1 00:00:02,560 --> 00:00:05,760 Speaker 1: You're listening to American Shadows, a production of I Heart 2 00:00:05,880 --> 00:00:22,400 Speaker 1: Radio and Grim and Mild from Aaron Monkey. In the 3 00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:26,840 Speaker 1: last surviving photos taken of Pauline Cushman in eight she 4 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:30,680 Speaker 1: looks quite impressive cradling a sword and wearing her Civil 5 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:38,680 Speaker 1: War military outfit. She's unquestionably feminine and unquestionably intimidating. Originally 6 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:41,400 Speaker 1: meant to show support for the men, and they're chosen 7 00:00:41,479 --> 00:00:44,960 Speaker 1: side military style. A dresses for women became all the 8 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:49,120 Speaker 1: rage during and after the war. Most outfits were merely 9 00:00:49,159 --> 00:00:54,680 Speaker 1: for show. However, Pauline's was not. You see, Pauline served 10 00:00:54,720 --> 00:00:58,440 Speaker 1: as a Union spy. After an average start in life, 11 00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:03,360 Speaker 1: the war changed everything. Her real name was Harriet Wood, 12 00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:05,760 Speaker 1: and she was born on June tenth of eight thirty 13 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:09,800 Speaker 1: three in New Orleans to a moderately wealthy family. She 14 00:01:09,880 --> 00:01:13,360 Speaker 1: had one sibling, a brother. Their father was a successful 15 00:01:13,360 --> 00:01:15,760 Speaker 1: Spanish merchant, and her mother was the daughter of a 16 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:19,640 Speaker 1: prominent soldier in Napoleon's army. The children were very young 17 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:22,600 Speaker 1: when the family moved to Michigan their father started a 18 00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:26,640 Speaker 1: successful trading post. At seventeen, she left home to pursue 19 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:30,280 Speaker 1: a career in acting, changing her name to Pauline. For 20 00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:32,440 Speaker 1: a year, she lived in New York City, trying to 21 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:36,160 Speaker 1: break into stage work. Things didn't work out as planned, though, 22 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:38,880 Speaker 1: and Pauline moved back to New Orleans a year later. 23 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:43,880 Speaker 1: Her hometown is where she found love, marrying musician Charles Dickinson. 24 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:47,120 Speaker 1: The happy couple settled down and had two children of 25 00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:50,960 Speaker 1: their own. When the war broke out, Charles joined the 26 00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:53,920 Speaker 1: army as a musician, hoping that would keep him out 27 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:58,400 Speaker 1: of combat and harm's way, and it worked sort of. 28 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:03,080 Speaker 1: Diseases spread quickly within the ranks, and soon after being discharged, 29 00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:08,320 Speaker 1: Charles fell ill, probably with dysenterry. He died in eighteen 30 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:12,440 Speaker 1: sixty two, leaving Pauline in financial straits. She sent the 31 00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:15,080 Speaker 1: children to live with relatives and returned to the stage, 32 00:02:15,480 --> 00:02:19,360 Speaker 1: finding work in Union occupied Louisville, Kentucky, at the Woods Theater. 33 00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:23,880 Speaker 1: In April of eighteen sixty three, Confederate soldiers approached her 34 00:02:23,919 --> 00:02:27,359 Speaker 1: after her performance in the Place Seven Sisters. They offered 35 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:29,680 Speaker 1: to pay her three hundred and fifty dollars to make 36 00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:33,399 Speaker 1: a toast to the Confederacy during her next performance at 37 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:37,600 Speaker 1: Staunch Union supporter. Pauline went to Union Colonel Orlando Moore 38 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:40,680 Speaker 1: for advice. He told her to take the money and 39 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:44,799 Speaker 1: make the toast, then report back to him. That night, 40 00:02:44,880 --> 00:02:49,760 Speaker 1: she raised her glass on stage, toasting Confederate President Jefferson Davis. 41 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:54,040 Speaker 1: Her toast brought down the house. The theater promptly fired Pauline. 