husband, besides making the attempt on her brother's life; but I could
not have her punished, for her brother's object was to save her from the
ruin in which her downward course would probably end. Pattmore, however,
was a dangerous man, and it would be necessary to proceed with caution
in handling him. He seemed to be a villain at heart, and it was probable
that he only sought Mrs. Thayer's society in order to gratify his
sensual passions. Perhaps the Captain's suspicion, that Mrs. Pattmore's
illness was caused by poison administered by her husband, was correct;
if so, it would be necessary to act at once, before she should become
his victim. It was barely possible that he might intend to get a divorce
from his wife and then marry Annie; but I did not consider this
supposition a very probable one. He wished to be elected to Congress,
and he would not dare to give such an opportunity for scandal as would
ensue if he attempted that course. No; poison had been his reliance in
one case, and he would not scruple to make use of it again. Mrs. Thayer
was probably well informed as to all his plans, but, evidently, she
would not willingly divulge anything prejudicial to her lover. Her
brother was clearly unable to compel her to confess anything, or he
would not have applied to me. Moreover he could refuse her nothing, and
he would certainly object to any attempt to force her to give evidence
against her will. He admitted that she was weak, vain and thoughtless;
that she had been false to her husband; and that Pattmore had completely
bewitched her; yet the Captain resolutely stood between her and harm.
She could tell all of Pattmore's secrets if she were so disposed, and it
would be easier to get information out of her than out of him; the
question was--how shall I go about it?
I reflected that she was very superstitious, as shown by her belief in
the Captain's ring; it occurred to me that I might take advantage of
that trait of her character to draw her secrets out. Why could I not
introduce a fortune-teller to her, and thus learn all I wished to know?
The idea seemed to me to be admirably adapted to the necessities of the
case. I sketched out, in my mind, a skeleton plan of operations about as
follows:
I should entrust the case to one of my female detectives; she would be
posted upon all the points of Mrs. Thayer's history; she would be
required to learn enough of astrology, clairvoyance and mesmerism, to
pass for one of the genuine tribe; the plan would be so arranged that
Mrs. Thayer would voluntarily consult this fortune-teller, who would
soon gain a complete ascendency over her superstitious nature by
revealing to her all her past life; finally Mrs. Thayer could be brought
to tell all she knew of Pattmore as a means of aiding the sibyl to read
her future.
This plan seemed to me the most feasible of any, and I therefore decided
to adopt it in working up the case against Pattmore. After all, he would
be the one against whom my efforts would be directed, Mrs. Thayer being
only an unconscious instrument in bringing him to justice. In case it
could be shown that he had actually attempted to murder his wife, I was
determined that he should not escape the swift vengeance of the law.
Just as I had concluded my deliberations, the Captain hurried into my
office, the perspiration standing in great beads on his forehead.
"Mr. Pinkerton, I fear we are too late!" he exclaimed in a husky voice.
"Annie has just received a telegram from Mr. Pattmore, saying that his
wife is dead."
"_Dead!_" I repeated. "Is it possible! When did she die?"
"To-day," he replied.
"It will be an easy matter to discover the cause of her death," I said,
after a moment's pause. "We must have a _post mortem_ examination held."
"That may be possible," replied the Captain; "but you must recollect
that Pattmore has a great many friends in Greenville; that, in fact, he
is a prominent candidate for the Democratic Congressional nomination;
and, even if he were supposed to be guilty, the party would make a
strong fight to protect him, as they could not afford to have him
exposed."
"Is it possible that he has so much influence as that?" I asked.
"Oh, yes," said the Captain; "he is a brilliant speaker, and a very
agreeable man socially, so that he makes many friends. He is such a wily
scoundrel that I fear we shall have great difficulty in tracing any
crime directly to him. I do not care whether he is convicted or not,
provided I can rescue Annie from his clutches. He has apparently cast a
spell over her, and she is wholly controlled by him."
"If that is the fact, we must use strategy, and undermine his plot with
a deeper one. I will accept a retainer from you, Captain, and then we
will proceed to work up the case."
The financial part of the arrangement having been adjusted, I gave the
Captain some advice as to what he should do. I told him that he must
place implicit confidence in me, and not try to interfere in any manner
with my plans. If he could not do this, I should withdraw at once. He
must come in to see me often and keep me well informed; but he must not
expect me to tell him about my plans, any further than I should see fit.
