The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-10-09
WHAT PINK ERTON SAID.
A Conversation With One OF the Famous
Firm in London.

Firm in London.
II have not been in London" said Bill"
Pinkerton to q Pail Mall Gazette reporter.
for sixteen years, and when / was last
here il was 20 carry out the not particularly
pleasant duty of arresting a well-kDown
criminal and taking him back to the States,
and Incidentally to twenty-five years SEN
tence. Now | am here for pleasure ana,
though the outbreak of cholera cut short
my continental tour | have managed TO
see and to enjoy good deal.
You ask me what think will be the out
come of the present cry that the 'Pinker-
tons must co will be ! Well, that Is dim
cult thing 20 say oh-hand; but If 1t simply
means that our firm must cease 10 supply
defenders OF property and the lives when
it is the duty OF the various States to defend
for themselves | shall not he sorry 70 see II
brought about But while il is rs necessary
as il is now Tor the hands OF the police and
militia TO be strengthened by outside help
| guess we are about "a well able as any one
else TO do justice to tbs Job.
The act IS, though that the most ex-
aggerated reports have been made public,
and even before the congressional commit
tee the widest absurditles of statement
were INDUCED in by members OF Congress
themselves. IL was said that we had an
army OF 81, 600 desperadoes. and that scores
OF men on both sides had been shot down.
The fact of the matter is that. roughly
speaking, / don't believe We have ever had
more than 1000 people on our pay-rolis at
the same time. including our clerks anu
regular employees.
why should we be employed at all. you
nsk. We'll. j don't wonder at the question
from an Englishman. lou over here can
not understand much that is taken for
granted across the Atlantic. For one
thing, you zee. both political parties are
anxious to stand well with the Labor party.
and when a labor tr uble ar e. state
Governor. be he Democrat or Republican.
is averse to interfering with one side or
another
SO with other officials, and hence 1t 10
that al outside organization IS called IN
and neither democrats nor Republicans
can throw stones at each other at the next
election. Instead. they both huri them NJ
the Plnkertons. We are sort OF COCK
! shy for every one.
II guess we can stand it but at the same
time. | should not be sorry 10 see the en-
| poyment of our agency under such clrcum-
! stances forbidden by law. IL must not be
! forgotten however that our men are ali
specially sworn in. and become, III fact, a
| part of the regular police force or the state
| in which their services are re uired III Is
now forty years since my father started the
| business. and for twenty-five at least we
! have been employed to guard property, and
/ so forth. during labor disputes, but not yet
| has one of our men been found guilty of a
! breach of the law. II they were the rut-
| fans they are held to be would this be
| possible?
No sir: let the officials do their duty,
and no necessity would arise for calling in
| 'Pinkerton men, Already the Homestead
affair where. by the way. only four of our
men were killed has had an effect When
| the troubles arose at Buffalo a few weeks
ago the Governor did not wait until things
had gone too far. as has usually been the
case. but called ont the militia at once.
! There was no room for Pinkerton men after
that, and, though am Pinkerton, am
glad of it,"