E-text prepared by Suzanne Shell, Martin Pettit, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (https://www.pgdp.net) Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 22155-h.htm or 22155-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/2/1/5/22155/22155-h/22155-h.htm) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/2/1/5/22155/22155-h.zip) Allan Pinkerton's Detective Stories. [Illustration: THE ROBBER.] THE EXPRESSMAN AND THE DETECTIVE. by ALLAN PINKERTON. Fifteenth Thousand. Chicago: W. B. Keen, Cooke & Co., 113 and 115 State Street. 1875. Copyright, W. B. Keen, Cooke & Co., A. D. 1874. The Lakeside Press. PREFACE. During the greater portion of a very busy life, I have been actively engaged in the profession of a Detective, and hence have been brought in contact with many men, and have been an interested participant in many exciting occurrences. The narration of some of the most interesting of these events, happening in connection with my professional labors, is the realization of a pleasure I have long anticipated, and is the fulfillment of promises repeatedly made to numerous friends in by gone days. "THE EXPRESSMAN AND THE DETECTIVE," and the other works announced by my publishers, are all _true stories_, transcribed from the Records in my offices. If there be any incidental embellishment, it is so slight that the actors in these scenes from the drama of life would never themselves detect it; and if the incidents seem to the reader at all marvelous or improbable, I can but remind him, in the words of the old adage, that "Truth is stranger than fiction." ALLAN PINKERTON. CHICAGO, October, 1874. PUBLISHERS' NOTICE. The present Volume is the first of a series of Mr. Allan Pinkerton's thrilling and beautifully written DETECTIVE STORIES, all true to life--founded upon incidents in the experience of the great chief of all detectives. At intervals the following will appear: "CLAUDE MELNOTTE AS A DETECTIVE." "THE TWO SISTERS AND THE AVENGER." "THE FRENCHMAN AND THE BILLS OF EXCHANGE." "THE MURDERER AND THE FORTUNE TELLER." "THE MODEL TOWN AND ITS DETECTIVE." That these Volumes will meet with a cordial reception we have no doubt. W. B. KEEN, COOKE & CO. ILLUSTRATIONS. I. Frontispiece--THE ROBBER. II. At this inopportune moment Simon gave way to his oars, and left the poor deputy hanging in the air. pp. 40 III. "Yah! yah! yah!" roared both the darkies; "you don't know Mother Binks! Why, she keeps the finest gals on all the riber." page 69