National Republican., 1884-06-28
ALLAN PINKERTON.
THE EYE THAT "NEvER SLEEPS" Is FAST
GROWING DIM.
The Veteran Detective Is Dylng-The Great
Institution Which lie Made and Over Which
He Ruled-A Sketch Of "Bllly" Plnkerton
and Ills Surroundings.

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The dispatches from Chicago announce that
Allan Pinkerton Is dying. His death will take
away the head of one ofthe best known institu-
tions of America. Scarcely a man or boy in
the whole country but has heard OF Allan Pink
ertons detective agency, and the younger the
boy is the surer he is to have heard, read.
thought, and dreamed about the wonderful
things done by "Pinkcrton's men," They have
done wonderful things without doubt, and
the element of danger which has been supposed
to enter into all the detectives work, with the
preternatural sagacty which nearly everybody
believes u detective to possess, have made the
stories of their adventures very interesting
reading to big as well as little boys. pinker-
ton never had to pay money for advertising
His name appears as the althor of number
ofcollections of detective stories which are said
| 70 have some foundation in fact, and are taken
| for absolute truth by many a youngster.
u For advertising the agency, however, Billy
Plnkerton, as Allan's oldest son Is generally
called, has much better plan than writing
books. When the agency detectives have
caught n man "Billy's' secretary writes little
note to each Of the newspapers, making an up
pOmtment. The Cloycrest writer on the paper
usually keeps that appointment for it is sure
70 be good story. When man
from each paper has arrived Billy
es na,vt the ho story Of that capture and o he
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the dramatic incidents for the reporters to
work up. When he tells how the detectives
whom he win always call Operatives" got
their first inkling as TO who the criminal was
orwhere he went, II sounds like chapter from
one of Gaborieau's or Catherine Green snovels
II Is always the acuteness of the, detective
thing from which his wonderful
sagacity constructs a theory which always
| turns out to be the correct one. The reporters
are Obliged TO take Pinkertons word for all
this If 1t is false, and If It was by u confess
| sion extorted irom some other criminal or by
| accident that the discovery was made, there's
nobody but Pinkerton and detective or two
who knew II, and they are not likely to tell.
The public will get Pinkerton's story, and IL
| will be good one. In this way Billy utillzes
the best story-writing talent in the newspaper
profession, and the newspapers are glad to
have him do 1t.
1t is probably upon Billy's shoulders that the
mantle Of Allan Pinkerton will fall. He has
charge of the Chicago office Of the concern and
another son, Bob" attends to New York and
Philadelphia. Billy Is scarcely the man whom
q stranger would pick from II crowd as a first
class detective, or as the leader and manager
Of detectives, yet there are probably few men
| In the country who can do Us good detective
work. He is tall, broad shouldered power
fully built man, weighing about 200 pounds;
eyes and his full face e1''GsSI 6etrays
f6ndness for good living. He looks and dresses
like gambler. There are usually some dia-
monds about him and his dress is iiashy. He Is
| fond of fast horses, and on most pleasant AFTER
| moons goes out to a road house, near Sweet park,
| seated In narrow box buggy behind very
rapid roadster. Then he gives the boys the eX-
act time which it required for him TO get over
| the boulevard.
Billy associates with badmen Whether this
is because he likes bad men or because the
nature of his business requires acquaintance
with such men is only known TO him. II Is
| not often that he can be found at his office.
The man inquiring for him there will be told
that he can probably be found ut "the store"
| Ry thnt Ia mpnut tho liuuNr gnlnDp
and gambling house of Mike Mcdonald, the
friend and protector of all professional
thieves, burglars, footpads and other law
that Billy keeps all his appointments. He
uses McDonald's private desk for his letter
writing He is constantly with Mcdonald.
| Few men know what bond, or sympathy or
secret 1t is that brings closely together the
the detector and protector of crime. Ii has
been said that Pinkerton is really the owner of
all the property which Mcdonald claims to be
This can hardly be true, for Mcdonald is ac-
cepted as bondsman in any amount for GRIM
inal, without question, by any Judge in Chi
cago Whatever the bond is Pinkerton has
control of It, and Is the master
Although Pinkerton Is a detector of crime,
1t is for money, and not In the interest of pure
of criminals daily, and, with the exception
of Mcdonald none of them seem to fear him.
In Billy Pinkertons brain Is stored the record
and portrait of every noted American criminal
\
haps thousands of thieves and robbers of only
local fame His ineXhaustibe fund of infor-
: nation is often drawn upon by the newspaper
men when noted "crook' dies or Is arrested.
i His good-natured courtesy on such occasions,
) and certain pleasant manner, make Billy IA
7 fayorite with everybody who knows hhim.
The Pinkerton agency has made barrels OF
money in detective work, and II is pretty well
4 understood that II money enough Is paid for
! the detection of u crime or the capture of a
criminal the Pinkerton men can and Will dc
EnnnaitnNag n confidential nlark N a W hN
! firm absconds with u good roll of money and
a his betrayed employers are bound TO capture
a him just for revenge, and give the Pinkertons
. checks signed In blank for expenses, That
3 state Of things has existed more thar
2 once, and when it does the stories Of Jules
= Verne become tame compared with the per
: | formances of the agency. The purchase of Q
steamer or of railroad train Is q trifing eX
penditure.
q These are the snowy achievements of the
Q Pinkertons, but 1t is doubtful If they have
seemingly prosaie preventive watch" which
b they have established in the three grea
q cities. They employ a small army of Yer!
:. cheap men, who go on duty when the business
X houses close at night and patrol in front of the
. buildings on their beat, occasionally trying
n door, until the porter opens up In the morning
J. The Pinkertons pay these men very low
: wages, but the business men pay the Pinker
d tons well for their services, and they cal
h afford TO. The business men know by expert
], ence that a house which Pinkerton's mer
l
watchmen who prevent II, but 1t is Plnkerton'
name. The fraternity of thieves and burglar
| understand that the whole power of Pinkcr
| toms force would be devoted to their destruc
ton If they touched building protected by
:, Pinkerton.
n The watchmen are simply for show. !
+ would be just as effective If pinkerton SHOULD
y put a private mark on the wall of a building
y us the tramps do on farm houses that are dan
:, gerous to touch. Pinkertons enemies hay,
= sometimes said that jobs had been put up with
;. out any violent opposition on on his part to rol
y ploy his preventive watch" but this, o
u course, Is pure SANDER. But, whatever tn
y reason may be, buildings under Pinkerton'
'SS protection are safe, except nom amateur rob
- bers
Envious men have also pointed out poss
BILE source Of immense revenue in the peculia
=, position held by the Pinkertons, between tn
~ robbers and the robbed. They say 1t would b
of easy, when u reward is offered for the retur
n of stolen property, for men like the Pinkerton
10 to give half Of 1t to the thief and keep con
\, Portable percentage of II for themselves Les
v noted and less wealthy detectives than III
y Plnkertons have been known TO follow thi
plan.
" The best detectives in the country have bee
% in the employ of the Pinkerons, for they hay
Y need of some good men, and where they hay
Ss employed such the pay has been liberal, tn
U bravest and most daring acts performed b
these men are matters OF history, as in the pun
suit and breaking up Of the James gang an
~ the bands of express robbers and train Wrecl
% ers who infest the west.
10 Allan Pinkerton has himself told the story
,r probably with some establishment of hi
ing the early years OF the rebellion.
--S-
T. Nationals vs. Kansas City to-day, 4:30.
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