I should try to show Pattmore's villainous character to Annie, and if I
could gather sufficient evidence that he had poisoned his wife, I should
bring him to justice. I then told the Captain that he ought to have a
quarrel with Annie, at the end of which he should burn his will in her
presence, and leave her; on going out, he should tell her that he
intended immediately to deposit his ready money in bank, and make a will
wholly in favor of Lucy. This would prevent Annie from again attempting
his life, as she would have nothing to gain by his death.
The Captain was satisfied to accept my conditions, and he said that he
had full confidence in my ability. All that he desired was to save Annie
from the power of Pattmore, and from the ruin which would inevitably
result from their further intercourse. He then went home to have his
quarrel with his sister.
I determined to send a detective named Miller, to Greenville, to obtain
board at the Pattmore House, and, if possible, to become intimate with
the proprietor. This part of my plan would require prompt action, as
Pattmore might succeed in removing all evidences of his guilt. I
therefore, sent for Mr. Miller, and went over all the facts of the case
with him, giving him full instructions as to his duties. He was to hail
from Bangor, Maine, and to represent that he wished to start in the
lumber business in Greenville, if the prospects were good. I told him to
post himself thoroughly upon the qualities and prices of all kinds of
lumber, lath, shingles, etc., and to read up the local history of
Bangor. To make matters easier for him, I gave him a letter of
introduction to a lumber dealer in Greenville, with whom I was well
acquainted. The next day, Miller was ready, and he took passage to
Buffalo by steamer, going thence to Greenville by rail. He then took a
room at the Pattmore House, and soon became acquainted with the
proprietor.
The same day that I gave Miller his instructions, I sent for Miss
Seaton, one of the detectives in the female department, and ordered her
to make arrangements to take board in the same house with Captain Sumner
and Mrs. Thayer. Miss Seaton was a brunette, about twenty-seven years of
age; she was of agreeable appearance and pleasing manners; she had been
a school teacher, and was a good judge of human nature. Mrs. Warne, the
superintendent of the female department, said that Miss Seaton was very
sharp, and that nothing could escape her piercing black eye. She was to
cultivate Mrs. Thayer's acquaintance, and endeavor to win her
confidence. This would probably be a difficult task; but I told Miss
Seaton to be patient and discreet, and not to be discouraged, if she
should not be immediately successful. By pretending to be in poor
health, she could obtain Mrs. Thayer's sympathy, and their progress
toward intimacy would be accelerated. Miss Seaton immediately moved to
the City Hotel, whence she set out to look for a boarding place. By a
curious coincidence, she could not satisfy herself until she came to the
house where Mrs. Thayer was boarding on the North side. There she found
a pleasant room adjoining Mrs. Thayer's, and it suited her exactly. That
evening at supper, she was introduced to her fellow boarders, of whom
there were only three besides the Captain and his sister.
The employment of female detectives has been the subject of some adverse
criticism by persons who think that women should not engage in such a
dangerous calling. It has been claimed that the work is unwomanly; that
it is only performed by abandoned women; and that no respectable woman
who becomes a detective can remain virtuous. To these theories, which I
regret to say are quite prevalent, I enter a positive denial. My
experience of twenty years with lady operatives is worth something, and
I have no hesitation in saying that the profession of a detective, for a
lady possessing the requisite characteristics, is as useful and
honorable employment as can be found in any walk of life.
Previous to the early part of 1855, I had never regularly employed any
female detectives; nor were women engaged in that capacity in any part
of the Union. My first experience with them was due to Mrs. Kate Warne,
an intelligent, brilliant, and accomplished lady. She offered her
services to me in the early spring of that year, and, in spite of the
novelty of her proposition, I determined to give her a trial. She soon
showed such tact, readiness of resource, ability to read character,
intuitive perception of motives, and rare discretion, that I created a
female department in the agency, and made Mrs. Warne the superintendent
thereof.
The work of my female detectives is generally light. Zeal and discretion
are the principal requisites, though conscientious devotion to duty, and
rigid obedience to orders, are also essential. They are expected to win
the confidence of those from whom information is desired, and to lose no
opportunity of encouraging them to talk about themselves.
