J Edgar Hoover and the Six Napoleons

I recently acquired up an interesting pair of Sherlockian letters. The point of note was that one of the letters was signed by the former Director of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover (1895-1972), and I believe that his signature is collectable (though the man must have signed hundreds of thousands of documents). 

What grabbed my attention was the connection to the Six Napoleons of Baltimore. The first letter was received by Allen Robertson was in January 1947 from Hoover.  

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Washinton, D.C.

January 29, 1947

Mr. Allen Robertson

3963 Greenmount Avenue

Baltimore 18, Maryland 

Dear Mr. Robertson:

I have received the photographs issued by the Central office of Information, London, England, and pertaining to Scotland Yard's Criminal Investigation Department. It was indeed kind of you to send them to me and I want to personally thank you.

With best wishes and kind regards,

Sincerely yours, J. Edgar Hoover

Allen Robertson was an attorney working for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad who founded the Six Napoleons after a meeting with Edgar W. Smith. The group first met in September 1946 - with a membership of six. Proceedings of their meetings were reported regularly to the Baker Street Journal section 'The Scion Societies'. As originally conceived, the Six Napoleons was to have only six members.

In the third issue of the BSJ for 1947 we learn that a correspondence had been engaged between Allen Robertson and the Director of the FBI. We don't have any information on the original portfolio of Scotland Yard photographs presented by James T. Hyslop, but the correspondence with Hoover ended there.

Baker Street Journal, 1947, Vol 2 No 3

THE SIX NAPOLEONS OF BALTIMORE

OFFICERS: Paul S. Clarkson (Haker), Gasogene; Allen Robertson (Beppo), Tantalus; James T. Hyslop (Peterson), Commissionaire.
Our meeting was held at the University Club, and all Six of the Napoleons met at the Criterion Bar and raised the traditional toast at 6 pm.

The Tantalus read the correspondence he had had with the Hon. J. Edgar Hoover, who was delighted with the portfolio of Scotland Yard photographs presented by Commissionaire Hyslop.

A second letter to Allen Robertson was received from the Baltimore office of the FBI about six months later in June 1947. In this instance the letter is from someone whose name I cannot determine, declining to attend, but also providing ten copies of "The Story of the Federal Bureau of Investigation" for members, which had been published in 1945 and again in 1947.

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Baltimore - 3, Maryland

June 12, 1947

Mr. Allen Robertson

3963 Greenmount Avenue

Baltimore - 18, Maryland

Dear Allen:

With reference to your letter of May 29, 1947, I am pleased to transmit herewith ten additional copies of "The Story of the Federal Bureau of Investigation." These are being transmitted to you in order that you might furnish them to other "Napoleons."

I have kept in mind your invitation for me to be present at the June 26th meeting, but I regret very much that a matter has arisen which will preclude the possibility of my attendance at this meeting.

I have carefully weighed the standing invitation for me to become a member of the group, but I have always taken the position that to be a member of an organization of this kind, the members should be in a position to attend with some degree of regularity, and because of the nature of my work and the fact that I cannot foresee being in a position to attend regularly your meetings, I think you will agree with me that it would not be advisable for me to join the organization at this time. I shall continue to bear in mind, however, my pleasant visit with you previously, and I hope that sometime in the future, I shall be able to be with you again.

With kindest personal regards, I am,

Sincerely,

?? Ha???

These letters are from the earliest days of the Six Napoleons of Baltimore. I'm intrigued at the interest of the scion in connecting with modern day law enforcement. Was Hoover the Lestrade of his time and place? 

For the second letter, the offer of membership shows that the Six Napoleons were very quickly realizing that six members was going to be a restriction. 

I do wonder if the portfolio of Scotland Yard photos is in the FBI archives somewhere.... some brief searching of online archives did not reveal and Sherlock connections sadly.