42 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:59,560 Speaker 1: Another job awaited her, though, Union colonel William Trusdale offered 43 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:02,280 Speaker 1: her possion is a spy and sent her to Nashville, 44 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:06,840 Speaker 1: Tennessee to gather intel. Easing her acting skills, Pauline posed 45 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:08,800 Speaker 1: as a woman looking for her lost brother in the 46 00:03:08,840 --> 00:03:12,919 Speaker 1: Confederate camps. While there, she carefully noted the size and 47 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:16,040 Speaker 1: location of the camps, the number of supplies, and whether 48 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:20,639 Speaker 1: they were building fortifications. She memorized at all notes would 49 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:25,160 Speaker 1: risk imprisonment or death if they were found. During one 50 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:28,800 Speaker 1: camp visit, she befriended a soldier who had drawn fortification maps. 51 00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 1: Unable to memorize at all, she stuffed the maps into 52 00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:35,400 Speaker 1: her boots and made her way to Union minds. Her 53 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:38,880 Speaker 1: risk didn't pay off, though she was captured and sentenced 54 00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:43,240 Speaker 1: to death. No one rushed in to save her. As 55 00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:46,560 Speaker 1: her execution drew near. Pauline fell ill at the Confederate 56 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:50,040 Speaker 1: camp her symptoms were on par with typhoid, and so 57 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 1: when the Confederates left camp, they also decided that leaving 58 00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:56,800 Speaker 1: her to die alone was just as fitting as a noose. 59 00:03:57,680 --> 00:04:00,680 Speaker 1: But Pauline had faked her illness. She made it back 60 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:05,320 Speaker 1: to Union mines a few days later. Pauline Cushman hadn't 61 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:08,640 Speaker 1: been a damsel in distress. Should become her own hero, 62 00:04:09,480 --> 00:04:14,160 Speaker 1: and she wasn't the only one. I'm Lauren Vogelbaum. Welcome 63 00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:22,799 Speaker 1: to American Shadows. Not much is known about Kate Warren's 64 00:04:22,839 --> 00:04:27,120 Speaker 1: early life. Like Pauline Kushman, there are very few photographs, 65 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:31,000 Speaker 1: and Kate didn't write in a journal or diary. What 66 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:33,400 Speaker 1: we do know is that she was born to Israel 67 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:37,279 Speaker 1: and Elizabeth Hulbert in Aaron, New York. It's a small 68 00:04:37,400 --> 00:04:41,760 Speaker 1: upstate town originally settled by Irish immigrants. When Kate was 69 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:45,000 Speaker 1: born in eighteen thirty, the town's population was a scant 70 00:04:45,080 --> 00:04:49,119 Speaker 1: nine and seventy six people. Like the others in the town, 71 00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:54,000 Speaker 1: Kate's parents worked hard for their rather modest lifestyle. Education 72 00:04:54,040 --> 00:04:56,880 Speaker 1: for the children in immigrant towns was minimal at best. 73 00:04:57,520 --> 00:05:00,480 Speaker 1: The children in Erin squeezed in schooling around owned helping 74 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:06,200 Speaker 1: with chores, working, and caring for younger siblings. Opportunities were limited. 75 00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:10,880 Speaker 1: Like other Irish immigrant girls, Kate had a choice leave 76 00:05:10,960 --> 00:05:14,560 Speaker 1: school and work to help support the family, or get married. 77 00:05:15,640 --> 00:05:18,200 Speaker 1: At first, she wanted to become an actress, but her 78 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:21,599 Speaker 1: family didn't think theater was respectable work for a young lady. 79 00:05:22,480 --> 00:05:26,000 Speaker 1: Unlacking a support system, Kate did as society requested of her. 80 00:05:26,440 --> 00:05:30,520 Speaker 1: She married. When her husband died, Kate decided to follow 81 00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:33,600 Speaker 1: her parents and brother to Illinois. She found work as 82 00:05:33,600 --> 00:05:37,880 Speaker 1: a housekeeper, but found it unrewarding. Determined to do something 83 00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:40,960 Speaker 1: more with her life, Kate set her sights much higher. 