from potentially losing two members at once.
White first recruited a former New Mexico sheriff, who, at fifty-
six, became the oldest member of the team. Though reserved to
the point of being shy, the sheriff was adept at assuming
undercover identities, having pretended to be everything from a
cow rustler to a counterfeiter. White then enlisted a stocky,
garrulous, and blond-haired former Texas Ranger who, according
to a superior, was best suited for situations “where there is any
element of danger.” In addition, White brought on an experienced
deep-cover operative who looked more like an insurance salesman
—perhaps because it was his former profession.
One agent from the previous investigation, White decided,
should be retained: John Burger. He had a comprehensive
knowledge of the case—from the suspects to the trails of evidence
—and he had developed an extensive network of informants that
included many outlaws. Because Burger was already well known in
Osage County, he would work openly with White. So would
another agent, Frank Smith, a Texan who listed his interests thus:
“Pistol and rifle practice—Big game hunting—Game fishing—
Mountain climbing—Adventures—Man hunting.” In Hoover’s
bureau, Smith was classified as one of “the older type of
uneducated Agents.”
Finally, White brought in the singular John Wren. A onetime
spy for the revolutionary leaders in Mexico, Wren was a rarity in
the bureau: an American Indian. (Quite possibly, he was the only
one.) Wren was part Ute—a tribe that had flourished in what is
today Colorado and Utah—and he had a twirled mustache and
black eyes. He was a gifted investigator, but he’d recently washed
out of the bureau for failing to file reports and meet regulations. A
special agent in charge had said of him with exasperation, “He is
exceedingly skilled in handling cases, and some of his work can