The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-02-02
Making Contracts With Local
Corporations and Hunting
a Swindler.
TO DO THE RAILROADS WORK
A Chicago Bank Cashier Who Stole
$4,000 Traced to San
Francisco.

William Pinkerton, the head of the cele7
brated Chicago detective agency, is in this
City. He arrived here early last week and
has since been quietly transacting much
important business and living in retire
ment at the Baldwin Hotel. Mr.. Pinker-
ton is man who likes to keep in the back
ground, which is we'll understood wherever
he goes, but on this occasion of mis- visit to
San Francisco he has more than ever be-
fore evaded notice-his mission being OF
such significance it was best performed in
secret, without the mention of his name.
The most interesting feature of his visit
is said to be the closing of contracts with
| large corporations in this City. O. In addi-
| ton to that work he is understood to be
looking out for Chicago bank cashier who
absconded recently.
From reliable source it was learned
yesterday that Pinkerton was in treaty
with the Southern Pacific to take charge
OF the railroad company's detective bust
ness over the entire system, performing
exactly the same work as it has been doing
IN the Oregon division in connection with
the Portland Office. He is also said to
have made a contract with the Pacific
Mutual Insurance Company to attend to
that corporation Eastern business in its
detective department.. The identity of the
other corporations with which be is deal
ing is kept private.
When the Southern Pacific Company
abolished its detective bureau recently. an
officer OF the company stated that it was
done Tor the purpose of giving the bureaus
business to Pinkerton's agency, which had
already performed many special bit of
work for the railroad people. The sue
cessful hunt and capture'o of train-robbers
IN Oregon, and conviction through tn e
efforts of Pinkerton's men, placed the
Chicago detectives in an exceptionally
favorable light before the high officials of
the railroad and, it is said, led to the con-
tract which is now being closed or may
have been signed. Pinkerton's local rep
resentatiye has been John Curtin, but it is
now thought highly probable that an indie
pendent agency of the Chicago detectives
will soon be established in this City and
maintained with special force OF men.
Pinkerton is credited with having told a
strange story to some friends day or two
ago. This was about the cashier 6f Chi,
cage bank, who was traced to San Fran
cisco, but no farther. AS the story went
this cashier was daring fellow, whose de
| falcations were so enormous as to place
| him in the foremost rank of bank swim
| diers. He took S152, 900 from his banB
without raising the slightest suspicion
and indeed, was not suspected of fraud
until after be disappeared. When ths
bank directors ascertained the true state O.
/ affairs in the cash accounts they decided
to maintain the strietest secrecy.
Instead of making known the STARTLING
deficit, they quietly, in conjunction WITH
stockholders, put S152, 600 new capital into
the bank and continued business as i
nothing out of the way had happened
This, it was explained by the detective
had been done to save the bank, because il
the truth were known confidence in the
institution would be instantly shattered
and the bank ruined in consequence.
| 1t was given out that the cashier had
resigned and gone to fill another position
in some Eastern city. and this explanati ton
| removed suspicion.
| The detectives, however, set out to find
| the cashier, and were rewarded by picking
| up his trail. He was traced to San Fran
cisco, but beyond there was no clew.
| Whether the fugitive managed to get out
OF the country on ship or steamer could
not be satisfactorily determined, and so q
! doubt exiats as to the fellows whereabouts.
Pinkerton came here in person to satisfy
himself as to what became of the elusive
swlndler.