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 Despite
the challenges, by the early 1870s, the agency
had the world's largest collection of mug shots and a "criminal database.” During the height of its existence, the
Pinkertons had more agents than
the standing army of the United States of America, causing the state of
Ohio to outlaw the agency, due to the possibility of its being hired out
as a "private army" or militia.
Fortunes were to decrease
once again for the agency when, in 1871,
Chicago suffered the Great Fire
which began on the evening of October 7th. Before it burned itself out
three days later, the entire business district was destroyed, including
the Pinkerton buildings and many of their records. When the fire was
finally extinguished, martial law was declared in
Chicago and guards from
the Pinkerton Detective Agency were hired to prevent looting. Robert's
widow, Alice Isabella Pinkerton,
and his dependents were also left homeless. When she approached Allan
for assistance, he encouraged them to return
to Great Britain. Offering to pay for the journey, Alice and her sons
accepted his offer and sailed for Liverpool, leaving the agency entirely
in the hands of Allan and his sons.
When
Allan Pinkerton
passed away in 1884, the agency was taken over by his sons, Robert and
William. They soon became involved in the labor unrest of the late 19th
century when they were hired by a number of businesses to keep strikers
and suspected unionists out of their factories.
However, the rapidly
expanding agency soon became known for less admirable activities as they
often became the "law” in of themselves. Accused of using heavy handed
tactics, such as firebombing
Jesse James’ mother’s home and using
intimidation against union sympathizers, the public support began to turn
away from the agency.
Many labor sympathizers
accused the Pinkertons of inciting riots and their reputation continued to
suffer. The most notorious example of this was the Homestead Strike of
1892, when Pinkerton agents killed 11 people while enforcing
strikebreaking measures. In order to restore order, two brigades of state
militia had to be called out.
Continuing their
involvement against the labor movement into the 20th century, their
reputation was harmed for years in the public consciousness.
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