The Pinks Read online

  The

  Pinks

  The

  Pinks

  The First Women Detectives, Operatives, and Spies with the Pinkerton National Detective Agency

  Chris Enss

  Dedicated to Adelyne, Grace, and Avery

  An imprint of Globe Pequot

  An imprint and registered trademark of Rowman & Littlefield

  Distributed by NATIONAL BOOK NETWORK

  Copyright © Chris Enss 2017

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review.

  British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Available

  ISBN 978-1-4930-0833-9 (paperback)

  ISBN 978-1-4930-3066-8 (e-book)

  The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

  Contents

  Contents

  Acknowledgments

  Foreword

  Introduction

  Chapter 1: Operative Kate Warne

  Chapter 2: Operative Mrs. R. C. Potter

  Chapter 3: Operative Hattie Lewis Lawton

  Chapter 4: Operative Mrs. M. Barkley

  Chapter 5: Operative Barkley in Washington

  Chapter 6: Operative Ellen

  Chapter 7: Operatives Elizabeth Baker and Mary Touvestre

  Chapter 8: Operative Elizabeth Van Lew

  Chapter 9: Operative Dr. Mary Edwards Walker

  Chapter 10: Operatives L. L. Lucille and Miss Seaton

  Bibliography

  About the Author

  Acknowledgments

  This study of Kate Warne and those who served as the first women operatives with the Pinkerton National Detective Agency benefited from the energy of many individuals. Librarian and historian Madelyn Helling inspired it, TwoDot editorial director Erin Turner encouraged it, and archivists at the Library of Congress and the Chicago Historical Society enriched it.

  Special thanks to Rachel Dworkin, archivist at the Chemung County Historical Society, for supplying information about Kate Warne’s early life.

  I’m grateful to Jennifer Brathovde, librarian at the Library of Congress, and archivist Charlotte Richards at the National Archives for their help with compiling information about the cases the lady Pinkerton agents investigated. John Moriarty, vice president and general counsel at the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, assisted in tracking down documents relating to Allan Pinkerton and the formation of the Secret Service; and Doug Cunningham, director of operations at the Agency, kindly offered advice on where to acquire employment records and aliases used.

  Accomplished author Corey Recko was generous with his time and writing talent. I referred to his exceptional book A Spy for the Union: The Life and Execution of Timothy Webster often.

  I greatly appreciate the sharp eye and diligent, fact-checking services of editor B. Keith Williams. His efforts go a long way toward helping me to be confident about the historical accuracy of the product I submit to the publisher.

  Finally, to the gifted people at TwoDot, from the project managers to the artists who design the book covers, thank you very much for your efforts.

  Foreword

  When Allan Pinkerton founded the Pinkerton Detective Agency in 1850, he not only became the world’s first “private eye,” he also established an organization that would set the global standard for investigative and security excellence for generations to come.

  But the agency had only just begun the process of setting that standard when Kate Warne walked into Allan Pinkerton’s office six years later and asked for a job. Her request was well timed. Pinkerton was keenly focused on new opportunities and was consciously looking to make bold choices that reinforced his vision of Pinkerton as an innovator and a disruptor.

  Warne’s confidence and persuasive skills were impressive, and Pinkerton’s flexibility and willingness to “defy convention” perhaps equally so. It is to his credit, and to the enduring credit of the Pinkerton Detective Agency, that it took Pinkerton less than twenty-four hours to inform Warne that he would hire her—a decision that made her the nation’s first female detective. It was a remarkable turn of events at a time when only 15 percent of women held jobs outside of the home, and contemporary ideas about what constituted “women’s work” severely limited employment opportunities for women.

  Kate Warne, and the accomplished women who played such an important role in building the Pinkerton Detective Agency into an iconic global security and law enforcement institution, made it abundantly clear that the prevailing definition of “women’s work” was not just inadequate, but wholly obsolete.

  Kate’s story, and the stories of all of these remarkable female operatives—presented so beautifully and in such rich detail here in this fascinating and important book—are not just a moving reminder of the achievements of a handful of bold pioneers, they are also a remarkable testament to the exemplary tradition of innovation that has distinguished the Pinkerton name over the course of more than a century and a half of dedicated service.

  Portrait of Allan Pinkerton, founder of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency Courtesy of the Library of Congress

  Allan Pinkerton was very clear about the fact that he wanted his company to be fearless and to have a “reputation for using innovative methods to achieve its goals.” What is remarkable is not just the aspiration, but the execution: This founding vision would grow into a long-standing tradition of innovation and a commitment to inspired service that became intricately woven into Pinkerton’s organizational DNA.

