William John Burns was an American private investigator and law enforcement official. He earned fame for having conducted private investigations into a number of notable incidents, such as clearing Leo Frank of the 1913 murder of Mary Phagan. He also investigated the deadly 1910 Los Angeles Times bombing conducted by members of the International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers.
About William J. Burns in brief
William John Burns was an American private investigator and law enforcement official. He earned fame for having conducted private investigations into a number of notable incidents, such as clearing Leo Frank of the 1913 murder of Mary Phagan. He also investigated the deadly 1910 Los Angeles Times bombing conducted by members of the International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers. From August 22, 1921 to May 10, 1924, Burns served as the director of the Bureau of Investigation. Burns was forced to resign in 1924 at the request of Attorney General Harlan Fiske Stone. J. Edgar Hoover took over the position on a provisional basis. Burns married Annie M. Ressler in 1880.
The couple had six children. Burns’ sons, Raymond J. and William Sherman also worked as detectives for the William J. Burns National Detective Agency. He continued to run the Burns Detective Agency throughout his tenure as Director of the BOI. Under Burns, the Bureau shrank from its 1920 high of 1,127 personnel to 600 employees in 1923. Burns also became indirectly involved in the Teapot Dome Scandal, involving the secret leasing of naval oil lands to private companies. In November 1927, Harry F. Sinclair went on trial in federal court for defrauding the US in federal oil reserve. Burns secretly hired a squad of 14 men from the executive squad of Henry Mason Day to secretly follow jurors in the case.
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