| History of Private Investigation |
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There has always been a colorful history in regards to investigators. Private detectives fighting crime and catching criminals using a series of investigative techniques to catch the criminals red handed. Most of these stories are fictionalized accounts of real people who conducted investigations; however, were not quite as exciting as the stories told.
The history of private investigation can be traced back to the early 19th century. There is in fact, an interesting story in the evolution of private investigation. Read this article and get acquainted with the fascinating history of private investigation.
Francois Vidocq – The First Private Investigator
The very origin of private investigation has its roots in France, where in the year 1833, Eugène François Vidocq, a French soldier, criminal and privateer, founded the first known private detective agency, Le Bureau des Renseignements (Office of Intelligence) where he oversaw the work of other detectives. He had, however, performed several private investigations prior to this time and it is said that his personal journals of his countless investigations inspired many classical authors, including Dickens, Doyle, and Poe.
Vidocq has an impressive list of credits, which include:
Due to his swashbuckling life style, often involving criminal activities, at least initially in his lifetime, today’s private investigators and police detectives do not give him due credit. He was definitely not mainstream by any account. From breaking out of jails, dueling to the death, pursuing actresses and stalking the Paris nights in a thousand disguises, Vidocq was not your normal detective. It is this sordid past that enabled Vidocq to become the most magnificent detective of all time. “It was night; the rain fell, lightning flashed, the thunder rolled; and a relation, who was both midwife and fortune teller, predicted that my career would be a stormy one.” This is the beginning of Vidocq’s Memoirs, which detailed his life story. Perhaps, at the age of fourteen, his story began when, while learning the art of fencing, he accidentally killed his fencing instructor and ran away, joining the army.
Vidocq rose quickly through the ranks in the military, well liked and respected. Vidocq quickly gained enemies as well. On one outing, in a small town, Vidocq came across three women about to be beheaded at the chopping block. He immediately came to their defense. Utilizing his fencing skills he killed the dragoons while the woman escaped. At Seventeen he found himself in the town gallo for the first time, awaiting the same fate as the women he had saved. Vidocq was able to convince some of his high-ranking friends to vouch for him and he was eventually released. Since that time, Vidocq had spent a lot of time in various jails meeting the most hardened criminals and learning about their criminal trades. Vidocq was able to escape from most of the jails and continued to meet criminals along his journeys by staying within the criminal underworld of Paris. By hanging out and talking with these criminals he was laying down the groundwork for his future. He was “understanding” them and gathering intelligence, which he would later use to capture the very thieves he was befriending. Vidocq had a unique personality to say the least. He never saw himself as a traitor to either side, law or criminal. Vidocq could have been bitter and betrayed his own sense of honor to turn away from a world that had wronged him. But, instead, he decided to help that world clean up its mess and be able to better define the line between hardened criminals and those who have simply made mistakes.
By Vidocq’s own admissions, he never captured or turned in anyone whom he felt was driven to steal out of hunger or necessity.
According to Vidocq, his principal functions were “To prevent crimes, discover malefactors, and give them up to justice,”
Vidocq soon decided that he could not catch as many criminals as himself, as he was slowly becoming feared among criminals. He began using various disguises in an effort to catch the criminals who might know of him. Vidocq was flamboyant in his rouses, for one day he would dawn the disguise of a German swordsman wanted by the Berlin police for killing two men in a duel, to a Sicilian gypsy who had killed his wife in Castelvetrano. Vidocq had clothing and dialects to accompany every character he portrayed. Vidocq thought of himself as an actor. He felt that to be a good detective one must be an actor as well.
Eventually Vidocq organized a small, plain clothed undercover unit to maintain surveillance over all ex-convicts. Baron de Pasquier approved this idea and this elite group of men became known as the Brigade de Surete (Brigade of Security). This team had free reign across the entire Cite de Paris. It eventually grew to a large operation gaining the same status as the Scotland Yard in London. The Brigade of Security caught an enormous amount of criminals in a difficult criminal period of history. In 1832 Vidocq retired from the Surete and at 58, he began the world’s first formal private detective agency. Vidocq named this investigation firm, “Le Bureau de Renseignements,” or “Office of Intelligence.” Most of the cases he accepted were detecting and apprehending con men that were stealing from business owners. Vidocq accepted a case in the late summer of 1842 from a band of tradesmen who hired his services to track down and arrest a con man by the name of Champaix, who they claim borrowed money from them before disappearing. They wanted to be re-paid by Champaix and offered Vidocq 45 percent of the payback if he could capture Champaix. Vidocq eagerly accepted the case. Vidocq utilized his sources of informants to eventually capture Champaix. Once Vidocq had Champaix in custody he enlisted a confession from the trembling Champaix who turned over 2,200 francs to Vidocq. Vidocq, feeling sorry for the gentleman, decided not to prosecute and let him go, with a promise to repay the remainder of monies owed. Vidocq even gave Champaix some money to get something to eat, since he had taken all of his money from him. Vidocq immediately contacted his clients to advise them of the progress in the case. Soon Vidocq found himself under arrest on charges of false arrest, unlawful detention of a prisoner, and obtaining money under false pretense. Vidocq was put into the 14th Century castle prison. He was later found not guilty by the Court of Appeals of the lies set forth against him by Champaix.
