Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-08-19
Robert A. Pinkerton, Fam
Gus Catcher Of Crooks
And One Of the Founders Of
Big Detective Agency|s Dead.
Prominent All Over the Country.
Some Of his Big Cases.

New York, Aug. 1S.-Robcrt y. PINK
erton, the famous detective, died on
board the steamship Bremen at sea
Aug. II. He was en- route to Germany
for his health. "Florrie" Sullivan OF
this city, brother of big Tim the
politician, was with him.
Bob Pinkerton was ubiquitous In
personal appearance he was striking
man. The tale of how he ran down the
RenOs and his capture of the notorious
Bidwells is yet fresh history. The list
of forgers whom he dragged To earth
is almost without end.
The Pinkerton organization was =
simple partnership between Robert A.
Pinkerton of New York and William
A, Pinkerton of Chicago. Employees OF
the organization have been opposed in
various parts of the country b. more
than 300. 900 strikers in the past 20 yelrs
The Pinkertons have taken part
against the laboring men in All the
great strikes of the past 30 years. IheN
are known as "Pinks." They were con-
spcuous during the Molly Masulr9
troubles and in the great pennsylvania
coal strikes, where many OF them lost
their lives. They were engaged IN sew
eral fierce fights with the strikers Oh
the New York Central Railroad at AL
bany some years ago.
Since the PInkerton agency engaged
in the police business. it is estimated
that over GOO of its men have been
killed. The number of those seriously
injured was much larger.
One Of Pinkerton's greatest cases IN
yolving a Boston thief, was his round
ND Of Adam Worth. known on four con-
tinents as Little Adam"
The first important crime in winch
Adam took part was the robbery of an
insurance company in Cambridge, from
which $4,000 was stolen. Other profess
sional thieves were also involved in this
crime, and some of them were arrested
and convicted. but Worth escaped even
arrest. At the same time he SO manipu-
lated matters that the lions share of the
booty eventually fell into his hands.
From 1866 until 1870 Worth was the
brains Of gang of daring professionals
which operated all over the United States.
both East and West. In each of these
Jobs some of the minor conspirators were
captured and punished. but Little
Adams always managed to escape.
Finally, with the idea, as he afterward
admitted, of making a big stake and set
thing down to spend the rest of his life
In luxury, Worth planned and engineered
the sensational robbery of the Boylston
Bank in Boston. In that robbery. one of
the most noted in criminal annals. the
robbers got clear away with cash and ne
gotiable securities to the value OF more
than s., oon,G00.
At once the Pinkertons We're called in,
onJ o1,ar1, roco,,rca of o agency was de-
voted to the work of capturing the GRIM
inals
In the latter part Of 1873 William A.
Pinkerton, visiting England on business
connected with the robbery of bank in
Baltimore, got on the track Of Worth and
came near to cato ching him. but the craft
Of Little Adam was triumphant. He
succeeded In evading the detectives. and
went on. as before. In his career of plum
dering the nations.
1t was years before Pinkerton finally
rounded up this thief
Robert Pinkerton had charge of all the
Eastern race tracks for number of
years and to his efforts was due the hold
ing in check Of the element that would
have made racegoing unsafe.
From 900 to 400 men under his super
vision have policed the various tracks at
all times. and during the past two years
It has been the boast of the agency that
not crook could pass the gates at met
ropolitan track
Mr. Pinkerton was a lovable and char
table man. and It has been known for
years that n considerable part Of his in
come has been going out in support Of the
Obliged to put behind the bars.