With regard to the moral influence of their duties, I say boldly that it
is in no respect different from that of any other position where women
are thrown upon their own resources. It is an unfortunate fact in our
social system, that no single woman or widow, dependent upon herself for
support, can escape a loss of caste and position by working in the great
field of business where she comes in competition and contact with men;
but, aside from this general prejudice, there is nothing in the
detective's duties to make her profession less respectable and honorable
than there is in the duties of a lady cashier, book-keeper, copyist, or
clerk. The detective's temptations are no greater than those of any of
the foregoing who mingle with men in their daily business; while, on the
other hand, the safeguards of their virtue are much more numerous, since
all the detectives of my agency know that their conduct is under
constant surveillance.
There are instances of frequent occurrence where great criminals are
successful in hiding all traces of their guilt so effectually as to make
their conviction impossible without the aid of the female detective.
Most of these men have wives or mistresses in whom they confide to a
great extent. The testimony of these women, then, become the sole means
by which to convict the criminals, and their testimony can be obtained
in only one way--a female detective makes their acquaintance, wins their
confidence, and draws out the story of the crime. Such an instance is
given in "The Expressman and the Detective," hitherto published.
I have in my employ several ladies of unquestionable purity of life, who
are also among the most successful operators on my whole force. I take
pleasure in offering this tribute to their ability, and their spotless
characters.
The next day the Captain called to see me, and said that, according to
my advice, he had quarreled with Annie about Pattmore, and had worked
himself into a great rage. Finally, he had torn up and burned his will,
saying that he should immediately make another, leaving everything to
Lucy.
"So far, so good," said I; "she now will have no motive for poisoning
you, so you can rest in peace."
The Captain stated further that he had deposited in bank a few hundred
dollars which he had brought with him, so that he felt comparatively
safe for the present.
That evening Miss Seaton reported that Mrs. Thayer had left the house
shortly after the Captain. Miss Seaton had followed her to the
post-office, where Mrs. Thayer had deposited a letter, and had received
another at the ladies' window. She had immediately torn it open, read
it hastily, and crumpled it in her hand, while slowly walking home. I
was very anxious to know to whom she had written, and also who had
written to her. I immediately wrote to Miller to watch Pattmore's mail,
and to learn whether there were any letters in it from Chicago. If so, I
wished him to obtain a view of the handwriting, and, if possible, to get
possession of the letters themselves long enough to take copies of them.
The next morning Captain Sumner came in again, but he had nothing to
report.
"Does Annie write much?" I asked.
"No, very little," he replied.
"Does she correspond with Lucy?"
"Sometimes, but not regularly."
"Did she not write a letter two days ago?" I inquired.
"No," answered the Captain; "but why do you ask?"
"Oh! for no particular reason; however I wish you would write to Lucy
and inquire whether she has received a letter from Annie lately; also
whether she has written to Annie."
"Certainly, I will do so now," said the Captain, and, he straightway sat
down to write to Lucy.
In a few days, the Captain received a letter from Lucy stating that no
letters had passed between her and Annie for over a month. This made it
certain that Lucy was not Annie's correspondent.
Miller sent in a report about the same time, saying that he had become
slightly acquainted with Pattmore, who was deeply mourning the death of
his wife. Even the mere mention of her name was sufficient to draw
tears to his eyes, and her loss had so severely affected him that his
friends were afraid he would never be the same man that he had been
during her life.
Miller had expressed an intention of opening an office in Greenville,
and Pattmore had given him some valuable advice and information relative
to the lumber market in the interior. Since getting my letter, Miller
had noticed that Pattmore had received four letters from Chicago. Miller
said that he had not been able to obtain possession of these letters,
but he should make a great effort to capture those which might come in
the future. He had taken pains to cultivate the friendship of the clerk
of the hotel, and he was on such good terms with him as to find it
convenient to pass a great deal of time in the office. He had noticed
that when the clerk received the mail, all of Pattmore's letters were
put into a particular box behind the desk, and he hoped to be able to
secure some of them.
I had devoted a large amount of thought to this singular case, and I
finally decided that I would go to Greenville in person. I determined to
see the coroner and find out what kind of a man he was. If possible, I
should induce him to have Mrs. Pattmore's body exhumed and an inquest
held upon it.
