I must admit I know little about the
"Bureau of Investigation." Was it the precursor to the
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) we all are so
familiar with?
I also must admit I was a little hesitant to
place these records online, although the argument can be
made there is certainly nothing illegal about doing such, as
they are in the "public domain" so-to-speak, and available
from the National Archives and other sources. This though,
wasn't the quandary I found myself in. It really boils down
to the fact that some of these records are less than
flattering for the individuals whose actions, deeds, and
misdeeds are documented (although not all are negative), and
these individuals might have relatives alive who are unaware
of what had transpired.
I then thought to myself that, as family
history researchers, we have all had to face "digging up
bones" that, for lack of a better phrase, may have been
better left buried, and we have all had to face the fact
that our ancestors were all human beings, prone to making
the occasional mistake, and we are the sum of all of their
life adventures ... both the good and the bad.
What I have found doing a quick look-see as I
cleaned them up a little was things such as a Ragsdale being
charged with draft dodging when the he was already in the
service all the way to a Ragsdale investigated for being a
member of the Communist Party (remember, these documents are
from about 100 years ago, and things were quite different
then.
Enjoy ..... and if something truly causes
someone heartache, please forgive me.
Michael
