Nebraska advertiser., 1877-07-26
M'PARLAN'S JOB.
The Work OF n Fearless Detective
Among the Molly MaguireS-Bring-
ing Murderers to Justice

In the fall of 1873, the Phil
adelphia and Reading Coal and Iron
Company, whose President, Franklin
=. Gowen-also President of the
Reading railroad-hsd formerly been
District Attorney ofSchuylkill county
became fully convinced that these fire.
notwithstanding Outrages were the
work of criminal organization with
far-reaehing arms and adequately
equipped for every possible means OF
screening the instruments of its infa-
mious deeds. They determined that
the reign Of terror must cease. Mr..
Gowen had seen its work even while
prosecuting officer of the county, and
eknew that IL could only be done by
secret detectives, and that the detec-
tive who operated for rewards, who
was only paid upon the conviction of
the offender, was not the man they
needed. He had had experience be-
fore, and he applied to the National
Detective Agency. Allen Pinkerton,
an intelligent and. broad-minded
Scotchman replied 'I will secure
an agent or an officer to ferret out the
existence of this society. Whoever |
get Is to be paid 30 much week, no
matter If he finds out nothing. He is
bound to me never, under any circum-
stances, to take reward for his SER
vices from anybody, and If he spends
Ave years and obtains nothing in the
way of information he must have ev-
cry month or every week exactly the
same compensation as if every week
he had traced new murder, and ev-
cry month had discovered a new con-
spiraoy. He is never to gain pecuni-
arily by the success ofhis undertaking;
but, as a man who goes into this or
ganization as a detective takes his life
In his own hands, / will send no man
on this mission ofyours, Mr.. Gowen,
unless 1t be agreed beforehand, and /
can tell him so, that be never Is to be
known in connection with the enter
prise" On these terms was James
McParlan engaged.
For a better understanding of the
work that this intrepid man under
took, with his life in his hand, will
anticipate little, In order TO explain
the working of this order. The Mol
lies date back to I742-more than a
generation. French's Realities of
Irish Life" speaks of them when they
were known as the Ribbonmen of Ire
land. This order sprang up at time
when there was an organized resis-
tance in Ireland TO the payment of
rents. The malcontents became
known as Ribbonmen, and they gen.
orally made their attacks upon the
agents of the nonresident land-own-
ers, OF upon the constables or bailiffs
who attempted to collect the rents.
Their object was to intimidate and
hold in terror all those to whom they
owed money, or who were employed
In its collection. AS branch of this
society and growing out of 1t. sprang
the men known as Molly Maguires,
and as the name Of this society SIM
ply arose from this circumstance, that
in the perpetration of their offences
they dressed as women, and generally
ducked or beat their victim, or infiic.-
ed some such punishment as infuri-
ated women would be likely to admin
ister. Hence originated the name of
the Molly Maguires.
One of the first executions of men,
hers of this order was brought about
fn the same way as the executions of
to-dsy-by the "squealing' of some of
the accomplishment. as the law was
then inflicted just as much for con-
spiracy to murder as for the actual
nsrnetration of the offense.
The order was first known In the
coal regions as the BuOkshOts, and In
1s6s the courts of Carbon county oe-
ooms powerless to execute their pro
ossses ncertain cases, and to pphiS"