biography
| name: |
Burns, William J(ohn)
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| sex:
| male
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| lived:
| (1861–1932)
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| biography:
| Detective, born in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. As affable as he was determined, he joined the Secret Service (1889–1903), where he gained national attention handling investigations such as the Monroehead silver $100 certificate case, which became part of American lore. Working for the Interior Department, he uncovered the Oregon, Washington, and California land fraud cases (1903). After establishing the William J Burns Detective Agency in New York City (1909), he secured worldwide recognition with the apprehension of the labour union dynamiters (1911). |
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