Born on the 25th of August, 1819. In Gorbals of Glasgow, Scotland.
Died on the 1st of July, 1884. In Chicago.
A Scottish man who was a cartish as a young man. He got married on 13th of March, 1842.
They immigrated to USA later that year.
He became the first detective of Chicago in 1849.
In 1850, he joined Pinkerton & co., railroad detective agency. It became Pinkerton National Detective Agency, and is still functioning, as Pinkerton consulting and investigations. Abraham Lincoln was the company’s lawyer.
The agency caught various criminals, for example, train robbers.
During the Civil War of USA, he was a part of the Union Army. He developed several spying techniques (that had also been invented by other people before him, surely) that are still used today. He was often in undercover missions, usually as Major E. J. Allen.
After the war, he continued his work. He tried to catch Jesse James, but gave up the chase when one of his men was killed due to the hunt.
He was hired by the Spanish government in 1872, to stop a rebellion in Cuba, end slavery and give citizens the right to vote. Since he has written that he is/was against slavery and suppressing, it`s not certain if he knew about what the rebels wanted. Or if he was pro-slavery.
It`s not known for sure if he died of gangrene, malaria or a stroke.
He wrote many detective books, based on the adventures he and his comrades had.