A Famous Foe of Criminals.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 15, 12 October 1907, Page 11

A Famous Foe of Criminals.

HIS GREATEST EXPLOIT.- „ , . , , „ 'London, August 23. .Mr. Bobert Allan I'inkerton, chief of tue world-famed detective agciicy that boars his name, died on board tho steamer Jiromon, which arrived at-Ply-m?«th froni' New York on Saturday. ■Mr. linkerton's death, which occurred on the 12th inst., was. due to heart disease. Tlio body was taken to Gcrmanv, whonce it will bo caried to New York,on the Kaiser Willielm 11. ,O V Or K managed from York tho eastern branch of tho us detectivo aijcncy. His brother , controlled .the western branch. Mr. Pinkerton's grandfather, from whom the founder of the agency inherited the detective, instinct, was a police sergeant in Glasgow. His father, vlr, Allan Pinkerlon, was a coopor by trade, who. emigrated, : over fiftv years ago, to Dundee—a little ,town* thirty miles west of Chicago. ;■' . ■' - t Civilisation had not then "arrived*' in the wild west. Horso: thieves ■ and forgers were'more plentiful (han honest men., Pinkorton;.gave; thorn so much attention, and captured so many of them that he was made sheriff. ' "Then ho was persuaded i to undertake spccial detective work in Chicago. ' Afterwards lie set up in business for himself, - This was the genesis of the organisation that has frequently'been described as the most' perfect detective agency in tho world, with offices in: every, great' American city and'in Canada, agents in every large town' in Europe, and moro than 1500 mon in constant employment. - Prominent among tho exploits' of Pinkerton's was the agency victory over an army of strikers of all nationalities at the Carnegie Stoel works, near Pittsburg. This was in 1894. •

The strikers "held up" tho works, and defended their position with two' powerful maxims. Then Pinkerton's were summoned, arid answered' the strikers shot for shot. It was a grim struggle; but the discipline and uaring' of tho agency men won tho day. : Mr. Pinkerton p-ns naturally proud'of tho agency hp controlled. He was wont to-say, with, a .touch of pardonable jirido, "Pinkerton's', can go -into any polico office ia the States, or even - in England, arid, say, 'Boys, wo want so-and-so,' and we'll get it." ■' •' He was deeply concerned with tho high reputation. of tho firm. ' -

"Wo don't deal, in murder except -we are, specially called in. ' Ours ia' a; respectable .business," lie once declared to an interyiewor., .. .■ '" Wo have some; 15,ODO.banks under our care.Wf> protect; >jewillers'- . shops and their men. on the road. ' " Mostoosf s the big rtco tracks ar under 6ut- supervision. Sometimes wo send down a hundred men to oho course to' police the grand,, stand and. ■ the enclosures.. ... . ' ' ■ ' • :,- , " We: dp not deal in. divorce and dirty work like that..- We spend.a pile of. rtioney every year in advertising _ that we would not touch it—no, not with a barge-polfe." V SparixioUs was Mr.'Pinkerton and liia, brother to insist on' the- credit, ofthai firm that, on ono occasion, thoy issued- a writ against, an American novelist for using their name in a romance of " crime aiid, blood." When' the ease was.- before tlio court,,' however," another detective with' th'o same name ..was] produced. '"'And' this; mau' was freely nulling the', riftht; to use our honoured name," said Mr. Pinkerton ■ indignantly in telling the.story.- ... '. . • , ' ■ The 1 achievements of the famous-agency would,' of: course,'fill many ponderous volumes. Mr." Pinkerton.'always •.regarded, as his most, exciting experience the carrying Of ,£IOO,OOO worth of bonds 611' a train through a ''country where thore had been many train/robberies.': ; A" safe .was rifled and tho 'guard " hold up." ' ; Mr.. Piiikerlon caried the bonds sewn'in the lining of ; his,'clothes.: ,