On May 11, 1857 at the age 70 Vidocq was stricken with paralysis and died in his home after asking forgiveness for not attending Mass since he was a boy. The priest assured him that God would forgive him.
With Vidocq, the private investigation industry was born.
“I have the consolation of having remained an honest man amid the darkness of perversion and the atmosphere of crime. I have fought for the defense of order, in the name of justice, as soldiers fight for the defense of their country, beneath the flag of their regiment. I had no epaulettes, but I ran as many risks as they, and I exposed my life everyday as they do.” -Francois Vidocq
The Pinkerton National Detective Agency
It was in 1850s, when the US had its tryst with its first detective agency or private investigation agency called the Pinkerton National Detective Agency. This agency played a vital role in the Civil War, as its detectives were used as military intelligence to get the secrets about the enemies. At one time, the Pinkerton Detective Agency had even more agents than the United States Army. In the late 19th century, Pinkerton’s guards were used to keep strikers and suspected unionists out of the factories by the businessmen.
Alan Pinkerton
Allan Pinkerton actually stumbled upon detective work as he came across a campsite for counterfeiters. He informed the local sheriff, who in turn deputized Pinkerton and allowed him to accompany them on the raid of the criminals. Pinkerton’s bravery in the face of danger impressed the town council and he was asked to assist on several more criminal takedowns. Pinkerton proved himself quickly as a policeman and was soon hired by the sheriff to be a full time officer. With the bustling growth of Chicago, and the up rise in crime with less than a dozen policemen to protect the Chicago population of 30,000, and his lack of pay and growing family, Pinkerton decided that he would open a private investigation firm. Pinkerton felt that due to the lack of police officers to assist in criminal investigations that there could be a market for a private investigation firm. At the time there were no private investigation firms in the country. Prior to opening the agency, Pinkerton approached some associates of his at the Rock Island and Illinois Central Railroad for whom Pinkerton had previously investigated numerous cargo theft cases. Pinkerton advised the President of the company George McClellan and his Attorney Abraham Lincoln of his idea of his investigation firm. Lincoln and McClellan approved of his endeavors and agreed to use his services. Pinkerton soon opened an office at 151 Fifth Avenue, which was the center of Chicago’s market district. The Pinkerton National Detective Agency was now open for business. He advertised his services in newspapers across the country. The agency boasted results and hard-core ethics. Pinkerton immediately became a one-man marketing sensation. His business quickly flourished and he felt the need to design a logo, which became familiar to millions of Americans, even today - an eyeball which boasts ‘We Never Sleep.” A tradition and legend was formed.
While Pinkerton’s business continued to grow, he prided himself on hand picking each investigator and subjected them to strict ethical and business codes. His first two agents were George H. Bangs and Francis Warner. Both were detectives with outstanding reputations and big city savvy.
In an era with many law enforcement personnel openly associating with criminals sharing their illegal profits, Pinkerton stood out by promising that his agents would not only produce results, but always act with the highest ethics. He promised to:
It’s remarkable how many of the above ethical standards are mirrored in many PIs’ standards today (such as regularly apprising clients, partnering with law enforcement, and raising fees only with the clients’ knowledge). In his memoirs, Pinkerton credited two specific agents (one female) for helping establish the firm’s reputation for efficiency and honor: Timothy Webster and Kate Warne (the first female detective in the U.S.).
Pinkerton would later use his relationship with Abraham Lincoln to provide protective services to the President of the United States. Pinkerton had gathered information regarding an assassination attempt on the soon to be President Lincoln. This would eventually become known as the “Baltimore Plot.” Pinkerton immediately used his influential contacts to meet with the President Elect Abraham Lincoln. “They want to stop you from taking office, sir.” said Pinkerton as he explained the assassination attempt to Lincoln. Lincoln knew that if Pinkerton believed the threat to be real, then his concern was to be trusted. Pinkerton devised a plan that would allow Lincoln to keep his appointments for the most part while avoiding the assassination attempt. Pinkerton assembled a team of investigators to accompany Lincoln and ensure his safety. Over the coming weeks, under the safety of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, Lincoln was sworn in as President of the United States. Lincoln would later call on Pinkerton for many assignments, to include military intelligence during the Civil War. Pinkerton would infiltrate enemy camps and gather intelligence. It was during the Civil War that Pinkerton brought on a new recruit to the Pinkerton National Detective Agency. Although the recruit was only sixteen years of age, Pinkerton found that he had a willingness and eagerness to learn, and possessed an intelligence to understand the complexity of the business. This new recruit was his son, William Pinkerton
It was during this time that President Lincoln asked Pinkerton to create and direct the Union Intelligence Service, the forerunner of the U.S. Secret Service, which has remained in existence ever since.
