The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-11-13
BILLY PINKERTON.
He Says His Detectives Would
Starye to Death Here:
Salt Lake is So Situated as to Make it EI-
csedngly Dificuls for Criminals to
Escape, Says the Sleuth.

Billy Pinkerton, the boss detective,
whose name is a household word 20 the
American small boy and as universally
despissd by the tin bucket brigade, was
in the city yesterday on little business
connected with his profession. Mr.. Pink
erton, long as his name has stood at the
head of q great detective bureau, is yet a
comparatively young man. He wears a
moustaehe, black as a ravens wing, and
fierce enough for John L. Sullivan, and
his eye is as ''devouring'' as that of Billy
Mestayer in the character OF the bruiser
on a Pullman car. Ferreting crime and
chasing criminals is not the kind OF an
occupation to cultivate sweetness and
light,p and Billy Pinkerton is Of the
gruify, r0ugh-hewed sort of man that gives
and takes hard knocks as part of his bust
ness.
When asked as to the increase of crime,
the big detective said that what they most
have to contend with now is daring train
robberies. He instanced the one where q
desperate stepping into a baggage car
Tiled with men, just outside of Council
Bluffs, pulled pistol, blew mans brains
out grabbed big bag filled with diamonds,
jumped OF the train and escaped.
You people of the plains and mountains
will have to look to your laurels," be said,
referring to the numerous daring robberies
that have recently occurred in the highly
civilized sections.
"rhe only protection for your banks in
Salt Lake" he said, lis the difficulty GRIM
inals have in escaping from your CITY,. In
Chicago, they can in few hours, go to
St. Louis or Cincinnati, and a man after
committing a burglary in Boston, can
turn up in New York before the police
have even & clue of the robbery. But
vrsr,- officers in Salt ak have ntonkv Of
time to head them OFF by wiring the officers
at Grand Junction, Green River or other
points to search the trains"
When asked if he contemplated starting
an agency in this city, the veteran detec-
tive with smile replied: They would
starve; your people are so good"
1t is not unusual for notorious burg
lars,n said Mr.. Pinkerton, ito come to me
and tell me that they have concluded 10
quilt the business and ask that they be left
alone. When they do so, l call all my men
| in, and after they have taken q mental
| photograph of the man, he IS allowed 20
depart IN peace. It is seldom that an old
criminal, after giving himself up in this
way, will occasion US any trouble, though
they sometimes operate in other cities. II
is standing joke that when the St. Paul
police arrest a notorious character they re-
lease him on his promising 20 go to Mime
apOls. l have a good deal of sympathy
for the poor devils who have been driven
| from pillar to post. When broken In
health they sometimes come to me and ask
for help. 1 have taken many of them and
introduced them to business EeD, telling
them their history. They are, as rule,
| very chsry of preachers, who, while ad
visIng them to reform and lead virtuOus
lives, are the last to offer them encourage
ment by putting their hands into their
pockets or by helping them to secure hon
orable employment