Pinkertons Agents - Good or Bad?

[Pukin Dog]

Thanks guys for shedding light on this topic.  Apparently I have lit a lighting rod as there seems to be some pretty serious  opinions both ways.  I'm sure that some agents went too far and hurt innocent folks, but on the other hand the outlaws were not exactly "Robin Hoods" and someone had to do the dirty work on getting them under control.

I'm kinda thinking that this subject is far "muddier" than most other topics on the Old West in that it has not been explored enough by historians and the full story is far from being told.

Just my $.02 worth of thought.

[Uncle Eph]

Big Trouble is about the 1905 murder of the former Governor of Idaho Frank Steunenberg. Pinkerton dectective James McParland kidnaps radical labor leader "Big Bill" Heywood and his cronies from Colorado to stand trial in Idaho for the crime, They are defended by Clarence Darrow, it was called "The first trial of the Century".

huge book that goes into great detail about the mining west, labor, the Pinkertons, social values of the time and town life in the old west.

4 stars

[Will Ketchum]

I'll have to find a copy.

Will Ketchum

[Silver Creek Slim]

Will,
Check your local library on the internet for interlibrary loan. The Winnefox Library System has 5 copies of the book.

Slim

[Second Creek Sam]

Big Trouble is about the 1905 murder of the former Governor of Idaho Frank Steunenberg. Pinkerton dectective James McParland kidnaps radical labor leader "Big Bill" Heywood and his cronies from Colorado to stand trial in Idaho for the crime, They are defended by Clarence Darrow, it was called "The first trial of the Century".

huge book that goes into great detail about the mining west, labor, the Pinkertons, social values of the time and town life in the old west.

4 stars

Thanks Uncle Eph.

I'll have to try and read that one.

Great discussion guys.

[Uncle Eph]

I should mention that the feller in my avitar is the real Uncle Eph my g-grandfather/g-uncle (don't ask ) and he had spent time working in the Idaho mines before settling in the NE corner of Oregon close to the Idaho border and during the troubles his place was a stop over for men who wanted to leave the area and did not feel the need to take the main road.