The Osceola times., 1884-08-30
PINKERTON'S TRAP.
The Accusing Blood That Led Murderer
to Commit Suicide.
Philadelphia Times


Philadelphia Times.
al vas just thinking" said Capt. r. J.
Linden, superintendent of Pinkerton's
Detective agency. on his return from
Chicago, where he had been attending
the funeral of Allan Pinkerton, "of the
wonderful will power and untiring per-
severance of the man whose body has
been laid to rest. Very ewpersons, un-
less they were intimately associa ted
with him, would believe that any per
con could possess such patient persist
snce, which surmounted obstacles that
to ordinary men would appear like i'm
passable mountains. Maj. Pinkerton
was man with big heart. don't
think he knew how TO do mean thing.
He was one of those honorable, fair
minded men, who, while giving every
body their due, exacted the same for
himself In matters Of business he insist
ed on getting every penny that belonged
to him, and once he made promise it
was lived up to if it cost him every pen
and dislikes were intense. fhe became
your friend no amount of calumny on
the part of your enemy could change his
opinion; but if he disliked you neither
argument nor entreaties could shake
him an iota.
maj. Pinkerton's perseverance and
ingenuity were the secrets of his success
in all his undertakings. If he could not
accomplish his purpose by one plan he
Immediately resorted to another His
mind was wonderfully fertile in expedi-
ents, and it was rare thing for him TO
fail when he had once set his mind up
on success. You can form some idea OF
his ready tact and capacity for planning
in the case of the colored murderer
johnson, of South Carolina, who killed
an enemy under the most brutal circum-
stances. Maj. Pinkerton was pretty pos
tive as to the mans guilt, but it was
impossible to obtain complete chain
of evidence. With the natural secretive-
ness of his race johnson refused 10 fall
into any of the man.traps laid for him
and make a confession, which was Pin
kerton's object.
"Af.er weeks Of patient but abortive
work, a novel plan was hit upon. The
murderer was surprised one morning
when he went to take plow into a
field to find it spattered with blood. In
the open field where he was to work
the murderer found little pools of blood
along the course he was to2plow. When
he went back to the stable he was start
led by seeing the bloody imprint of a
human hand on the stable door. Every
hoe, OF rake, or other farm implen cnt
that the man picked up had blUd on 1t.
When nightfall came the murderer was
so paralyzed with fear that his teeth
were chattering and he was afraid to go
TO bed. He believed that the spirit of
his victim was haunting him. The de-
tective and his assistant noted those
symptoms, and were confident that the
right plan had been struck at last. 1t
had been after fashion, and there was
horrible proof given the next day.
johnson was found in the barn with his
throat cut from ear to ear He had kill
ed himself rather than endure the tor
lures of guilty conscience. l need not
explain that the blood marks which
frightened the murderer's guilty soul
Wcie ule WorA vi tnc uctectiNei anu not
of spirits. t|FFF
1T was in that Maj. Pinkerton excell-
ed. He could change his tactics so that
the man or men hc was seeking would
be led into trap when they really
thought they were getting out of one.
There are scores and scores of such in
stances, bnt they have all been publish
ed from time to time as they occurred,
and do not suppose would interest you.
1t was one of Maj. Pinkerton's rules to
conceal nothing from the public of pub
lie interest, after the work was done; and
1t vas another infiexible rule to tell the
public nothing before the job was fin
ished or while it was in progress. From
this he never departed, and his sons
William and Robert, who are their
fathers successors, will adhere to it as
rieidly as the founder of the agency
did"