The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1883-10-24
REMARKABLE DETECTIVE.
WORK OF THE LATE GEORGE HENRY
BANGS.


| ssn,e Of the Principni Cnses which Ho
successfully conducted and the Thieves
""''' 'o &fNG
%eV
George Henry Bangs, aged 81, the
General Superintendent OF Pinkertons
Detective Agencies at Chicago, Phila-
dclphia, and New York, died suddenly
at R9scIle, n. j., where he was spending
the summer. The career OF Mr. Bangs
is one OF the most remarkable OF Amer
lean detectives. lie rose IRON The ranks
10 tie highest position III IlhkcrtohS
force, and for over Il quarter OF century
he either planned or personally worked
rvry important case intlusted to the
nmkcrton agencies. He was tall, fine
looking man. ot commanding presence
and close student Of human nature,
and was rarely deceived. The record OF
his cascs during the war and later III the
Mollie McGuilc conspiracies in Pcnnsyl-
wanna is a part Of his history. MIR. Bangs
took his first lessons IN life in news
paper Office, beginning on the FRA,
which was owned and cdltcd by ms
father. After engaging in rcportorial
work for few years he cylnccd great
detective abilities. In 1896 he resolved
to give up Journalism Tor police WORK
lie obtained II position on the police
force, and during the days OF the Crystal
Palace he was one OF the celebrated
Crystal Palace squad. While he was
serving in this capacity Allan Pinkcrton
came East for assistants. lie had been
employed throughout the West III track
, ing the horse-thlcycs and tram robbers
who infested that portion Of the country,
and had been so successful that the
business was rapidly growing larger than
he could personally attend to. He ac-
codIngly opened an Office III Chicago,
and came to New York for men to opcr-
ate It. lie was introduced to Bangs.
and Engaged him, together with Samuel
BrldRcman and Timothy Webster, both
OF whom died IN the service, the latter
being executed M Il Union spy IN Rich
mond during Mcclellan siege. They
accompanied Mr. Pinkcr,on to Chicago,
and for the next few years engaged in the
usual business OF detective agency.
At the breaking ont OF the war Major
Plnkcrton was made Chief Of the United
States Secret Service Department. Here
Mr.. Iiangs had an opportunity to cx-
hihit his great abilities. During the
war lac passed ard rcpasscd the rebel
lines IA different DISCUSSES, and on vari-
ous.ms,ions Of great importance, talk.
ing hrs llfc III ms hands, but owing to
his GOODNESS and courage lac escaped I'M
scaihcd, AT the close Of the war, when
Mr. Pimlcr,on established his agencies
at New York and Philadelphia, he put
them in charge Of Mr. Bangs, who re-
NAMED ut the head Of the business until
the time Of his death.
Among the work done 10y Mr.. Bangs
was the capture Of jules Imbcrt, the
celebrated French forgcr. The French.
man obtained four drafts, amounting to
slj,uOO from August Belmont, aud by
forgcrics he secured over $50, 600 from
uususpcc'ing New York bankers, after
which he fled the country. He was
traced Wy Mr., Bangs to Canada, whittier
the Young officer started to capture him.
With no effort at subtcriugc, he accused
the forgcr diroctl y Of his guilt, and by
sheer pluck managed to cxtort confcs.
sion from HIM. This once accomplished
he started Tor home with his prisoner on
the cars, taking the prccuiion to fastcn
inc l"rR.t WrlN' 10 MS own WIN h"iid'
Guns Al'cr lourHcSinBa h"lltrd miles
,m"cf' apparently i'' ;'t" II do"c, ahd
p"hBS WI" ",S 'oihP'''rlY urea ont
; "oo', 'oil1W'd ms example When he
aw"N"'''a ne ionn' 10 ms intense cha
S''h I'm, '',' rIohc.'''"', hau PicEcd ln'
!, ,ocH 81 ,ho na'''n'' an" c"rapoo' Inc
s,I, , ",".'V W., "'',' ~ i'2'I'r, az
or ~ ,h ' a ",o ~" IT,, i"'' W., , 'H
/ 't,,,,ol n,, .nt,i -, '''I .''u WV
snt 'I " ,'",'i I',o ',I''','ou VI
mn iool;,Io,'I a'I i' ,,i w. IT, "
,"nd;no ~, h"n;n i ,ro " !" 49, ~ ".", ~
IN" H." host sail a., ,ho nlr hnJ ho " nonh
/ have wus ono which wns ulrrnJv ocru
[ MED by n recent arrival Ghd tn .lcn,
anywhere Bnucs accented ihc Off >,
When he turuoI dawn thn cnv,rlnt -
bn Lcd hn sow ia hi. nstnn;s,,mont an,
Jnl,It flat his cnmm,,;,,, yn. ii. r,cnr
.;.n,,,. H. l,,',,'.l =, 80, ,,;,',
nI j., u,a "nu ,,' u y" ' ,n;. " ~"
W." :" WV '', w, WV Pun ','uo Wv,
r ~'o'y III Now io,N, W't'e l''o'rl WI
r 1""Yic,'o m'a sem !" o'"'' p'''on' "h'f
/ nc ''eu ''6"I years inter-
i Another famous case was the fir
a great robbery OF tho Adams Exprc'
4 Company nj Montgomery, Ala. II wa
in 1853. The company missed ten thor
, sand dollars in bills from one of il