  Pinkerton’s enduring legacy of bold moves, brave choices, and the relentless pursuit of excellence is much more than just an aging résumé—it is the foundation for an organization that remains on the cutting edge. Today, the company that predates the Civil War not only remains relevant, but has continued to establish itself as a dynamic and innovative presence on the world stage. Pinkerton is a recognized industry leader in developing forward-looking security and risk management solutions for national and international corporations. Remarkably, an organization that once protected Midwestern railways and pursued famous outlaws like Jesse James and Butch Cassidy is now providing sophisticated corporate risk management strategies and high-level security services for clients across the globe, setting a twenty-first-century standard for corporate risk management.

  Now, as then, Pinkerton understands that combating new and emerging threats and serving its clients require a willingness to challenge conventional wisdom, and embrace new assets and new ideas—whether they are the world’s first female detectives or new cybersecurity protocols. From investigative and private detective work to security and corporate risk consulting, Pinkerton prides itself on doing whatever it takes to keep its clients safe and to protect their assets and their interests. That resolve is one of the biggest reasons why an agency that was protecting Abraham Lincoln was also on the ground in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and why the principles and practices that were in place almost eighty years before the discovery of penicillin still apply to an organization that provides risk management services to some of the world’s most innovative enterprises in 2016.

  As you read and enjoy these fascinating profiles of gifted Pinkerton operatives, you will readily see how their work and their character e
xemplified the agency’s values of Integrity, Vigilance, and Excellence. Ultimately, those attributes are at the heart of these tales, and at the heart of the larger Pinkerton story. It’s a history that spans three centuries, with compelling new chapters still being written each and every day.

  —Jack Zahran, president of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency

  Introduction

  Her smile could be shy, her glance at times demure, but her ears never missed a secret. She was a master of disguises who could change her accent at will, infiltrate social gatherings, and collect information no man was able to obtain. She cried on command, was stoic while interrogating a suspect, and composed when necessary. She was tough when needed, accommodating when warranted, and never, ever slept on the job. She was a detective working for the nation’s first security service: the Pinkerton Detective Agency.

  Allan Pinkerton, founder of the organization and pioneer in the field, dared to hire women as agents. Kate Warne, recognized by many historians as America’s first female detective, persuaded Pinkerton to take a chance on her sleuthing skills in 1856. Prior to her being hired at the agency, women were relegated to secretarial duties at the company.

  Allan Pinkerton was born on August 25, 1819, in Glasgow. His father, William Pinkerton, was a police sergeant in that city and died from injuries inflicted by a prisoner he was taking into custody. Until the age of thirty-three, Allan Pinkerton followed the trade of a cooper, which he learned in Scotland and subsequently practiced in Canada and the United States.

  Pinkerton’s search for a location and opening took him to Chicago and then to Dundee, Kane County, Illinois, thirty-eight miles from Chicago. He had a habit of making the wrongs of the community his own, and it led him to uncovering a ring of counterfeiters living and working in the area. All were captured and tried for their crimes.

  The fame of this exploit, together with his success in capturing horse thieves on various occasions, gave Pinkerton a wide local reputation; he was made deputy sheriff of Kane County, in which capacity he soon became the terror of cattle thieves, horse thieves, counterfeiters, and mail robbers all over the state. He was a born detective with such rare genius for the craft and such an extraordinary personality that there was no keeping him in obscurity. Pinkerton parlayed his talent into his own company, established in 1850. He had an excellent instinct for selecting the right people to work for him. Kate Warne proved herself to be one of Pinkerton’s finest agents and paved the way for other women detectives.

  Over the course of Kate’s twelve-year career as an agent, she used numerous aliases. She would spend months undercover assuming various roles, from a benevolent neighbor to an eccentric fortune-teller. Kate and other female investigators willingly put themselves in harm’s way to resolve a case. Whether it was searching the home of a suspected murderer for clues or transporting classified material past armed soldiers, lady Pinkerton agents demonstrated that they were fearless and capable.

  After a little more than four years, Kate had so impressed Pinkerton with her aptitude for investigation and observation that he made her the head of all female detectives at the agency. In early 1861, he placed her in charge of the Union Intelligence Service, a forerunner of the Secret Service. The function of the Secret Service was to obtain information about the Confederacy’s resources and plans and to prevent such news from reaching the Rebel army. There, too, Kate and the other lady operatives excelled at their duties. According to Pinkerton’s memoirs, potential recruits were made aware of how valuable Kate’s work was to the organization. “In my service you will serve your country better than on the [battle]field,” Pinkerton told hopeful employees. “I have several female operatives. If you agree to come aboard you will go in training with the head of my female detectives, Kate Warne. She has never let me down.”

  Among the key members of Kate’s staff was Hattie Lawton, a dedicated supporter of the Union stationed in Washington, where she posed as the wife of the first spy in the Civil War to be executed. Accomplished sculptor Vinnie Ream was another operative. She acted as a spy inside the White House while creating a marble bust of President Lincoln. Mrs. E. H. Baker uncovered Confederate plans for the development of sophisticated weaponry that could have changed the course of the Civil War had it not been discovered. Masquerading as a nurse, Elizabeth Van Lew supplied General Ulysses S. Grant with vital tactical and strategic information that gave the Yankees a decided edge over the Rebels.

