Founded in 1909 by William J. Burns (1860-1932), the William J. Burns International Detective Agency was headquartered originally in New York, with offices across the United States and in Europe. William J. Burns was a popular figure, with frequent mentions in the newspaper and news reels, and he became Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation from 1921-1924. Burns International became a well-known private security firm until it was acquired by Securitas AG in 2000.

This circular, dated April 20, 1914, came from Burns International Detective Agency's Seattle Office at 306 Hinckley Block. Run by Walter R. Thayer, the office opened in 1910 and operated in Seattle until the early 1970s, offering detective work and providing security for a variety of events and establishments across the city. The four-page handout outlines the services of the office, but mostly highlights a recent success capturing three suspects in bank robberies at the Bank of Elma and the Granite Falls State Bank. The inside spread reprints the full Seattle Post-Intelligencer article from April 16, 1914, along with police photographs of the Russian suspects: Irsamag Hodoff, Yacop Malsegoff, and Munzaback Dobreff.

Caption information sources: "Our History," Securitas, Inc., https://www.securitasinc.com/who-we-are/about-securitas-usa/our-history/; "History: William J. Burns," Federal Bureau of Investigation, https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/william-j-burns.