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American History Tellers

The Pinkerton Detective Agency | The Public Eye | 3

American History Tellers

Wondery

Society & Culture, Kids & Family, History, Education For Kids

4.718.3K Ratings

🗓️ 22 May 2024

⏱️ 45 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

By the late 1800s, the Pinkerton Detective Agency faced public criticism for their anti-labor practices. So the company pivoted, sending Pinkerton detectives out to do what they did best, traveling throughout the west in search of the nation’s most audacious and elusive bank-robbing desperados. 

In time, the Pinkertons also faced competition from a new Federal crime-fighting bureau, and one of their operatives would draw on his experience to write some of the most iconic detective novels in the English language.


Pre-order your copy of the new American History Tellers book, The Hidden History of the White House, for behind-the-scenes stories of some of the most dramatic events in American history—set right inside the house where it happened.

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Transcript

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0:00.0

Wunderry Plus subscribers can binge new seasons of American history tellers early and

0:05.1

ad free right now. Join Wundery Plus in the Wundery app or on Apple Podcasts. Imagine it's a brisk morning in late February 1900. You're sorting

0:28.4

at the post office in Circleville, Utah, a small farm town where you work as the deputy postmistress.

0:34.3

You glance out the window looking west toward the snow-capped peak of Circleville Mountain,

0:38.9

feels like a storm's coming.

0:40.8

Then you see a man approaching from the south of town on horseback. As he

0:45.4

nears you can tell it's the same man who visited your family's ranch a few days

0:49.2

earlier while you were out feeding the chickens. He seems sweet on you, but he was also nosy, asking about your family.

0:57.0

A few moments later, he walked through the door.

0:59.0

Morning, ma'am.

1:00.0

The wind's picking up out there.

1:02.0

Seems we may get a little rain soon, maybe even snow.

1:06.5

You give him a quick nod and return to the letters you've been sorting.

1:09.7

He seems friendly enough, handsome too, but there's something about them that makes you

1:13.9

wearing. You need to mail something mister or you just coming to talk about the

1:17.5

weather. I'm headed for Arizona this afternoon. Need to leave before the

1:21.9

weather gets worse.

1:23.0

Won't see much civilization for the next few weeks, so I thought I'd see a pretty face before I leave.

1:28.0

Flattery will get you nowhere, Mr.

1:30.0

Well, I can't blame a fellow for trying.

1:32.0

Hmm. Well, you best be getting going soon if you want to

1:34.2

reach the next town before sundown. The man doesn't seem to take a hint. He stands

...

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