84 00:05:42,240 --> 00:05:45,080 Speaker 1: In eighteen fifty two, twenty three year old Kate walked 85 00:05:45,120 --> 00:05:48,559 Speaker 1: into the Pinkerton Agency in Chicago and asked for a job. 86 00:05:49,160 --> 00:05:52,080 Speaker 1: She had done her homework. The agency had a flawless 87 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:57,640 Speaker 1: reputation and was looking to expand. Alan Pinkerton was fourteen 88 00:05:57,720 --> 00:06:01,640 Speaker 1: years her senior, a voracious reader with an insatiable thirst 89 00:06:01,640 --> 00:06:04,960 Speaker 1: for education. He had spent his earlier years balancing work 90 00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:07,960 Speaker 1: and home life to become self taught, and when he 91 00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:11,480 Speaker 1: was ten, his father had died, leaving the family in turmoil. 92 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:14,760 Speaker 1: He had been sent away to live with extended family. 93 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:18,599 Speaker 1: He learned to make wooden casks, barrels, vats, and buckets. 94 00:06:19,279 --> 00:06:24,320 Speaker 1: Alan immigrated in eighteen forty two, settling in Chicago. At first, 95 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:27,599 Speaker 1: he stuck to his trade, working in a brewery. After 96 00:06:27,640 --> 00:06:30,200 Speaker 1: a while, he decided he'd never make anything of himself 97 00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:33,279 Speaker 1: while working for someone else and relocated to Dundee to 98 00:06:33,440 --> 00:06:37,159 Speaker 1: start his own barrel making business. He cornered the market 99 00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:40,280 Speaker 1: by making a far superior product than his closest competitor. 100 00:06:41,760 --> 00:06:45,400 Speaker 1: During his quest for better materials, Allen became embroiled in 101 00:06:45,440 --> 00:06:50,520 Speaker 1: a case surrounding counterfeiters. The accidental involvement sparked a new interest, 102 00:06:50,839 --> 00:06:53,880 Speaker 1: and when he found he had a knack for investigation, 103 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:57,560 Speaker 1: Allen became the deputy sheriff for Kane County, and in 104 00:06:57,640 --> 00:07:02,240 Speaker 1: eighteen fifty he served to Chicago's first police detective. He 105 00:07:02,440 --> 00:07:07,040 Speaker 1: and Chicago attorney Edward Rucker formed the Northwestern Police Agency. 106 00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:10,520 Speaker 1: Alan's brother, Robert, formed his own agency in eighteen fifty, 107 00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:15,840 Speaker 1: called Pinkerton and Company. Robert specialized as a railroad detective, 108 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:19,600 Speaker 1: protecting the rail companies and their facilities from theft. His 109 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:23,600 Speaker 1: business thrived and grew even larger once Wells Fargo contracted 110 00:07:23,640 --> 00:07:27,000 Speaker 1: him to guard their stage coaches. With a new contract 111 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:30,400 Speaker 1: in hand, Robert asked his brother to join him. Alan 112 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:33,680 Speaker 1: shuttered the doors to his already failing agency and quit 113 00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:37,920 Speaker 1: the police department. While other detective agencies were going under 114 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:42,679 Speaker 1: or developing seedy reputations, Allan brought value and a valuable 115 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:46,040 Speaker 1: lesson to his brother's business. Be better than the rest. 116 00:07:47,160 --> 00:07:50,640 Speaker 1: To do that, the brothers started with their employees. Instead 117 00:07:50,640 --> 00:07:53,560 Speaker 1: of calling them detectives, which had garnered a violent and 118 00:07:53,680 --> 00:07:58,520 Speaker 1: crude wrap, they called themselves operatives. They demanded their employees 119 00:07:58,560 --> 00:08:02,360 Speaker 1: be well groomed and polite, and insisted on flawless record keeping. 120 00:08:03,480 --> 00:08:07,520 Speaker 1: The brothers established practices that got consistent results. They were 121 00:08:07,560 --> 00:08:11,560 Speaker 1: seen as more reliable than the competition. They expanded their 122 00:08:11,600 --> 00:08:16,240 Speaker 1: services beyond detective work to include security and private military contracts. 