Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1888-05-18
P[NKERTON'S MEN.
A Little Army that is Always
Ready for Private Hire.
The Uses to Which They are
Put, and Their Armament.

There is in America private busl-
ness concern capable of suddenly bring
inr into action anywhere in the land, at
the bidding of individuals or CORPORA
tions rich enough to pay for their ser
vices, large bodies of men armed,
couipped, and drilled for effective mill
tary service. Thus far nothing has oc-
cured that has seemed to require the
development of such force in greater
numbers, at any one point, than 500
men, but the system by which they are
put into the field is perfected to such an
extent that there is hardly a question of
the ability to mu,ter 5000 with almost
equal promptitude. The concern con
trolling this military strength is
Pinkerton's National Detective
Agency, the headquarters of which
are in Chicago, with branches in New
York, Boston, Philadelphia, st. Paul,
and Denver. While there is nominal
dividing line between the detective ser
vice and the field of duty of tho 'pre-
ventive patrol" or military branch, in
point of fact they work together, and are
so far interchangeable that the latter is
ofIicered from the former when called
into requisition, and that men demon
strating peculiar talent therefor may be
promoted from the patrol, which is an
emergency employment to tho perma-
nency OF the regular detective force.
As to tho system of organization and
direction of the Pinkerton army, Mr..
II. G. Julian, who is one of Mr.. Robert
Pinkerton's principal aids III this city,
says:
Telling you how we can here bring
into almost immediate service a body
Of say $50 men, or more if required,
will give you sufficiently comprehcn-
sive idea of our arrangements in the five
other cities in which our branches are
nowestablishcd, the system in all being
about the same. In the first place, we
/ have as our regular detective force a
body of thoroughly trained men, many
i Of them brought up from youth in this
employment, men whom we know to be
cool, resolute, courageous, faithful, Sand
resourccful. From these, when the
occasion arises, we officer our compan-
les of men enlisted for special duty.
But we have also among those men a
good many who arc employed by US
pretty much all the time, at least during
the spring, summer, and autumn, and
who, consequently, are we'll trained
and known to us as IN every way per-
fectly trustworthy. For instance, we
supply by contract every summer from
twenty-five to thirty men for the pro-
lection of the public and the prescrva-
tion of order at Glen Island, and as
many more at Manhattan Beach; for the
spring, summer, and fall racing seasons
VIC supply sixty or seventy men to the
Coney Island Jockey club and about
like number to the Brooklyn Jockey
club, and then we have smaller detach-
ments on special services such as the
guarding OF Vanderbilt's tomb, or tenn
porary protection Of stores of heavy i'm
porters of silks when they have
unusually large stocks Of valuable
goods on hand. Taken all in all,
there arc probably 200 mon thus en-
ploycd by us-in work apart from the
detective ervice-- pretty much all the
year, and of these we can command the
services of at least 150 at q very few
hours notice, even out of their ordinary
seasons OF employ since we keep
all their addresses and they understand
that they are liable to be called upon for
duty at any moment Those mon will
serve as the nucleus Of as llrge force
as may be demanded. Then we have
on record a list Of several hundred
picked men from among the thousands
who have applied to us for employ ment,
all Of whom have come TO us we'll recon-
mcndei, and whose character, record,
and associations We have had thoroughly
Investigated by our own detectives.
They arc also supposed to be ready
to serve upon call at any moment,
and, in point of fact, at least three or
| four hundred of them would respond
Immediately. In summer we, of course
could not spare SO many of our regular
men for an extraordinary service, but
we would still have enough to serve as
a nucleus, especially since We are so
careful in our selection of the listed
volunteers, among whom we always, by
the way, give the preference to men
who Gave honorable discharges from
the army, equal qualification otherwise
being understood.
"The largest number the Pinkerton
agencies have ever had to furnish for
emergency service at any one point was
500. That was on the occasion of the
stock yards strike in Chicago in 1886.
In 1887, from January until March, we
had to keep 600 mea on duty at the coal
yards of Hoboken and B,rgcn Point
1t costs something to employ large
force of Pinkertou men, the charge for
them being S. day each in addition to
food and quarters. The pay Of regu-
lar detective is IS day.
''Thc armament of our men consists
If Winchester repeating rifles and navy
revo,vers and we employ no men who
are not skilled in the use Of these weap-
ons. A very large supply of iii.s,
enough for three or four hundred men
any way, is kept in the Chicago head
quarters, and at least that many men
could be mustered there in few hours
at any time under Capt Patrick Foley's