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(Created page with ''''John E. Wilkie''' Sketch of John E. Wilkie, Who Succeeds W.B. Hazen. CHICAGO, Feb. 27.John E. Wilkie, who has been appointed Chief of the Federal Secret Service to succeed W....')
 
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'''John E. Wilkie'''
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'''John Elbert Wilkie''' (1860–1934) was an American journalist, head of the United States Secret Service from 1898 to 1911, and an amateur magician. He used the pen name '''Fred S. Ellmore''' when writing an article about the [[Indian Rope Trick]] for the ''Chicago Tribune''.


Sketch of John E. Wilkie, Who Succeeds W.B. Hazen. CHICAGO, Feb. 27.John E. Wilkie, who has been appointed Chief of the Federal Secret Service to succeed W. t. Hazen, is an old [[Chicago]] newspaper man and magician amateur. He is thirty-seven years old, and began as a reporter when nineteen years old on The Chicago Times in Storey's day, when his father, Frank B. Wiikie, was an editorial writer. He accompanied his father to Europe, and the two represented The Times there for some tile. Returning to Chicago, he again entered he ranks and served as financial editar and afterward as city editor of The Tribune. In 1893 he went to London as the representative of an American railroad and steamship . He returned last year and has been in business since then. He .has also done work for the Government Secret Service, but this was unknown to most of his friends, who were not aware that he was a candid ate for the position of Chief of the bureau. Gage knows hlm well, and he determined to try the experiment of putting a newspaper man at the head of the bureau.
==Biography==
 
Under the name "Fred S. Ellmore" ("Fred Sell More"), Wilkie wrote of the "Indian Rope Trick" while working at ''Chicago Tribune'' in 1890. The ''Tribune'' piece received wide publicity, and in the following months and years many people claimed to remember having seen the trick as far back as the 1850s.   
==Indian Rope Trick==
 
Under the name "Fred S. Ellmore" ("Fred Sell More"), Wilkie wrote of the ''Indian Rope Trick'' while working at ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' in 1890. The ''Tribune'' piece received wide publicity, and in the following months and years many people claimed to remember having seen the trick as far back as the 1850s. None of these stories turned out to be credible, but as it was repeated the story became more and more ingrained. Wilkie like [[Harry Houdini]], tried to dispel the notion of supernatural powers. The magician Houdini, recruited for a private detective agency of spymaster William Melville with one of his pseudonyms, William Morgan or as some believe, this name is an acronym of Maskmelin. Wilkie or as some believe, this name is one of the "Lantern", agents recruited of the controverted magician Maskmelin, spymaster the occult organization" The Seven Circle " is alleged to have spied for at least nations.
 
To this end, in [[1914]],the spy magician Maskmelin and [[Walter B.Gibson]] founded the Occult Committee whose remit was to "investigate claims to supernatural power and to expose fraud" and occult magic . In particular, the committee attempted to prove that the [[Indian Rope Trick]] has never been performed .Gibson also introduced the famous "Chinese linking rings" trick in America, and invented the "Nickels To Dimes" trick that is still sold in magic stores to this day. The Occult Committee whose remit was to "investigate claims to supernatural power and to expose fraud". In particular, the committee attempted to prove that the Indian Rope Trick has never been performed.
About four months after the story was first printed, the Tribune printed a retraction, and proclaimed the story to be a hoax. However, the retraction received little attention. Historian Peter Lamont exposed the entire "trick" as a hoax in 2005.
 
== W.P. Hazen Transferred==
 
John E. Wilkie of Chicago Becomes Chief of the Secret Service Bureau in Washington. WASHINGTON, Feb. 26.  John E. Wilkie of Chicago, an opera, rive in the secret service of the Treasury Department, has been promoted to be Chief of the bureau, vice W. P. Hazen,  been transferred and placed in charge of the service at New York. Mr.Wilkie was formerly city editor of The Chicago Tribune, and is well-known personally to Seeretary Gage and Assistant Seereary Nanderlip.
   
