Call in Pinkerton's: American Detectives at Work in Canada

Steven R. Hewitt is an assistant professor of history at the University
of Saskatchewan.

Call in Pinkerton’s is an interesting look at the activities of
American detectives in Canada and in particular those who worked for
Pinkerton’s, a detective agency started around 1850 by Allan
Pinkerton.

The Pinkerton’s detectives in Canada undertook both criminal
investigations and security and intelligence work. With respect to the
latter, they worked in conjunction with the Dominion Police (in effect,
Canada’s spy agency) until 1920; during World War I, espionage and
sabotage on the part of German agents was a serious threat. On the
criminal side, the Pinkerton’s detectives were of great assistance
(especially to the British Columbia Provincial Police) in helping to
search for criminals who had gone to the United States to escape
Canadian law; perhaps most famous was the case of Bill Miner, a bank
robber who gained notoriety around the beginning of the 20th century.

Williams, a lawyer and the author of several works of fiction and
nonfiction, is good at conveying the flavor and intimate details of
several intriguing cases. Unfortunately, the recounting of case after
case becomes a bit monotonous after a while. Potentially more serious is
the almost uniformly positive image of Pinkerton’s that is presented.
Early on in the book, Williams concedes that he had no access to records
of investigations conducted in Canada on behalf of private individuals.
One of the challenges in writing the history of any private company is
gaining access to its unvarnished history. More authorial commentary on
this important question would have enhanced the credibility of this
entertaining book.