123 00:08:16,960 --> 00:08:20,560 Speaker 1: Regardless of the client. They specialized in taking on counterfeiters 124 00:08:20,600 --> 00:08:24,120 Speaker 1: and robbers. In their first few years, they solved a 125 00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:27,640 Speaker 1: series of high profile train robberies, which brought Allen into 126 00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:31,800 Speaker 1: contact with one George McClellan. In the early eighteen fifties, 127 00:08:31,880 --> 00:08:34,760 Speaker 1: the future Union General was the chief engineer and vice 128 00:08:34,760 --> 00:08:38,480 Speaker 1: president of the Illinois Central Railroad. It also brought Allen 129 00:08:38,520 --> 00:08:43,760 Speaker 1: into contact with the company's lawyer, Abraham Lincoln. Kate had 130 00:08:43,840 --> 00:08:47,480 Speaker 1: really done her homework, but when she walked into Allan's 131 00:08:47,520 --> 00:08:50,560 Speaker 1: office looking for a job, he assumed the young widow 132 00:08:50,559 --> 00:08:52,679 Speaker 1: in front of him saw a role as a typist 133 00:08:52,760 --> 00:08:56,360 Speaker 1: or perhaps cleaning the office. He informed her the company 134 00:08:56,400 --> 00:09:00,800 Speaker 1: wasn't hiring in that capacity. Kate smile and shook her head. 135 00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:03,480 Speaker 1: She informed him she was there for the job had 136 00:09:03,520 --> 00:09:07,679 Speaker 1: posted in the paper Operative, and she was prepared to 137 00:09:07,720 --> 00:09:10,640 Speaker 1: bring an offer to the Pinkerton agency that they couldn't 138 00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:24,359 Speaker 1: pass up. At first, Alan was flabbergasted a woman operative, 139 00:09:25,200 --> 00:09:28,600 Speaker 1: Kate insisted he hear her out. She could do things 140 00:09:28,720 --> 00:09:34,720 Speaker 1: the men couldn't. Intrigued, he sat and listened. Women, Kate explained, 141 00:09:34,800 --> 00:09:38,720 Speaker 1: went mostly unnoticed in many segments of society, making them 142 00:09:38,760 --> 00:09:42,400 Speaker 1: practically invisible in certain situations where someone might be trying 143 00:09:42,440 --> 00:09:45,480 Speaker 1: to tail a mark or get information, and she'd be 144 00:09:45,559 --> 00:09:48,160 Speaker 1: able to make friends with wives, friends, and mothers of 145 00:09:48,200 --> 00:09:51,920 Speaker 1: suspects who certainly wouldn't share info with men or anyone 146 00:09:51,960 --> 00:09:56,120 Speaker 1: looking too official. Her time in the theater had taught 147 00:09:56,120 --> 00:09:59,400 Speaker 1: her to develop an eye for detail, Her acting skills 148 00:09:59,400 --> 00:10:02,600 Speaker 1: and ability to slip into character were certainly to her advantage, 149 00:10:03,679 --> 00:10:08,040 Speaker 1: and she pointed out she knew men they liked to 150 00:10:08,080 --> 00:10:10,720 Speaker 1: brag around ladies, a trait she was more than happy 151 00:10:10,800 --> 00:10:14,520 Speaker 1: to take advantage of. It took some convincing, but he 152 00:10:14,640 --> 00:10:17,600 Speaker 1: hired her. Two days later. He thought he had a 153 00:10:17,640 --> 00:10:21,880 Speaker 1: case to test out his newest employee. The Adams Express 154 00:10:21,920 --> 00:10:26,360 Speaker 1: Company transported freight and cargo throughout the Southeast. Alan had 155 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:29,640 Speaker 1: received a letter from the president, Edward Sandford, explaining that 156 00:10:29,679 --> 00:10:32,480 Speaker 1: someone had stolen ten thousand dollars from a locked money 157 00:10:32,520 --> 00:10:38,000 Speaker 1: pouch somewhere between Montgomery, Alabama and Augusta, Georgia. In Alan's opinion, 158 00:10:38,320 --> 00:10:42,160 Speaker 1: someone inside the company had taken the cash. Sandford didn't 159 00:10:42,160 --> 00:10:44,360 Speaker 1: believe one of his employees would do such a thing. 160 00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:48,280 Speaker 1: Alan agreed to meet the president to talk further. By 161 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:51,080 Speaker 1: the time he arrived at the company headquarters, another forty 162 00:10:51,120 --> 00:10:54,920 Speaker 1: thousand dollars had gone missing. Alan said he had a 163 00:10:54,960 --> 00:10:58,680 Speaker 1: good idea of who did it. Nathan Moroney, the manager 164 00:10:58,720 --> 00:11:01,280 Speaker 1: of the Montgomery office, had put the cash into a 165 00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:04,720 Speaker 1: sealed pouch before sending it to New York. The pouch 166 00:11:04,880 --> 00:11:08,160 Speaker 1: was empty upon arrival. A square hole had been cut 167 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:12,439 Speaker 1: into the side to get around the seal. Stanford hired 168 00:11:12,480 --> 00:11:14,720 Speaker 1: the Pinkerton's to get to the bottom of the mystery. 169 00:11:15,280 --> 00:11:19,679 Speaker 1: Twelve managers were investigated. Alan still thought Moroney was their 170 00:11:19,720 --> 00:11:23,520 Speaker 1: best suspect, despite his excellent references. They had been a 171 00:11:23,559 --> 00:11:26,600 Speaker 1: veteran of the Mexican War and the community loved him. 172 00:11:26,760 --> 00:11:32,520 Speaker 1: His reputation initially seemed flawless. However, they uncovered that a 173 00:11:32,600 --> 00:11:36,760 Speaker 1: circus had managed had gone bankrupt. Unaware that the Pinkertons 174 00:11:36,760 --> 00:11:40,680 Speaker 1: were watching, Maroney began spending large sums of cash with Gusto. 