The FBI Story Page #3

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...because the bureau

was a haphazard outfit.

Nobody knew exactly how

it got started or where it was going.

As a matter of fact,

it wasn't really a bureau...

...it was sort of an afterthought.

Now, here is the original building

in Washington.

We occupied one small floor

of that building.

It was out-of-date, disorganized.

Didn't even have enough space

to keep decent records.

Actually, that was sort of

the main incentive...

...for catching a criminal in those days:

Arrest him before his file gets too thick.

And on top of that,

there was a lot of politics.

It was that way too

in some of the field offices.

Knoxville, for instance.

I know because I was there.

It was early May in 1924.

There were some good men, all right,

but there was politics and laziness too.

And nothing ever seemed to be

planned or worked out.

I've seen pillow fights

that were better organized.

No, no, no. Push it harder. Push it.

It might catch on or something.

Chip, you'll have to squeeze

on through there.

We're trying to fix this fan.

Six times I wrote them

in Washington about that fan.

Six times I told them

we're gonna swelter down here.

- What's that?

- Affidavits.

And they don't even bother

to answer. Not a line.

Marge, how many times

did I write them?

Six times, sir.

That's right, six times.

And not one line back,

not one measly line.

And in the meantime,

we sit here and swelter.

- Harry, about these affidavits...

- Let me ask you just one fair question.

- Does it seem warm in here to you?

- Well, yes, I guess so.

It's sweltering, that's what it is.

And they give us one measly fan.

- And that don't work.

- This is important.

These affidavits.

They're from Fairfield County.

I got four of them,

from four people.

There are a lot of other people

just like them.

- Just like what?

- It's a system that's been going on.

- The people are in bondage out there.

- Somebody's got them locked up?

That's practically it.

Yeah, they're tied to the land.

They're even afraid to vote.

It's happening all over Fairfield County.

And it works just as easy as pie.

Now, suppose a fella gets

put into jail for some reason.

All right, the land owners

go to the magistrate...

...and they pay off the fella's fine.

Then bring him back

and let him work it off.

Only, he never gets it worked off.

And the debt just keeps building up

and building up and piling up...

I don't know what we can do about it.

I told you, faster.

You're slower than the fan.

Whirl it. Whirl it.

I'll tell you what we can do about it.

We can send a report in to Washington.

We're not gonna waste

one more 2-cent stamp...

...till we get this thing fixed there

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