St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1884-07-17
Life and Exploits Of Allen Pink
ertOn.
AMERICAS GREATEST DETECTIVE.


PinkertOn was an early abOlitiOniSt
and an associate of John Brown. He
rendered important and enthusiastic
service in the management of the I'm
dergrOund railway for the escape of
fugitive slaves. 1t was in 1852 that he
founded the detective agency which
bears his name, and for more than
thirty years he has been employed in
ferreting out some of the most desper-
ate crimes of the age. His services
have been employed on many missions
where the regular police were either
destitute of the requisite skill, could
not work to advantage, or could not he
trusted to resist temptation. Among
his exploits was the eXtradition of the
notorious Reno brothers from Canada,
who was subsequently taken from the
Jail at New Albany, Ind, and hanged
by II mob. He was engaged i'll the
pursuit of the notorious Jesse James
and his brother and the Younger
brothers. Four of PinkertOn's men
were killed by the James party, and
Jesse once announced his determination
to kill Allan PinkertOn. This was
after PinkertOn made Il raid on the
James home, when mother lanes had
her hand blown off and one of her sons
was killed. Jesse remained four
months in Chicago, looking for a chance
to execute his threat under such cir
cumstances that Allan should know
who killed him, but he could not find
the required opportunity.
One of the most famous exploits of
Pinkerton's men was the tracking and
exposure of the Molly Mcguire bands
of murderers in the mining districts of
Pennsylvania. The work was attended
with great risk to the detectives, who
were engaged for months working i'll
the mines, acting as members of the
MOllies, and identifying the ring lead
ers. The result was that the MOllies
were broken up and their principal
leaders were hanged. Another noted
piece of work was the detection of the
robbers who took $4,000 from the
Office of the Adams Express company
in Montgomery and the recovery of
nearly all the money. In working up
this case Mr.. PinkertOn had eleven as
sistants. One was handsome gentle
man, who dressed elegantly, drove
fine horses, hirted with the robbers
wife, and got secrets out of her at
champagne suppers. 1t was on this
Job that Allan PinkertOn first intro
duced female detectives. He had
dashing young man with Il female
companion, who took board at Il hotel
and got at secrets that the male detec
tives could not reach. Mrs. Kate
Warne was the chief female detective
in this case, and she subsequently as
sisted Mr.. Pinkerton in other detective
work. In the express company case
MarOney, the chief robber, was arrest
ed and confessed and went to prison
! for ten years. Mr.. PinkertOn was sub
sequently employed by the express
company on other cases, and traced
the perpetrators of several TObberies.
The fame of the agency became ex
tended and its service was widely
sought. Officers were established in
New York and Philadelphia and about
| l25 men employed. One of Allan
| PinkertOn's sons, Robert A. PinkertOn,
is the general superintendent, and De-
tective Bangs has charge of the New
York Office i'll Exchange place. r. j..
Linden has charge of the Philadelphia
office. There is scarcely any important
case involving large amounts of money
and requiring great detective skill in
which the PinkertOns are not employed.
When Abraham Lincoln was elected
president Allan PinkeItOn was engaged
to see him safely to Washington. He
became convinced that there had been
a plot to assassinate Mr.. Lincoln on his
way through Baltimore. He convinced
Mr.. Lincoln and his immediate friends
that the plot existed, and it was by his
advice that Mr.. Lincoln reached Wash
ington privately by way of Harris
burgh. He wrote recently an extended
account of the trip and denied author
itatively the story that Mr.. Lincoln
disguised himself in a Scotch cap and
military cloak.
! During the war Allan PinkertOn was
employed in the delicate duties of chief
of the secret service of the United
States, and served under the various
secretaries of war up to Burnside's
resignation. He was specially employ
ed by Gen. Mcclellan, and has re-
corded his perilous and exciting
experience in a large book called "The
Spy of the Rebellion" He was known
III the service as Z. }. Allen, and many
officers of the army knew him by no
other name. 1t was he who collected
; the information from cOntrabands, pri-
soners of war, spies, deserters, loyal
SOutherners, and others that convinced
: Gen. Mcclellan that there were 20O,O ,OOt
; men between Union army and Rich
mond. Mr.. PinkertOn wrote fifteen
volumes relative to his own experience