The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-11
PINKERTON MEN ENGAGED
The Southern Pacific Will Have
the Chicago Detectives
Soon.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DEAL.
These New Secret Service Officers
Will Be Useful Under Vari.
Gus Circumstances.

The Southern Pacific Company has de.
cided TO employ the Pinkertons for all It's
detective work. Whenever dishonest en-
pIoyes are to be watched; whenever the
genial highwayman appears on Southern
Pacific train and collects sundry purses
and parcels of jewelry from passengers
and very likely if ever there should be oc-
casion for the railway managers to en-
ploy determined men with rifles along the
lines Pinkertons people Will be conven-
iently near in answer to the call for as
sistance.
So much does the quiet abolition of the
railways detective bureau mean, with its
astute and daring chief and its corps OF
picked men. Ex-Master Gard had distin-
guished himself in his official capac-
ity in Southern California, and particu-
larly through the capture of Evans and
Sontag who were a thorn in the COM
pany' side for long time. Partly in rec
IGNITION OF his work in addition to his Pc
culiar fitness for the position he was APP
pointed by the late general manager, A. N.
Towne.
There was time when Pinkertons were
not thought of in the railway head
quarters, but it is now a thing OF the past
Like a memory of the men who presided
round them. For events came TO pass
within the past few years and they
wrought q remarkable change in the rail-
road managers way OF thinking. The
great strike of 1894 was factor in this re-
gard, since it notably Influenced the trend
of affairs in railroad management 1t is
we'll Iemem bered that Pinkerton's men
came i'll handy on that occasion with their
Wlnchesters and revolvers as very valu-
able adj unct TO the United States soldiers
and National guardsmen.
Since then the Pinkertons have endeared
themselves 10 the railway magnates and,
indeed, have been called upon and actually
performed many valuable services along
the railway lines. This Is not alone true
of the Southern Pacific roads, but also OF
Western and Eastern lines where Pinker-
toms men are quite familiar.
As might be expected the Southern Pa
cifc men declared they had no knowledge
of Pinkerton's detectives having been re-
tanned by the company. However, a
trusted employe stated as Il fact that the
Pinkertons would on January l, 1896
succeed the c0mpany's private detective
bureau.
The old detective staff will be retired
January L. said he. land after that
date Pinkerton's detectives viii do the
work. 1t may be economy to employ
these men at So to So day. Mr.. Fillmore
has said 1t was economy 10 do away With
the bureau, but there are two sides to a
story. Mir. Fillmore had views of his
own, and he had Pinkertons do work for
him from time to time irrespective of the
company's bureau. The Chicago de-
tectiye house has branch establishment
here-that Is, Captain John Curtin repre-
sents the Pinkertons, and he has been en-
ployed by Mr.. Fillmore considerably. The
way it will be is that the railroad company
i i
and ten or twenty or q hundred, as the
occasion calls for men. This the Pinker-
tons can undertake to furnish at any or
all times"
Mr.. Curtin declined to discuss the mat
ter. ~ have done some work for the COM
pany," he admitted, land would like to
work for them again, any time they want
me, for l have found them the best of peo-
pie, but I've heard nothing about what
you ask"
1t has been stated that you represent
the Pinkertons in San Francisco"
"Well, have done some work for them, u
was the hesitating reply.
Beyond this he would say nothing re-
garding the change OF detective systems
in the railway.
Pinkerton'S men captured the robbers
who went through train on the Oregon
and California Railroad at klamath Falls
some months ago, and Pinkerton's men
too, convicted the culprits. Their work in
this particular case won the admiration Of
Mr.. Fillmore and the new general man.
ager, julius Kruttschnitt.
Those same men must answer calls in
time of any disturbance along the line
They can easily look after train robbers
and thieving employees. for nobody may
say who of all the well-known railroad
men or strangers are Pinkerton's men in
disguise.