The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-05-10
SHADOWING
CUBANS
Are Detectives After
Junta Officials?
THE PINKERTON AGENCY,
How The World Famed Institution
Had Its inception.
FIRST PINKERTON AND HIS SONS.
THE PINKERToN AGENCY.
FIRST PINKERToN AND HIS SONS

war between tho United States and Spain,
then the agency employing tho shadows
will speedily reach depth of unpopularity
| exceeding the greatest past unpopulariy of
any similar agency.
| It is not an easy thing, indeed, to be-
lieye that Americans could be found will
ing to engage In such business in present
circumstances. And it Is relief TO be as
sured, as the public was assured in pub
| lished interview with Robert A. Pinkerton
| tho other day, that whatever shadowina
| of tho junta's men Is ntAv being done
| Pinkerton mon are not in 1t. Mr.. Pinker-
tons admission that his detectives were
employed to shadow the Cubans for the
purpose Of breaking up flibustering ex-
petitions before the beginning Of, hos
tilities may excite surprise on the part Of
some readers, but all will undoubtedly
agree with Robert A. in the statements
that it would be "unpatriotio and traitor
Gus to do such thing at this time"
How the Pinkertons Began.
"rhe Pinkerton agency" as the most
famous private detective organization in
the world Is known, has so long been q
fixture In American life that most people
have quite forgotten its beginnings.
Its history really runs back more than
40 years ago, to the day when tall, raw
boned Scot named Allan Pinkerton got q
job on the Chicago police force. This man
had n positive genius for detective work
and in a surprisingly short time, every
thing considered, he managed to shed the
uniform and get bis name enrolled on
the list of "plain clothes men," Later,
while the civil war was In progress, he en-
tered the secret service of the governments
and In time rose to be- its chief. In that
capacity he enjoyed the utmost confidence
Of Lincoln, Grant and nearly every other
general In the Federal army. On one oc-
casion, we are told, he saved the presi-
dents life. After Appomattox, made
prominent by the fame won through his
divers achievements, heswent back to Chi
cago, where he opened musty smelling
Office on Lasalle street, with his two
sons, William and Robert, for the transac-
tion of general detective business.
At first they confined their attention
mainly to the protection of banks, other
financial institutions and commercial and
manufacturing establishments. AS they
extended their operations they were called
upon first to inform employers Of the do
ings Of strikers when strikes were on and
later to help quell the riots that have un-
1t 10 hardly necessary to allude to the
Pinkerton work at Homestead, Pa, at
Braidwood, Ills, In Pennsylvania among
the Molly Maguires, etc, to recall the gen.
eral nature Of Pinkerton work and the
open aniinosity felt toward the agency In
many quarters or the confidence and ad-
miration bestowed thereupon in certain
other quarters.
At the present time the Pinkerton men
number 1900 or more permanently. There
are two ofiioes--one in Chicago, managed
by William, and the other here, managed
by Robert. On occasion the Pinkerton
forces can be quickly and notably in
creased, and while laws have been passed
forbiddiDg their employment In some
states their deputies" are generally much
In evidence whenever there Is "labor"
upheayal anywhere.
The First Pinkerton.
It Is understood that Allan Pinkerton
was forced to come to this country In the
first place because of his participation In
Chartist riots In Scotland. The Chartists,
by the way, were organized workmen who
demanded universal suffrage and the gen.
eral recognition of the poor mans rights
In Great Britain, SO that the use to which
Pinkerton mon are nowadays sometimes
put seems somewhat homogeneous.
Allan Pinkerton began his life In Amer
: lea as cooper, and IL was while setting
up, hopping and heading barrels In small
Illinois town that he got his first reputa-
tion as a detective. A gang of counter
feiters had long defied tho most painstak-
ing efforts Of the states legal forces 10 To-
cate or capture them, but Pinkerton, who
took up the case without authority and
purely as speculation, succeeded sc
quickly and with such cleverness In his
self appointed task as to win general
praise. This was in 1851, and early in the
following year he established the first
Pinkerton detective agency with lawyer
named Edward l.. Rucker for partner.
Pinkerton's service on the Chicago force
came later.
The death of Allan Pinkerton occurred
in 1884, only three children OF eight sur.
viving him, the two mentioned above 8s
present heads of the bureau and another
His granddaughter, Miss Margaret Pink
erton, daughter of William A., was mar
ried TO Pullman in 1891.
The Reigniug Pinkertons.
Naturally the Pinkertons now in COM
mand have many enemies, both among
criminals and the rank and file OF organ
izod labor, and Gro we'll aware Of that fact.
A man who knows William and Robert
Pinkerton very well told mo tho other day
that they were I'm almost constant fear OF
some untoward circumstances and that
there had long been presentiments In both
the New York and Chicago offices that
damage would some time be done to the
brothers by means of bombs.
For this reason who so pays n visit TO
either Robert or William is scrutinizod be-
fore being admitted to tho presence, not
always by men who may be seen, but al
ways keenly. And II the visitor chances
TO have bag or package of any size In
his possession on entering the Office he Is
politely but firmly requested TO deposit II
In some safe plaoc until after the intor-
view with the Pinkerton in charge has
been concluded.
Moreover from the beginning to the
end Of the talk an apparently unoccupied
employee of the Office IL In attendance
near enough 20 the stranger to grab him
ON the slightest Indication OF Intentions
with regard TO the use Of concealed wsep-
o.s lska DivL al lac Ia