Show i MEN DURING the last few years what are known ss pinkerton men have frequently taken prominent action 11 in connection with strikes and labor troubles a fact which has given rise to a great amoust of criticism adverse to the system under which those men act allen alien pinkerton bickerton Pio Pic kerton was one of the most able and remarkable detectives of modern times A native of scotland he located in chicago and be came the founder of the most extensive private detective agency in the world that the establishment founded by him should have grown as is ia has is by the way a significant commentary upon the social conditions in those portions of the united states in which pinkerton Fin kerton men are called into service among the principal functions of an ordinary private detective agency are the pr procuring curling of evidence in both civil and criminal actions at law a species of work covering a vast scope hunt ing up persons who may be missing or who are wanted the collection and recovery of claims etc to these functions pinkerton added that of f furnishing urnis hing to order men who might be wanted as guides guards sentinels escorts etc by travelers bankers merchants ex pressmen common carriers etc A stranger requiring the aid of a shrewd person familiar with streets and localities in chicago could be accommodated A bank having an unusually large quantity of tre treasure aspre on hand might deem it prudent to take additional precautions and pinkerton would furnish trusty guards in conveying valuable express matter from place to place reliable help was sometimes required and pinkerton supplied it within a few years the demands upon pinkertons Pink ertons business were such that he found it necessary to keep on hand a considerable force of men in order to be able to meet the calls of private parties soon the regular police found it advantageous to get assistance assi stance f from rom his agency which continued to increase rapidly in the extent of its operations and the number of its attaches and employed emp loyes next manufacturing institutions involved in labor troubles began to appeal to pinkerton lor for men to guard their property and protect protect the same irom from mobs and thus Dink pinkertons Pink ertons detective agency has become a great and in some respects a remarkable institution A few years a r a a ago go its founder allen alien pinkerton died ed but the agency is conducted with marked ability by his son robert at the present time the pinkerton detective agency has strong branches in new york boston st paul and denver with headquarters in chicago it will undertake to 10 fill orders for men for either detective or patrol daty duty at a moments notice and will dispatch d spa them to any part of of the unitta united states pinker ton men are selected with great care in respect to their record for sobriety reliability under pressure choln coolness aud and intelligence they are ard all eap exp exper with the rifle and revolver and ar ara subjected to a vigorous discipline besides those kept constantly on duty or underpay under pay numbering iv in all several hundred the agency has arrangements range ments by which its force in the cities named could be quickly and greatly augmented la in case of emergency it has an understanding with a large number of suitable men in each of those cities by which they would go on duty doty at short notice and the statement is made that the a geney agency could put in the field in a very brief space of time an army of picked men armed with navy revolvers and repeating winchester rifles thoroughly skilled ia the use of these weapons cool brave determined and well dis cip lined at the stock yard strike in chicago two years ago the pinkerton agency f furnished men vie the largest number it ever concentrated at any one point but it often has on patrol duty from fifty to 0 three hundred men under orders to guard property of isome some kind which is being threatened by strikers or mobs that such an institution as the pinkerton detective agency should grow and flourish and perform the work it does is proof of the decadence of the civil power in the states where its services are called into requisition and is a most unhealthful symptom in the body politic that institution to is already a very po powerful werf ul one and un der the patronage of wealth is rapidly becoming more so it is emigen eminently aly a tool of ci capital pital the main purpose ef f it its 8 existence being to serve the ends of the capitalist A system which takes the administration of the law out one of the hands bands of its officers and entrusts it to a private business concern cannot but be fraught with danger to the public weal |