AMERICA'S GREATEST DETECTIVE.

North Otago Times, 2 December 1911, Page 1 (Supplement)

AMERICA'S GREATEST DETECTIVE.

• "dome right in I" The voice was unmistakably Amorlr can. The!.owner of it was a big, burly,: broad-shouldered' gentleman, with hair just tinged with.grey.'Diamond rings flashed on his fingers; r, large cigar was: pressed between his tight lips. A keen, searching glance rested upon tho visitor for a mo ment, Then out stretched a strong hand.

"Guess I'm' glad to see you. Sit down,"

1 ton and bis fifteen hundred expert detectives .can lay claim to a remark--1 able record in tracking culprits, in unravelling the mysteries of crime. ' J "Say," said Mr. Pinkerton slowly, '' when tho initial question was put to " > him, "I'm Blmply here in connection with my own aOairs as well as a bit of a pleasure trip. I'm not loolting for trouble; guess that comes quick ' enough." | A paragraph from an American ' newspaper was shown the famous detective. Here It was stated that Mr. I Pinkerton had been invited to Lon- ' j don by the Home Ofllce to become one of the adviscrs-in-chief of the secret service men at Scotland Yard. "Cut that out right away," he flashed; "absolute bunkum; ridiculous I There's nothing to it. Guess the English detectives are amply able to take care of themselves without any assistance from mo. That's the newspaper men on tho other side. They generally help themselves, and they don't keep no-regard for the truth, either, so long as its readable. matter," j "Why," he went on, impressively | discussing the subject with a wave of j the hand, "I think your police are j [ the most thorough men in the world.! They are plodders. They don't jump at conclusions. When they bring a case into the courts they'vo got it prepared like a lawyer, Whtn a caso from Scotland Yard goes before the judge its ready. If there are any I American crooks over hero just now, 'tijke it from mo they won't get back ] again, Your men will get them," "What we think they are very adept in and moro perfect than In the United States or anywhere else in tho world is finger-print identification. That's a marvellous system of tho Yard," Mr. Pinkerton exclaimed. '"Something the New World has to pick up yet. Why, some two years ago a chap was arrested in Chicago for 'lifting,' I got his finger-prints taken, and without any name or description of the man I Bent them to Scotland Yard. Almost immediately I got a reply giving tho chap's whole criminal history and record, with his photographs, Now that's real smart. Out in America tho police are adopting this system. It's used in the

The interviewer breathed a sigh of relief. Ho had anticipated a somewhat different' reception from 'Bill' Pinkerton, the head of the worldfamous American organisation of .detectives. Mr. William Allan Pinker-

prisons, and all tho Boldlers are iden-; tided by finger prints, That'B a con- j yention of tho police chiefs of tho United States and Canada on June j 13 and 17. when the universal adop-! tion of the English system through- j out the whole o! the States is being strongly urged." | Discussing his big cases Mr, Pinkerton beenrao reminiscent. The re-! covery of the stolen Gainsborough * portrait of the Duchess of Devonshire | was cited. "Guess I'm' sick and tired of her," said the detective. "Thero [ wasn't a detective in London who didn't know who bad it, but you couldn't prove it," | Adam Worth, who stole the Gainsborough, Mr, Pinkerton regarded as the greatest criminal of the age, '"He was In every big job that was pulled off In Europe for ten years, He had a big house near Glapham Common, and lived like a prince. He took very little active part in his big coups, simply directed them, and this made it difficult to placo him, I came over here on his track in connection with a big bank robbery at Baltimore, Then ono day a yacht with 16 men on board left Southampton, Worth was on board, Tho next thing wo heard was a big diamond robbery from the Capo Town Post Office; 400,000 dollars' worth of stuff was cleared off."

It was whllo the great detective was investigating the Baltimore bank robbery that ho accidentally hecamo associated with tho Bank of England forgeries case. "I was in a shop in tho Strand when Bidwell and M'Donnell walked in and bumped right Into me. I thought they were in prison In America. Then, when on my way back to the States, the discovery of the Bank frauds was made." It was through the assistanco Mr. Plnkerton was able to give that the Bidwell brothers, were captured and sentenced.

One of the detective's most oxcitinj experiences was tho carrying of half a million dollars' worth of bonds on a train through a country whero there had been a great many train robberies, Mr Plnkerton had an empty safe in the luggage van, and carried the bonds on his person. Mr. William Pinkerton was last in London seven years ago. Since his brother Robert died B short time ago he has had the entire responsibility of the huge organisation known as Plnkerton's National Detective Agency thrown upon his shoulders. When tho chief leaves his homo in Chicago on a round of inspection of bis offices throughout tho United States it takes him ten weeks to do tho journey. "Organisation is the secret of our success and strength," Baid Mr. Pinkerton! In all the big' banks and concerns where money plays an important part Plnkerton's men are established.—"Daily News."