After the Civil War ended, Pinkerton returned to Chicago with his son William and another new recruit, his second son Robert. William preferred to be where the action was, chasing down the bad guys, and Robert preferred to handle the administrative aspects of the company. Allan Pinkerton was proud of his sons and the interest they took in the agency. Pinkerton was responsible for creating history within the field of investigations and police work. Allan Pinkerton was detailed in his work and established what is known as the “rogues’ gallery.” This was the detailed description of known criminals, including physical characteristics, background information, companions, and hideouts. Mr. Pinkerton never closed a case in the “rogues’ gallery” until the individual was officially declared dead. This was the beginning of today’s police mug books. A few of the famous individuals listed in Mr. Pinkerton’s gallery were:
Through the years, Allan Pinkerton was often credited with having a third sense, an innate ability to identify criminals long before police detectives could even come up with a name. Pinkerton laughed at the notion that he had any mystic powers, but explained that his supernatural powers were merely experience.
Pinkerton agents were hired to track western outlaws Jesse James, the Reno brothers, and the Wild Bunch (a group of bandits led by Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid).
In 1884 Allan Pinkerton slipped on the wet streets of Chicago and bit his tongue as his chin hit the sidewalk. Leaving the bite untreated, which turned gangrenous, he soon died of this injury. At the time of his death, Pinkerton was working on a system that would centralize all criminal identification records, a database now maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He was put to rest in the famous Chicago Graceland Cemetery where he rests today near his wife.
Allan Pinkerton was also responsible for developing the term “private eye”. Although Pinkerton was the most famous of private police agencies, he was not alone. David J. Cook a former major general of the Colorado Militia began the Rocky Mountain Detective Association. Mr. Cook had agents in all the major cities in the United States. Cook’s army of private detectives primarily focused on the pursuit and apprehension of the many bank and cattle robbers and even sought after the notorious murderers of the times.
Among others, W.H. Triplit organized the Ohio Secret Service in 1883. By 1917, the Sherman Detective Agency, Inc. began operation. The most renowned detective in America, however, was probably Harold K. “Hal” Lipset. Often referred to as the “Old Master,” Lipset was a bugging expert known around the world. He was capable of successfully hiding bugs in inconspicuous places - even hiding one transmitter inside a martini olive!
The first private investigator to be immortalized as an action figure was J.J. “Jay” Armes. Armes, who lost both of his hands when he was 12 years old while playing with dynamite, also became a well-known private investigator around the world. He was responsible for finding and rescuing actor Marlon Brando’s kidnapped son. In addition, his renown earned him a role in a segment of the television show Hawaii Five-O, further catapulting the popularity of private investigation.
Twentieth Century
If we explore the present scenario of private investigation, we could see private investigation has been taken up as a serious profession by many sharp-minded people. It is now more associated with the common man and is within their reach with the affordable fees. Earlier, issues like divorce and family disputes were popular for private investigation and now there are more online crimes and insurance frauds that have taken the center stage in private investigation. That apart, there have been instances of private security agencies that have been hired to provide protection from terrorists and subversive elements.
Licensing requirements, with criteria a private investigator must meet, have also been regulated in most states in the U.S. Additionally, professional organizations (regional, national, and international) combined with good business practices ensure that most investigators are now professional in outlook, rather than seeing the private investigation world as a second career opportunity for retired policemen. |
Vidocq was such a tremendous detective that he caught the eye of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who based his Sherlock Holmes character off Vidocq. Vidocq was unusual in the sense that he pursued criminals to bring them to justice, yet spent equal time freeing the innocent from prosecution.
Much like Vidocq, Allan Pinkerton was a founder within the field of private investigations. Pinkerton has become more known in the field for his accomplishments than Vidocq. Not many private investigators even know who Vidocq is, but they all know Allan Pinkerton. Pinkerton became a study to many in the growth of America. Allan Pinkerton had the opportunity to cross paths with some of the greatest American figures ever, and has helped to change the course of history. Time Life Books said that “So effective were the agents of Pinkerton’s methods that when the government formed the FBI in 1908, it used Pinkerton’s Detective agency as a model.