Page:The web (1919).djvu/374

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at the girl's address, with the idea that she would give forwarding directions to the messenger who delivered the letter. The result was better than expected. When the messenger arrived at the house, he saw a man just about to leave on a motor-cycle, and thinking that this might be the man, he hailed him and presented the letter. The suspect signed for the letter and was at once arrested and turned over to the Department of Justice.

Syracuse, New York, had a man at the head of its division who, before he came an A. P. L. chief, had made four hundred investigations, and since that time has directed one hundred and fifty more. A very close liaison was maintained with the Department of Justice and the local police department.

Just as valuable as though it recorded some great crime is the report from Hudson Falls, New York: "Our community is made up of loyal, patriotic citizens, who responded to each and every call to duty. We have been active in local, state and national matters throughout the war."


PENNSYLVANIA

It is hard to tell what is going to become of all the military fakes and pseudo-heroes now that the war is over. Take, for instance, the case of one Captain Robert H——, ostensibly in the United States Navy, who fancied Philadelphia as his residence. This worthy captain was also known by other names. Sometimes he wore a uniform of an ordinary seaman with overseas service wound stripes, although he never saw service abroad. He wrote to his wife that he had been wounded and told her to hang out a service flag with a silver star, which she dutifully did. The star had not hurt Captain H——, so why not put it in the window? This gentleman spoke of a great many flag-raisings and elaborated on the seventy-two days he had spent in the trenches. He told all about German atrocities, and quite often took up collections for sick and wounded soldiers and sailors in the name of this or that hospital. There never yet has been found a hospital to which he has turned over a dollar. Naturally a good organizer, this young officer invented a good Navy of his own, the "Naval Home Defense," and at one