175 00:11:41,720 --> 00:11:44,800 Speaker 1: When he was arrested, neighbors and citizens bailed him out, 176 00:11:45,080 --> 00:11:50,560 Speaker 1: heavily criticizing the Adams Express Company. To convict Maroney, the 177 00:11:50,600 --> 00:11:55,800 Speaker 1: Pinkerton's needed evidence. Six operatives, including Warren, were assigned to 178 00:11:55,840 --> 00:12:02,160 Speaker 1: the case. Kate slipped into character flawlessly. While in Pennsylvania 179 00:12:02,240 --> 00:12:05,840 Speaker 1: visiting relatives, mus Moroney met Kate, who would take it 180 00:12:05,880 --> 00:12:10,679 Speaker 1: on the identity of Madam Imbert. The two became fast friends. 181 00:12:11,400 --> 00:12:14,760 Speaker 1: To Hedge Allan's bets, he had a second handsome operative, 182 00:12:14,960 --> 00:12:16,880 Speaker 1: playing the part of an attorney by the name of 183 00:12:16,920 --> 00:12:21,079 Speaker 1: mister DeForest, wooing the bank exect wife, often taking her 184 00:12:21,080 --> 00:12:24,880 Speaker 1: to dinner and paying her compliments. When Nathan Maroney was 185 00:12:24,920 --> 00:12:29,720 Speaker 1: arrested a second time, the Pinkerton's set the trap. The agent, 186 00:12:29,800 --> 00:12:33,280 Speaker 1: posing as DeForest told MSUs Moroney he could free her husband, 187 00:12:33,480 --> 00:12:36,599 Speaker 1: but the price would be high. This put her in 188 00:12:36,640 --> 00:12:40,560 Speaker 1: a dilemma keep the money for herself or free her husband. 189 00:12:41,800 --> 00:12:44,400 Speaker 1: DeForest tried to convince her to let him help, and 190 00:12:44,720 --> 00:12:48,480 Speaker 1: so did Kate, posing as Madam Imbert. In the end, 191 00:12:48,640 --> 00:12:52,000 Speaker 1: MSUs Moroney broke down Kate, spilling the beans to the 192 00:12:52,040 --> 00:12:55,000 Speaker 1: woman she thought had become her friend. Her husband had 193 00:12:55,040 --> 00:12:57,520 Speaker 1: stolen the fifty thousand dollars, but had done it to 194 00:12:57,600 --> 00:13:02,080 Speaker 1: cover a gambling problem. Kate convinced her to not take 195 00:13:02,120 --> 00:13:05,160 Speaker 1: the money and run, and Mrs Moroney led Kate to 196 00:13:05,200 --> 00:13:08,080 Speaker 1: the seller where her husband had buried the money. Kate 197 00:13:08,120 --> 00:13:10,920 Speaker 1: then convinced her to turn the money over. All but 198 00:13:11,040 --> 00:13:13,600 Speaker 1: four hundred and eighty five dollars was accounted for, which 199 00:13:13,679 --> 00:13:18,199 Speaker 1: Moroney had already spent. In June of eighteen sixty, Nathan 200 00:13:18,240 --> 00:13:21,360 Speaker 1: Maroney was sentenced to ten years in the Alabama penitentiary. 201 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:24,880 Speaker 1: No charges were filed against his wife, who moved to 202 00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:28,719 Speaker 1: Chicago in the eyes of the Pinkerton's Kate had more 203 00:13:28,760 --> 00:13:32,679 Speaker 1: than proven herself. Little did they know she was just 204 00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:44,720 Speaker 1: getting started. At two a m. On November six of 205 00:13:44,760 --> 00:13:48,840 Speaker 1: eighteen sixty, a telegram notified Abraham Lincoln that had won 206 00:13:48,920 --> 00:13:53,280 Speaker 1: the presidential election. Excited, he ran home to tell his wife. 207 00:13:53,960 --> 00:13:57,160 Speaker 1: Within days, he and his new assistant were swamped with letters, 208 00:13:57,600 --> 00:14:01,680 Speaker 1: and not all of them were very welcoming. The country 209 00:14:01,760 --> 00:14:05,360 Speaker 1: was fractured before the election. Southern states had threatened to 210 00:14:05,360 --> 00:14:09,079 Speaker 1: secede if Lincoln became president. Now it looked like they 211 00:14:09,080 --> 00:14:13,160 Speaker 1: were prepared to follow through. While most letters were nothing 212 00:14:13,200 --> 00:14:18,400 Speaker 1: more than nervous citizens expressing concerns, others were vile and brutal, 213 00:14:18,880 --> 00:14:23,640 Speaker 1: threatening violence in depth. Lincoln didn't take all of them seriously, 214 00:14:23,920 --> 00:14:27,880 Speaker 1: though some couldn't be ignored. The state of things made 215 00:14:27,960 --> 00:14:33,320 Speaker 1: planning the presidential inauguration difficult. Adding to the stress, Lincoln 216 00:14:33,440 --> 00:14:37,360 Speaker 1: wasn't one for pageantry. He refused military escort, even if 217 00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:41,280 Speaker 1: it meant securing his safety, even saving his life. Those 218 00:14:41,320 --> 00:14:44,960 Speaker 1: around him were frustrated with the new president. Rumors of 219 00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:48,520 Speaker 1: a secessionist plot to destroy the railroad tracks connecting Washington 220 00:14:48,560 --> 00:14:51,360 Speaker 1: to the rest of the country began to spread along 221 00:14:51,400 --> 00:14:56,280 Speaker 1: with rumors of assassination plots. The president of the Railroads 222 00:14:56,280 --> 00:15:00,720 Speaker 1: of Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore, Samuel Morris Felton, took the 223 00:15:00,760 --> 00:15:04,800 Speaker 1: threats more seriously than Lincoln. He hired the Pinkerton Agency 224 00:15:04,840 --> 00:15:07,360 Speaker 1: to gather as much intel about the rumors as possible. 