I had previously written to Mr. Chapman to obtain further information
about the Captain and his family, and had mentioned his superstitious
belief in the ring. I said that I was not afraid of losing money, as the
Captain offered me more than my usual scale of prices; but the Captain's
story and his great superstition led me to think that he was a "wee bit
daft," and that there was insanity in the family.
Mr. Chapman replied that he had known the Captain's father and mother
intimately, but there had been no sign of insanity in any of their
actions. They had been, however, firm believers in their rings, and had
had the rings which they had worn buried with them. They had been
clear-headed, religious people, and it was surprising that they should
have had such a superstitious faith in the power of those opal rings.
The Captain had always been an honorable, straight-forward man, but he
and his sister were even more superstitious than any of the others.
"Well," I thought, on reading Mr. Chapman's letter, "the whole family
are a strange medley; but I think I can turn their superstitious
credulity to good account, in any efforts to learn whether Pattmore
poisoned his wife."
_CHAPTER IV._
As soon as possible, I started for Greenville, to see the coroner; on my
arrival, I was so fortunate as to meet Mr. Wells, an old friend, who had
formerly been sheriff of the county. He offered to introduce me to his
successor, Mr. Tomlinson, who had once been his deputy. Mr. Wells was
quite wealthy, and had retired from business. Mr. Tomlinson was an
honest, hard working carpenter, who was thoroughly reliable and zealous.
Neither of these gentlemen, however, had the shrewdness nor the
experience necessary to detect criminals of the character and ability of
Pattmore. They were perfectly competent to attend to the small thieves
and swindlers of the district, but they were wholly ignorant and
unsuspicious of the means by which daring and skillful villains carry
out their plans and hide the evidences of their crimes.
They knew Mr. Pattmore well, as he had resided in Greenville for seven
years. They stated that he was a scheming politician who could not be
depended upon, and that he was trying to get the Democratic Nomination
for congressman. Probably, he would not succeed, but he was spending
money freely, and he would, therefore, be apt to get some good office.
He was not wealthy, but he kept his hotel well, and did a large
business. Mr. Wells thought that he used all his money as fast as he
made it, either in trying to get votes, or in some other way outside of
his business. His wife had been generally esteemed by a large circle of
acquaintances.
I told Mr. Tomlinson that I should like to see the coroner, and have him
investigate the causes of Mrs. Pattmore's death.
"Oh! that will be easy," he replied, "as I know Van Valkenburgh, the
coroner, very well, and we are on good terms. He is a warm friend of
Pattmore,--in fact, they are boon companions. He spends most of his time
in idling about the Pattmore House, and only yesterday, they went
driving together."
"I am sorry to hear that," said I; "for he will not wish to do anything
to injure his friend. How can I get an inquest called?"
"I don't know," said Mr. Tomlinson.
"Suppose that I should make an affidavit under an assumed name and hand
it to you, could you not serve it on the coroner as a complaint which
required his attention?" I asked.
"No; that would not do, as it would involve me in difficulty," replied
the sheriff; "but if I should hear people talking about the death of
Mrs. Pattmore, and hinting at foul play, it would be my duty to lay the
matter before the coroner. Then he, as a friend of Pattmore, could not
do otherwise than order an inquest."
I determined to act on this suggestion, and I therefore telegraphed to
Mr. Bangs, my General Superintendent, directing him to send two of my
detectives, Mr. Green and Mr. Knox, to meet me at the Clarendon House in
Greenville. They left Chicago by the next train, and when they arrived
in Greenville, I instructed them to go into the office of the hotel and
begin a conversation about Mrs. Pattmore's death; having told them what
I wished them to say, I sent them in. I had previously arranged that Mr.
Tomlinson should be present. Accordingly, they took seats in the main
hall in front of the clerk's desk, near which there was a large group of
guests and citizens, and began to talk in loud tones.
"Well," said Knox, "there are more cases of death by poisoning than you
would suppose. Now, there was a case in this town, only a short time
ago, in which I think that poison was used."
"Oh! you mean Mrs. Pattmore," said Green. "Yes, that was a very
suspicious affair. Was anything done about it?"
"No," replied Knox; "but every one, who knows anything about the
circumstances of her death, believes that she was poisoned."