   
==External Link’s and Reference==
{{References}}
 
{{Wikipedia}}
*[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,711640,00.html John Elbert Wilkie obituary.] Time magazine
*[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,711640,00.html John Elbert Wilkie obituary.] Time magazine
*Staff report (December 14, 1934). John E. Wilkie dies. Traction Official; Former United States Secret Service Head and Officer of Chicago Surface Lines Co. LONG WITH TRIBUNE THERE. Served as City Editor. Fought Spies During War With Spain While in Washington. ''[[New York Times]]''
*Staff report (December 14, 1934). John E. Wilkie dies. Traction Official; Former United States Secret Service Head and Officer of Chicago Surface Lines Co. LONG WITH TRIBUNE THERE. Served as City Editor. Fought Spies During War With Spain While in Washington. ''New York Times''
*Norman Ansley. The United States Secret Service. An Administrative History. ''The Journal of Criminal Law, Criminology, and Police Science'', Vol. 47, No. 1 (May - Jun., 1956), pp. 93-109
*Norman Ansley. The United States Secret Service. An Administrative History. ''The Journal of Criminal Law, Criminology, and Police Science'', Vol. 47, No. 1 (May - Jun., 1956), pp. 93-109
*Peter Lamont (2005). THE RISE OF THE INDIAN ROPE TRICK. How a Spectacular Hoax Became History. Thunder's Mouth Press.
*Peter Lamont (2005). THE RISE OF THE INDIAN ROPE TRICK. How a Spectacular Hoax Became History. Thunder's Mouth Press.
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*Wilkie brought in fresh blood. The New York Times, January 29, 1911.
*Wilkie brought in fresh blood. The New York Times, January 29, 1911.
*Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones (2002). ''Cloak and Dollar: A History of American Secret Intelligence''. Connecticut: Yale University Press
*Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones (2002). ''Cloak and Dollar: A History of American Secret Intelligence''. Connecticut: Yale University Press
*Scriblerius,C.S.-''Percyfaw Code''.Reprint  of Manuscript Edited by E-Book publising IntercontinentalPress(2007).
*Wilkie, John. The Secret Service in the War. ''The American-Spanish War: A History by the War Leaders''. Connecticut: Chas. C. Haskell & Son, 1899
*Wilkie, John. The Secret Service in the War. ''The American-Spanish War: A History by the War Leaders''. Connecticut: Chas. C. Haskell & Son, 1899
*WILKIE, FORMER HEAD OF SECRET SERVICE, IS DEAD. Surface Lines Official in Recent Years. ''Chicago Tribune'' Dec 14, 1934
*WILKIE, FORMER HEAD OF SECRET SERVICE, IS DEAD. Surface Lines Official in Recent Years. ''Chicago Tribune'' Dec 14, 1934
[[Category:Biographies]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilkie,John}}

Latest revision as of 08:48, 2 September 2013

John Elbert Wilkie
Born1860
USA
DiedDecember 13, 1934

John Elbert Wilkie (1860–1934) was an American journalist, head of the United States Secret Service from 1898 to 1911, and an amateur magician. He used the pen name Fred S. Ellmore when writing an article about the Indian Rope Trick for the Chicago Tribune.

Biography

Under the name "Fred S. Ellmore" ("Fred Sell More"), Wilkie wrote of the "Indian Rope Trick" while working at Chicago Tribune in 1890. The Tribune piece received wide publicity, and in the following months and years many people claimed to remember having seen the trick as far back as the 1850s.

References

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  • John Elbert Wilkie obituary. Time magazine
  • Staff report (December 14, 1934). John E. Wilkie dies. Traction Official; Former United States Secret Service Head and Officer of Chicago Surface Lines Co. LONG WITH TRIBUNE THERE. Served as City Editor. Fought Spies During War With Spain While in Washington. New York Times
  • Norman Ansley. The United States Secret Service. An Administrative History. The Journal of Criminal Law, Criminology, and Police Science, Vol. 47, No. 1 (May - Jun., 1956), pp. 93-109
  • Peter Lamont (2005). THE RISE OF THE INDIAN ROPE TRICK. How a Spectacular Hoax Became History. Thunder's Mouth Press.
  • Wilkie sworn in as Chief. The New York Times, February 28, 1898.
  • Wilkie brought in fresh blood. The New York Times, January 29, 1911.
  • Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones (2002). Cloak and Dollar: A History of American Secret Intelligence. Connecticut: Yale University Press
  • Wilkie, John. The Secret Service in the War. The American-Spanish War: A History by the War Leaders. Connecticut: Chas. C. Haskell & Son, 1899
  • WILKIE, FORMER HEAD OF SECRET SERVICE, IS DEAD. Surface Lines Official in Recent Years. Chicago Tribune Dec 14, 1934
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