  It’s difficult to fully research the career of a spy, as the very essence of their craft involves subterfuge and misdirection. If you’re a good spy, few know anything at all about you. Agents spend several months at a time on covert missions. They might use the same alias for the entire job, or change their handle in the middle of a case if the investigation has been compromised. Pinkerton kept meticulous records of the work his operatives performed, but volumes of files stored at his Chicago office were destroyed in a fire in the early 1930s. What remained was eventually transferred to the National Archives and the Library of Congress. The trail of the operatives was charted using Pinkerton’s records, newspaper articles, and memoirs of the various agents.

  Critics of Pinkerton argue that he not only exaggerated his role in helping to solve the cases he undertook, but also invented the capers themselves to promote the agency and generate business. Pinkerton disregarded the insults and credited the comments to envious competitors.

  Pinkerton was a sharp businessman who could not be bullied and who knew what battles were important to fight. In 1876, three of Pinkerton’s top agents banded together to persuade him to reconsider hiring female detectives. Pinkerton learned that the request had been made at the urging of his male operatives’ jealous wives. The men admitted their wives had difficulty with the idea of them working alongside women, but said their real reason for not wanting females at the company was the fact that the job had become too dangerous for women. Pinkerton was outraged and made his position clear. “It has been my principle to use females for the detection of crime where it has been useful and necessary,” he announced. “With regard to the employment of such females, I can trace it back to the moment I first hired Kate Warne, up to the present time . . . and I intend to still use females whenever it can be done judiciously. I must do it or sacrifice my theory, practice, and truth. I think I am right, and if that is the case, female detectives must be allowed in my agency.”

  Pinkerton was loyal to the women he had hired. It was while working with Kate in 1861 that he came up with the idea for the company’s logo and slogan: “We Never Sleep” is scrawled below an all-seeing eye. While on assignment to protect president-elect Abraham Lincoln, Kate refused to close her eyes and rest until the politician was out of danger.

  Pinkerton's National Detective Agency logo inspired by Operative Kate Warne Courtesy of the Library of Congress

  More than one hundred years after the first female was hired by the Pinkerton Detective Agency, hundreds of women now work for the firm. Whether in plain clothes as investigators or in snappily tailored, steel-blue uniforms as security officers for industrial plants, colleges, hospitals, and convention centers, women fill a variety of assignments.

  Like their predecessors, Lady Pinkertons (or Pinks for short) continue to be levelheaded and curious, as well as think-on-their-feet agents who know what to do in a crisis.

  Although women were not admitted to any police force until 1891, or widely accepted as detectives until 1903, Kate Warne and the women she trained paved the way for future female officers and investigators, and are regarded as trailblazers in the private eye industry.

  Chapter One

  Operative Kate Warne

  The depot of the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad in Philadelphia was strangely bustling with an assortment of customers on the evening of February 23, 1861.1 Businessmen dressed in tailcoats, high-waisted trousers, and elaborate cravats milled about with labor
ers adorned in faded work pants, straw hats, and long dusters. Ladies wearing long, flouncy, bell-shaped dresses and small hats topped with ribbon streamers of blue, gold, and red mingled with women in plain brown skirts, white leg o’mutton–sleeved blouses and shawls. Some of the women traveled in pairs and conversed in low voices as they walked from one side of the track to the other. Most everyone carried a carpetbag or leather valise.

  The depot was the hub of activity; parents and children, railroad employees, and young men in military uniforms made their way with tickets in hand and destinations in mind. Among the travelers were those who were content to remain in one place, either on a bench reading a paper or filling the wait time knitting. Some frequently checked their watches, and others drummed their fingers on the wooden armrests of their seats. There was an air of general anticipation. It was chilly and damp, and restless ticket holders studied the sky for rain. In the far distance, thunder could be heard rumbling.2

  At 10:50 in the evening, an engine and a few passenger cars pulled to a stop at the depot, and a conductor disembarked. The man was pristinely attired and neatly groomed. He removed a stopwatch from his pocket and cast a glance up and down the tracks before reading the time. The conductor made eye contact with a businessman standing near the ticket booth who nodded ever so slightly. The businessman adjusted the hat on his head and walked to the far end of the depot where a freight loader was pushing a cart full of luggage toward the train. The freight man eyed the businessman as he passed by, and the businessman turned and headed in the opposite direction. Something was about to happen, and the three individuals communicating in a minimal way were involved.

  Three well-built men in gray and black suits alighted from one of the cars as the freight man approached. One of the men exchanged pleasantries with the baggage handler as he lifted the suitcases onto the train, and the two other men took in the scene before them. Somewhere out of the shadows of their poorly lit platform, a somberly dressed, slender woman emerged. At first glance she appeared to be alone. She stood quietly waiting for the freight man to load the last piece of luggage. When he had completed the job and was returning to the ticket office, she walked briskly toward the train.