225 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:12,040 Speaker 1: Lincoln and Allan Pinkerton were already acquainted with each other, 226 00:15:12,520 --> 00:15:16,040 Speaker 1: making the investigation more palatable to the newly elected president. 227 00:15:16,880 --> 00:15:21,360 Speaker 1: Allen quickly had operatives embedded into Baltimore society. What he 228 00:15:21,440 --> 00:15:26,480 Speaker 1: found alarmed him. Though had known the South's strong dislike 229 00:15:26,480 --> 00:15:29,920 Speaker 1: of Lincoln and their threat to secede, the ideals Lincoln 230 00:15:29,920 --> 00:15:34,560 Speaker 1: represented had enraged them to dangerous levels. Harry Davies, a 231 00:15:34,640 --> 00:15:38,160 Speaker 1: Pinkerton employee and native Southerner, took on the persona of 232 00:15:38,160 --> 00:15:43,320 Speaker 1: an extreme anti Lincoln resident, offering his sympathies and cash 233 00:15:43,400 --> 00:15:47,320 Speaker 1: to the South's interest. He met Otis Hillard, a devout 234 00:15:47,400 --> 00:15:50,480 Speaker 1: and prominent secessionist who would go on to vouch for Davies. 235 00:15:51,280 --> 00:15:54,800 Speaker 1: Now privy to meetings, Davies learned that the secessionists were 236 00:15:55,000 --> 00:15:58,440 Speaker 1: not only well aware of Lincoln's route from Illinois, they 237 00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:00,720 Speaker 1: were making plans for the present it and s arrival. 238 00:16:02,120 --> 00:16:06,640 Speaker 1: Alan also went undercover, disguised as a wealthy stockbroker. He 239 00:16:06,720 --> 00:16:10,760 Speaker 1: was introduced to Captain Sarapano Ferandini, who openly revealed the 240 00:16:10,760 --> 00:16:15,240 Speaker 1: plot the South must rule. The captain told him he 241 00:16:15,320 --> 00:16:18,640 Speaker 1: reiterated his hatred for Lincoln and assured Alan that Lincoln 242 00:16:18,680 --> 00:16:23,000 Speaker 1: would never make it through Baltimore alive. With Davy's intel, 243 00:16:23,320 --> 00:16:28,000 Speaker 1: Alan couldn't dismiss the captain's threat. The railroad wasn't the target. 244 00:16:28,560 --> 00:16:33,720 Speaker 1: Lincoln was immediately Alan sent a warning to Lincoln. While 245 00:16:33,760 --> 00:16:37,520 Speaker 1: Lincoln prepared his speech, the Pinkerton Agency piece together more 246 00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:41,920 Speaker 1: of the captain's plans. Kate went undercover as a Southern lady, 247 00:16:42,160 --> 00:16:46,480 Speaker 1: flirtatious of Baltimore's elite men. Her charm worked, and men 248 00:16:46,560 --> 00:16:50,120 Speaker 1: easily confided in her. Some of them boasted they were 249 00:16:50,120 --> 00:16:52,160 Speaker 1: in on the plot to assassinate the President on his 250 00:16:52,200 --> 00:16:55,720 Speaker 1: way to Washington, d c. She learned that a large 251 00:16:55,760 --> 00:16:58,480 Speaker 1: crowd would meet Lincoln at the Calvert Street depot in 252 00:16:58,520 --> 00:17:02,160 Speaker 1: Baltimore on his way from Piladelphia. A few would create 253 00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:04,560 Speaker 1: a diversion for the police force assigned to the President. 254 00:17:05,160 --> 00:17:07,240 Speaker 1: In the midst of the commotion, did have people in 255 00:17:07,320 --> 00:17:09,960 Speaker 1: place to shoot the president and others to aid in 256 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:13,560 Speaker 1: their escape. Alan trusted Kate to come up with a 257 00:17:13,600 --> 00:17:17,439 Speaker 1: plan while he convinced Lincoln the threat was real. Only 258 00:17:17,480 --> 00:17:19,880 Speaker 1: a few people were allowed the details, as the plan 259 00:17:20,080 --> 00:17:22,960 Speaker 1: hinged on Lincoln being alone with only one or two 260 00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:27,680 Speaker 1: operatives for protection. If Kate's plan failed, the country would 261 00:17:27,680 --> 00:17:32,720 Speaker 1: suffer its first presidential assassination. The Confederate conspirators had spent 262 00:17:32,840 --> 00:17:38,800 Speaker 1: months planning this attack. In Philadelphia on February eighteen sixty one, 263 00:17:39,200 --> 00:17:42,280 Speaker 1: the train depot bustled with businessmen in long coats and 264 00:17:42,400 --> 00:17:45,919 Speaker 1: ladies in wide dresses with their children. Endless rows of 265 00:17:45,920 --> 00:17:50,160 Speaker 1: baggage awaited on the platform. At thirty pm, a train 266 00:17:50,280 --> 00:17:53,919 Speaker 1: with a number of passenger cars arrived. A few business 267 00:17:53,920 --> 00:17:57,400 Speaker 1: men checked their watches and adjusted their hats at odd angles. 268 00:17:58,400 --> 00:18:01,560 Speaker 1: Three well built men exit at a car, followed by 269 00:18:01,560 --> 00:18:04,399 Speaker 1: a somberly dressed woman and a tall, lanky man in 270 00:18:04,400 --> 00:18:08,080 Speaker 1: a dark suit and a broad brimmed hat. The woman 271 00:18:08,160 --> 00:18:11,280 Speaker 1: informed the conductor that she and her ailing brother were 272 00:18:11,280 --> 00:18:13,800 Speaker 1: on their way to a family party and tipped him 273 00:18:13,840 --> 00:18:16,640 Speaker 1: half a dollar to reserve a private double door sleeper. 