My men were soon surrounded by an excited crowd, all of whom were
anxious to know the grounds upon which their suspicions were based. They
replied in vague terms and insinuations, as if they knew a great deal
more than they would tell. The news that Mr. Pattmore was suspected of
having poisoned his wife, was soon buzzed all through the Clarendon
House; and, as soon as the excitement had become general, my men slipped
away and joined me in my room.
Sheriff Tomlinson was immediately appealed to by many citizens to
require the coroner to investigate the matter, and he finally went to
the coroner's office, accompanied by quite a crowd. When the coroner
was informed of the reports in circulation, he became quite indignant.
"What! _Pattmore poison his wife!_" he exclaimed. "Why, he fairly doted
on her, and, since her death, he can hardly assuage his grief. He is a
gentleman in every sense of the word, and his character ought to be a
sufficient protection against so gross a slander. This is a contemptible
invention of his political opponents. I will soon vindicate him,
however. I shall have Mrs. Pattmore's body exhumed, and shall call an
inquest. Then, if any one has any charges to make, there will be an
opportunity for them to come forward. I will not consent to see a friend
of mine so vilely slandered."
Coroner Van Valkenburgh immediately wrote an order to have Mrs.
Pattmore's body disinterred, and, also, a call for an inquest the
following day. He had become very indignant at the idea of connecting
his friend, Pattmore, with such a hideous crime: he, therefore, hurried
over to tell Pattmore of the rumors, and of the prompt measures he had
taken to prove their falsity. He drew Pattmore into a private room and
told him all that he had heard and done. He expected that Pattmore would
thank him heartily for his friendly action; but, instead, Pattmore's
face turned very white, and he asked who it was that had spread the
rumors. The coroner said that the sheriff and several prominent citizens
had called upon him to investigate the rumors that were circulating at
the hotels and on the street. Pattmore became very much excited when he
heard this, and paced up and down in a nervous, irritable manner.
"Well," said Van Valkenburgh, "I will have the body exhumed to-morrow,
and when we have disproved the calumny, this scheme of your enemies will
do you more good than harm."
"Yes," said Pattmore; "but my love for my wife is far above all other
considerations. It is shocking to think that her body must be torn from
the grave to refute the vile slanders of my political opponents. I do
not know what course you usually pursue in such cases, but I would not,
for the world, have her remains exposed to the gaze of a cruel,
heartless crowd of strangers."
Mr. Pattmore's feelings quite overcame him, at the thought of such
desecration, and he wept.
"I'll take care of that," said the sympathizing coroner; "I will have
Dr. Forsythe make the examination, and his testimony will be sufficient
for the jury."
"Well, I shall be satisfied with any arrangements you may make," said
Pattmore. "I hope a good jury will be summoned; I do not wish my wife's
body to be examined by a lot of curiosity seekers."
"Your wishes shall be attended to," replied the coroner. "I know who are
your friends and I will summon no one else to sit on the jury."
"Van Valkenburgh," exclaimed Pattmore, seizing the coroner's hand, "I am
your friend for life!"
He then led the way to the bar-room and invited the coroner to drink.
Miller was standing in the bar-room as the coroner and Pattmore passed,
and noticing a haggard, pallid expression on the latter's face, he
stepped up and said:
"Why, what's the matter Pattmore? Has anything gone wrong with you?"
"No, Mr. Miller, nothing very serious. Some of my enemies have started
a story that I am responsible for my wife's death; but, of course, there
is not a word of truth in it. The coroner has taken the matter in
charge, and his verdict will soon set at rest these scandalous lies.
There is nothing too sacred for these political harpies and ghouls: they
literally have dragged the loved dead from the grave in the hope of
injuring my reputation. Well, time will show my innocence."
So saying, Pattmore pressed Miller's hand warmly, as if overcome with
emotion, and passed into the office. Mr. Green and Mr. Knox were
watching him, and when he went up stairs, he was followed by Knox, who
saw him go into his room. Knox immediately came down stairs and passed
across the street to a corner where I had agreed to wait for him. Having
heard his report I said:
"Mr. Knox, you are a stranger here, so you had better go back to see
what Pattmore is doing. You can stumble into his room, as if you had
mistaken it for your own. Be quick!" I added, as he started, "for we
must keep watch of him every minute until the inquest has been held."
"Knox rushed into the hotel, ran up stairs and hastily entered
Pattmore's room, where he found Pattmore writing a letter.