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Newspaper article

Date	1920/01/23
Year	1920
Newspaper title	Wooster Daily Republican
Page number	3
Article title	Pinkertons of Wayne County Gained Fame in Detective Work After Locating in Chicago

"A long time ago nine brother set sail from Mother England to cast their lot with the people on this side of the Atlantic. Had these brothers remained on the other side, the name of Pinkerton would have undoubtedly been less famous to American people than it is at the present time. These very same Pinkertons are the ancestors of a number of Wayne County folks. In fact, some of them are Wooster residents. The found of the famous Pinkerton detective agency was William Pinkerton, and though not born in this county, he was distantly related to the Pinkertons living here. In the 40's James and Matthew Pinkerton owned a big tract of land between Mt. Eaton and West Lebanon. As the lineage from the Wooster family is traced from Matthew Pinkerton it is necessary to know a little of his career. During the Civil War, Matthew Pinkerton was treasurer of Wayne County. He owned a paper mill located at the end of the street leading south from the old gas works. The Pinkerton homestead is now owned by Cloyd Steinmetz and is located on the corner of Beall and Nold avenue.

Worth Pinkerton, son of Matthew Pinkerton, died four years ago in Chicago. He went to Chicago from Wayne County to enter the employ of the Pinkerton detective agency. He remained with them four years, then went into the same line of business for himself, operating under the name of Pinkerton & Co. This was in the early 80s and his offices were located near the corner of State and Van Buren streets. His widow and one son, Ralph, are still living.

Worth Pinkerton was the author of a 575-page volume entitled "Murder in all Ages." The fly leaf of the book gives this information: Being a history of homicide from the earliest times, with the most celebrated murder cases faithfully reported, arranged under controlling motives and utilized to support the theory of homicidal impulse." The book is owned by E. D. Pinkerton of Spink street.

A representative of the Republican went to the home of Ray Pinkerton, nephew of Worth Pinkerton, the other day to collect information concerning the Pinkerton family. Inasmuch as Mr. Pinkerton met one of his uncle's most notorious characters, it will certainly prove interesting to the public to read of the circumstance. Worth Pinkerton started out on the trail of a man who had forged to the extent of $1,500,000. He traced the fugitive all over the United States before capturing him. The forger served time and when released from prison, he went to call on the detective who had given him the chase. Just at this time, Ray Pinkerton of Wooster turned benedict and took his bride to Chicago to visit his detective uncle. On this visit he was introduced to the notorious forger. Another time the detective followed a piano embezzler over 23 states before capturing him in Canada.

Thomas B. Pinkerton, brother of Ray Pinkerton, and sons of E. D. Pinkerton, Spink Street, has spent some time on the staff of his uncle's agency. However, he is now a civil engineer in Chicago. With the death of Worth Pinkerton, the agency passed into history. The Pinkerton detective agency is still operating in Chicago and is known everywhere.

Pindal and Raymond Pinkerton are sons of James Y. Pinkerton. The former is well versed in the knowledge of trailing law breakers, having worked a number of years for Pinkerton & Co. Pindal Pinkerton is now engaged in the photograph business in St. Louis, while Raymond is an electrician in Elgi, Ill. The latte Miss Maude Pinkerton was well known as Wooster's only lady photographer. Ross W. Pinkerton was associate for 15 or more years with his brother, Worth, and is now a dentist in Chicago.

To refer back to the Matthew Pinkerton family, it may be interesting to add that the other living members of his family are the following daughters: Mrs. Sarah L. Hoffman, now living with her son, B. W. Hoffman, Wooster: Mrs. Alice Bristow, Cincinnati; Mrs. Steward McClellan, Philadelphia."