274 00:18:16,680 --> 00:18:21,199 Speaker 1: Birth They stepped aboard Kate drew the curtains, and the 275 00:18:21,240 --> 00:18:25,160 Speaker 1: well built men joined them in the cabin. Alan Pinkerton 276 00:18:25,320 --> 00:18:28,800 Speaker 1: was one of those men. Lincoln removed his hat and 277 00:18:28,880 --> 00:18:32,080 Speaker 1: thanked Kate, then apologized for having put her in danger. 278 00:18:32,840 --> 00:18:35,119 Speaker 1: Allan informed the president that Kate was one of his 279 00:18:35,160 --> 00:18:39,480 Speaker 1: best and most competent operatives. When the train pulled into Baltimore, 280 00:18:39,760 --> 00:18:43,400 Speaker 1: the crew spent a few nervous, sleepless hours while horses 281 00:18:43,440 --> 00:18:45,640 Speaker 1: pulled the car through the city to the next station. 282 00:18:46,760 --> 00:18:50,760 Speaker 1: Lincoln arrived safely in Washington, while the slew of conspirators 283 00:18:50,840 --> 00:18:55,040 Speaker 1: waited in Baltimore, unaware that had been outwitted by one woman. 284 00:19:03,600 --> 00:19:06,480 Speaker 1: While Kate thought protecting Lincoln that night would be the 285 00:19:06,600 --> 00:19:09,320 Speaker 1: highlight of her career, her work for the president was 286 00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:13,200 Speaker 1: far from over. In Charleston, on April twelfth of eighteen 287 00:19:13,240 --> 00:19:17,399 Speaker 1: sixty one, Confederate cannons fired on Fort Sumter, starting the 288 00:19:17,400 --> 00:19:21,800 Speaker 1: Civil War. Allen wrote to Lincoln nine days later, offering 289 00:19:21,880 --> 00:19:27,160 Speaker 1: his agency's services once more. Before Lincoln could reply, General 290 00:19:27,280 --> 00:19:30,480 Speaker 1: McClellan asked Allan to work for him as military intelligence 291 00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:33,880 Speaker 1: under his command. By the end of July, Allen took 292 00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:37,080 Speaker 1: Kate and two other operatives to set up headquarters in Ohio. 293 00:19:38,280 --> 00:19:42,520 Speaker 1: The agency went on to stop several Confederate plots. As always, 294 00:19:42,640 --> 00:19:46,240 Speaker 1: Kate slipped in and out of different covers easily. Ellen 295 00:19:46,320 --> 00:19:49,200 Speaker 1: rewarded his star operatives efforts with a promotion to a 296 00:19:49,240 --> 00:19:52,320 Speaker 1: new department that would eventually become the forerunner for the 297 00:19:52,359 --> 00:19:56,720 Speaker 1: Secret Service. Decades later. After the war, she worked with 298 00:19:56,760 --> 00:19:59,119 Speaker 1: Allan to find a bank robber who had murdered a 299 00:19:59,200 --> 00:20:02,080 Speaker 1: teller and it off with a hundred and thirty thousand dollars. 300 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:06,639 Speaker 1: Kate went into cover and befriended the suspect's wife, eventually 301 00:20:06,680 --> 00:20:11,080 Speaker 1: solving the case. Though Pate was the first of her kind, 302 00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:14,960 Speaker 1: she was hardly the last. Allan created a female bureau 303 00:20:15,040 --> 00:20:18,480 Speaker 1: of the Pickerton Agency and appointed Kate as a superintendent. 304 00:20:19,280 --> 00:20:21,480 Speaker 1: At the time, women weren't allowed to be part of 305 00:20:21,480 --> 00:20:24,600 Speaker 1: the police force, and Alan came under fire for his decision. 306 00:20:25,760 --> 00:20:28,440 Speaker 1: He told prospective operatives that if they agreed to work 307 00:20:28,440 --> 00:20:30,320 Speaker 1: with him, they'd go into training with one of his 308 00:20:30,400 --> 00:20:35,120 Speaker 1: best Kate. She taught new women recruits everything they needed 309 00:20:35,160 --> 00:20:40,240 Speaker 1: to know about the adventurous career. Sadly, Kate didn't live 310 00:20:40,240 --> 00:20:43,320 Speaker 1: long enough to see the next wave of results in 311 00:20:43,359 --> 00:20:47,160 Speaker 1: eighteen sixty eight, she died from a lingering case of pneumonia. 312 00:20:47,680 --> 00:20:50,240 Speaker 1: During the Great Chicago Fire. Many of the records at 313 00:20:50,240 --> 00:20:55,960 Speaker 1: the Pinkerton Chicago office were destroyed, including hers. It's unclear 314 00:20:56,080 --> 00:20:58,520 Speaker 1: whether any of her family members were still alive when 315 00:20:58,560 --> 00:21:03,280 Speaker 1: she passed. Ultimately, Alan, who had long thought of Kate's family, 316 00:21:03,640 --> 00:21:07,399 Speaker 1: had her buried in the Pickerton plot in Chicago. In 317 00:21:07,440 --> 00:21:10,560 Speaker 1: her short thirty four years, she accomplished what took many 318 00:21:10,600 --> 00:21:15,240 Speaker 1: a lifetime. Kate Warren took nineteenth century sexism and not 319 00:21:15,359 --> 00:21:18,119 Speaker 1: only used it to her advantage, but paved the way 320 00:21:18,160 --> 00:21:21,800 Speaker 1: for women in law enforcement. In nineteen ten, women were 321 00:21:21,840 --> 00:21:26,040 Speaker 1: finally allowed to join the force. Her obituary stated that 322 00:21:26,119 --> 00:21:29,439 Speaker 1: Kate was a standout among her peers, with great mental 323 00:21:29,480 --> 00:21:33,399 Speaker 1: power and an excellent judge of character. The reporter went 324 