Some background from the FBI website: By 1907, the Department of
Justice most frequently called upon Secret Service "operatives"
to conduct investigations. These men were well-trained,
dedicated -- and expensive. Moreover, they reported not to the
Attorney General, but to the Chief of the Secret Service. This
situation frustrated Bonaparte, who wanted complete control of
investigations under his jurisdiction. Congress provided the
impetus for Bonaparte to acquire his own force. On May 27, 1908,
it enacted a law preventing the Department of Justice from
engaging Secret Service operatives. The following month,
Attorney General Bonaparte appointed a force of Special Agents
within the Department of Justice. Accordingly, ten former Secret
Service employees and a number of Department of Justice peonage
(i.e., compulsory servitude) investigators became Special Agents
of the Department of Justice. On July 26, 1908, Bonaparte
ordered them to report to Chief Examiner Stanley W. Finch. This
action is celebrated as the b