The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1907-08-20
BOB PIAEERTOH DEAD
Noted Detective Dies at Sea
While On Way 10 Europe.
HAD LONG BEEN IN lLLHEALTH
Ie9sn Career While College Student
and eccar'e One Ct the Greatest Of
Crinlnolosi sts-Helped Run Down
Nelly Masuires lr Pennsylvania.

New York. Aug ls.-Rcbc-t \. Pin.
Eerton- head OF the Pinkerton dstec-
tive agency. died AT sca on Monday on
board the steamer Bremen. which has
arrived at Plymouth England. He was
on his way 20 Germany. in the hope OF
benefiting his health. and had been
ailing for some months. but his fatal
Illness. which was due 70 fatty dercn-
erutiou OF the heart. lasted but two
DAYS. Accompanying Piukerton was
Florence sullivan. the East Side poll
tician. who win bring the body back to
America on tho North German LLOYD
liner Kaiser Wilhelm H. which sails
from Bremen on Tuesday Mr.. Pinker.
ton was so years old. and leaves a
widow and seven children
His brother. William Pinkerton. who
has been al Saratoga attending the
races. was notified BY iorg-distancc
telephone has returned 90 New YORK.
and will take charge Of the affairs az
the local Office and make preparations
for the burial Of 'he body upon IFS AZ
rival here.
Robert 4 P.nkcrton perhaps wa
regarded as the greatest thicfcatcher
IN the world. He came by his detective
instinct naturally. he was the eldest
son Of old Allan Pinkcrton founder OF
the P!nkerton agency. and famous as
the man who In the early days Of the
Civil War thwartei. single-handcd. the
first plot Co murder President Lincoln.
When Allan Piakerton died he left
his business and the bulk OF his money
20 his two boys. Bob and -pHiv Do
Bob" assumed charge Of the eastern
district. while ~Biiiiy~ always has lived
IN the west and locked after the west.
ern territory from the ChicaSo head.
quarters.
They organized and controlled an
army Of men who are used IN defend.
ing property during strikes and labor
wars. who have surrounded banks and.
large financial concerns with sys-
TEN Of guardianship which has made
a lov art Of expert safe blowing. and
who protect all the big race tracks
from pickrockets end pool-room
sharps To Robert. the brother who
died this week on the ocean. much OF
the credit for this expression OF in
dustry was due About TIE ra~a
tracks. where Robert a Piuksrton WAS
a familiar figure. with his square
shoulders and his quiet. gentle man
ners. few az the thousands who knew
him realized that personally he was
one Of the keenest crackers OF crime
America ever produced. In the DAYS
OF the old-time cracksmcn OF the Jim.
my Hope school Bob" Pinkerton had
a wonderful knacS Of placing the cred
~ of a job where Il belonged merely
from an examination Of the traces
which the burglars left behind
More than once his coolness and his
grit saved his life. He had been shot
at waylaid and amhushci. but he ncv.
er received 80 much as scratch IN all
HIS career Long before he reached
his majority he was doing active ser
vice for the United States government.
He had Just gone from his birthplace
az Dudee III. 20 enter Notre Dame
university when the Civil War BEGAN
but LEFT college ana entered the army
secret service stan under his father.
Toward the close OF hostilities ne
was detailed TO the department OF the
gulf where he won a reputation for
himself Among the most notable
cases in which he figured personally
were the Molly Mcguire conspiracies
anG the Homestead labor wars