Evening star., 1951-08-12

In century or
Fighting Crime
THE PINKERTON STORY
IBy James D. Horan and Howard
1Swiggett. 90. P. Putndm's Sons;
$780,
Reviewed by Rex Collier
AS its title indicates. this book
stands apart from the usual de-
tective story. It is an authorita-
tive stranger-than- fiction account
Of the varied investigative activi-
ties Of Americas Oldest private
eye" agency.
Delving through the case files of
the century-o old organization, the
authors have chosen some of the
more extraordinary episodes in the
extraordinary careers of the elder
and younger Pinkertons and their
associates. 1t is hardly surprising
that the sum total is q volume
which it is difficult to put down
once 1t has been opened.
The cases bear no similarity to
one another, even Of the co-inci-
dental variety. Pinkerton's Ma
tional Detective Agency had its
beginnings in the lurid era of the
James boys, the Younger brothers
and the Reno gang. Allan Pinker-
ton credited the Reno brothers
with the dubious distinction of
"inventing" train robbery. Some
Iof the more exciting chapters in
the book recount the terroristic
rampages of the Reno gang in In
diana in the early days of rail-
reading and the final capture and
lynching Of the outlaws. The
Pinkertons were not, of course,
parties to the lynching. In fact,
Allan Pinkerton nearly lost his life
trying to deliver one of the rob-
bers to the constituted authorities.
First "Secret Service"
From bank robberies the agency
turned to an entirely new field of
Operations during the Civil War
period. 1t was during this time
that the Pinkertons became the
Nations first secret service
albeit not without much contro-
versy. Leading up to this Federal
!. service was Allan's disputed dis
Icovery Of a plot to assassinate
Abraham Lincoln en- route to his
first inaugural. There are those
who doubt that such a plot ever
: existed. but Authors Horan and
Swiggett are convinced that con-
spiracy did take place and that
IPinkerton's Intervention saved
Lincoln from an attack while pass
ing through Baltimore. With the
/ outbreak of the Civil War, Allan
became involved in more contro-
versy, through political spying
for his friend, Gen. Mcclellan.
Serving as an intelligence officer
|, under Mcclellan, Maj. Pinkerton
i; apparently spent more time check
ing on the conversations and
movements of the Union gen.
. erals critics in Washington than
on the doings of the enemy. His
!; secret reports to Mcclellan make
interesting reading.
Il Labor Spying.
II More controversy developed long
! after the war when the Pinkertons
were engaged in labor spying"
work for large corporations. The
claim Of this phase Of the agen-
|, Icy's adventures was the bloody
Homestead Pa.) riot Of 1892, dur
I ing which four Pinkerton men
were killed and scores of others
who had been employed to guard
the Carnegie steel plant were in
jured. The agency no longer takes
cases which concern "the lawful
attempts Of labor unions or en-
lployes to organize and bargain
collectively"
i Without controversy. however,
were numerous cases which test
ed the ingenuity and courage of
the Pinkertons and their under
cover agents. There are murders
galore, jewel thefts and other
crimes to satisfy the mystery fan
all solved with the fair expect
ed OF Pinkerton operatives. In
short, this book is made to order
for vacationers.