chapter 19 Popular Culture Not much has been written about William J. Flynn after his passing, but in recent years, his legacy has been seeing a revival. In 2012, a movie, No God, No Master, was released, covering a minor episode in his life in the Bureau of Investigation. The movie has him working the beat as an agent and not as director of the Bureau of Investigation. By then, he directed his agents, who did the leg work under him. William James Flynn was a large, very robust man. Not thin, as portrayed by the actor David Strathairn. The movie tried to cover a significant historical period quickly, and the film sometimes became confusing. The movie also shows Flynn living alone in a boarding house with a mistress, all completely fabricated. His wife was living with him at the time in their nice home. They were never separated, and she did not die until nine years after him. It was a fascinating movie but did very little to promote the real life of William James Flynn. A Welsh writer, Mike Dash, talks about William Flynn in his book, The First Family, Terror, Extortion, and the Birth of the American Mafia, released by Simon & Schuster in 2009. Brent Sidney Roberts wrote a paper called, Steady Hammer, Origins of American Counterterrorism and the Dime Novel World of William J. Flynn, which was printed by the Montana State University and published in April 2020. It is one of the most extensive writings about William J. Flynn. It is 424 pages long with references. A new book was released in January of 2024 by Jeffrey D. Simon, The Bulldog Detective, William Flynn and America's First War Against the Mafia, Spies, and Terrorists. Conclusion Sir Conan Doyle's fictitious detective, Sherlock Holmes, used deduction, observation, logical reasoning, and forensic science of his day to solve cases. All these could be seen in William J. Flynn. He was able to solve cases most detectives or police officers could not. Flynn was determined to see a case until the end, no matter how long it took. This was seen in his determination to bring gang members to justice, such as building evidence against Giuseppe Morello and Vincenzo Lupo over many years, his diligence in bringing counterfeiters to justice and capturing anarchists. If William J. Flynn's declining health and early death at 60 had not occurred, we probably would not have heard of J. Edgar Hoover, and the FBI building in Washington would have been named the William J. Flynn Building. Flynn had received a letter asking him if he was interested in retaking the directorship of the BOI. But he was unable. This book only covers a small section of the crimes that Flynn worked on. He was not always successful, but his record of solving a crime was much higher than most. He moved quickly up in rank throughout his career because of his successes. Because of his skills, he was recommended by men like Teddy Roosevelt, Joseph Bonaparte, Franklin Roosevelt, and many more. Attorney General Palmer said, Flynn is the leading, organizing anarchist chaser, the greatest anarchist expert in the United States. This does not happen if you're not recognized for your skills and successful outcomes. Letty Francisco listed him in her top five world's best real and famous detectives you should know. I hope this book successfully got you, the reader, to know who William J. Flynn was. And let us never forget those who came before us. William Flynn Sanders' final words to readers of this book. Everything I have provided in this book is not just from research, speculation, or guessing. I own the photo of the real men of America and the incorporation docs. The other stories I have given here on, for instance, providing the name of Man of War, the watchhorse Wolfwatch Bob given to my grandfather personally from the owner of Man of War in gratitude along with his prized engraved pocket watch my mother passed to me, and his personal magnifying glass he used to investigate his cases just as the character Sherlock Holmes did, are in my possession and have been since my mother gave them to me. The letter to my grandfather from Washington, D.C., asking him if he would like his old director's position back at the then B.O.I. that only his declining health and death prevented him from taking, again are not speculation as others have tried to portray or discount. These were facts the entire family was well aware of, and we all discussed and knew, and they were exactly what my grandfather personally passed on and told to his children. It seemed my mother, the oldest living of his children, had become the major keeper of the artifacts and documents she had collected over the years and had great pride and knowledge about them. It turned into her only hobby. That letter was put in my hands to read, and a copy of it was also written about and in the possession of his son, my uncle Bill Flynn, who became a captain in the Merchant Marines and also openly spoke of it. Besides my mother, I was closest to my uncle Bill, who even sent me horn-toed lizard pets as a kid from his home in the Southwest then. The director's job is not a dictatorship, the director can be hired and fired by the A.G., the president, etc., as desired. It would appear as soon as my grandfather was forced out, politically, that his successor was the start of corruption unlike anything ever seen when my grandfather held that position. With Hoover, it only got worse, hence, he was requested to return as the B.O.I. director as a sound way to remove Hoover with a man of his reputation and honor as incorruptible, but declining health and his ultimate death prevented it. There is no guessing on the existence of that letter or what it said the entire family acknowledged, held, saw, and read, as well as myself, and that my mother and uncle Bill had copies of. On the removal of my grandfather from the B.O.I. for purely political reasons, Robert Butler also writes in his book, a few months after Harry Dougherty became the attorney general under President Harding, he gave a letter to William J. Burns, who handed it to Flynn. I saw the letter, and it read like this. On and after this date, Mr. Burns will assume the entire charge of the office. Take your orders from him. This blindsided my grandfather, and of course, he refused and resigned. This also illustrates how fast any director can get the heave ho and what they were going to do to Hoover just as quickly had my grandfather been well enough to get his job back after the other's term had been ridden with scandals, crime, and unpopularity, much as you still see today, sadly. In my opinion, until and unless it is totally cleaned up and returned to a place of dignity and honor as it was in my grandfather's hands, it will sadly remain tarnished, and now it is even worse. I have hopes things can be restored and strongly suggest the old FBI building, unjustly named the J. Edgar Hoover Building, be moved out of the D.C. swamp and a brand new, clean, fresh building be built and rightly named the William J. Flynn Building, being the actual first director and uncorrupt protector of the U.S.A. The things we do outlast our mortality. The things we do are like monuments that people build to honor heroes after they've died. They're like the pyramids that the Egyptians built to honor the pharaohs. Only, instead of being made of stone, they're made out of the memories people have of you. R.J. Palacio
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