00:21:33,440 --> 00:21:35,879 Speaker 1: on to say that she left a void in the 325 00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:39,760 Speaker 1: female detective department which would be difficult to fill. She lived, 326 00:21:39,760 --> 00:21:52,280 Speaker 1: as she died, a strong, pure and devoted woman. There's 327 00:21:52,320 --> 00:21:55,119 Speaker 1: more to this story. Stick around after this brief sponsor 328 00:21:55,160 --> 00:22:07,240 Speaker 1: break to hear all about it. Not all women's spies 329 00:22:07,320 --> 00:22:12,480 Speaker 1: were as fortunate as Kate Warrene. Tobacco plantation owners Archibald 330 00:22:12,520 --> 00:22:15,560 Speaker 1: and Elizabeth Jenkins lived on a sprawling estate in the 331 00:22:15,600 --> 00:22:20,399 Speaker 1: southern town of Waterloo, Maryland. In eighteen twenty or eighteen 332 00:22:20,400 --> 00:22:23,840 Speaker 1: twenty three, sources are uncertain about the exact year. The 333 00:22:23,920 --> 00:22:28,159 Speaker 1: couple welcomed daughter, Mary Elizabeth. She was the second of 334 00:22:28,200 --> 00:22:32,120 Speaker 1: three children, and neither she nor her brothers wanted for anything. 335 00:22:33,119 --> 00:22:36,480 Speaker 1: Their good fortune didn't last, though, and when Mary was 336 00:22:36,520 --> 00:22:41,240 Speaker 1: around five years old, her father died. Her mother inherited everything, 337 00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:45,840 Speaker 1: but had difficulty managing the estate and three children. For years, 338 00:22:45,920 --> 00:22:49,120 Speaker 1: Mary spent her time at Catholic boarding schools, not returning 339 00:22:49,160 --> 00:22:53,920 Speaker 1: home until eighteen thirty nine. Once there, she met John 340 00:22:53,960 --> 00:22:57,960 Speaker 1: Harrison Saratt, who was nine years her senior. His family 341 00:22:58,040 --> 00:23:00,680 Speaker 1: was well known and established in the area, making him 342 00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:05,680 Speaker 1: a financially sound match. His reputation was another matter, though. 343 00:23:06,440 --> 00:23:09,199 Speaker 1: John had fathered children out of wedlock and turned his 344 00:23:09,280 --> 00:23:13,920 Speaker 1: back on both mother and child. He also drank excessively. 345 00:23:15,520 --> 00:23:19,000 Speaker 1: Despite this, John and Mary wet, eventually having three children 346 00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:23,560 Speaker 1: of their own, Isaac, Elizabeth, and John Jr. The couple 347 00:23:23,600 --> 00:23:26,160 Speaker 1: settled on two hundred and thirty six acres that John 348 00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:31,480 Speaker 1: purchased from his father, naming his homestead Fox hall. Over 349 00:23:31,560 --> 00:23:35,120 Speaker 1: the years, the couple acquired surrounding land and inherited property 350 00:23:35,160 --> 00:23:38,199 Speaker 1: when John's mother died in eighteen forty five, and they 351 00:23:38,240 --> 00:23:41,440 Speaker 1: also purchased property in Clinton, Maryland and built tavern and 352 00:23:41,560 --> 00:23:45,240 Speaker 1: in there. The location became popular with travelers going to 353 00:23:45,320 --> 00:23:50,280 Speaker 1: and from Washington, d c. Unfortunately, John's drinking problem caused 354 00:23:50,280 --> 00:23:52,800 Speaker 1: the family to sell off land to pay his ever 355 00:23:52,880 --> 00:23:57,119 Speaker 1: increasing debts. Mary wrote to her local priest asking for help, 356 00:23:57,400 --> 00:24:01,400 Speaker 1: disclosing that her husband was completely drunk every single day. 357 00:24:02,240 --> 00:24:06,560 Speaker 1: During the Civil War, the Surrates hosted gatherings for Confederate sympathizers. 358 00:24:07,240 --> 00:24:09,960 Speaker 1: Their son, John Jr. Became a member of the Confederate 359 00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:13,119 Speaker 1: Secret Service, using the tavern as a stopping point or 360 00:24:13,160 --> 00:24:17,000 Speaker 1: a place to hide messages to couriers. Before long, the 361 00:24:17,040 --> 00:24:21,919 Speaker 1: pub was a haven for Southern soldiers and spies. In 362 00:24:22,040 --> 00:24:24,920 Speaker 1: late eighteen sixty one, the activity caught the attention of 363 00:24:25,040 --> 00:24:28,440 Speaker 1: Union intelligence, and they sent one of their men to investigate. 364 00:24:29,560 --> 00:24:32,840 Speaker 1: He confirmed that the tavern was a hotspot for Confederate couriers. 365 00:24:33,840 --> 00:24:36,800 Speaker 1: While the Union made a few arrests, it barely made 366 00:24:36,800 --> 00:24:41,280 Speaker 1: a dent in activity. John Senior continued to drink heavily 367 00:24:41,359 --> 00:24:44,720 Speaker 1: every day until he collapsed and died in August of 368 00:24:44,760 --> 00:24:48,800 Speaker 1: eighteen sixty two. He had left his family in substantial debt, 369 00:24:49,240 --> 00:24:51,760 Speaker 1: and Elizabeth quit school to help her mother run the 370 00:24:51,760 --> 00:24:56,560 Speaker 1: family business. The effort of sorting out debts, selling land, 371 00:24:56,640 --> 00:24:59,879 Speaker 1: and running a business while hosting Confederate spies and courier 372 00:25:00,280 --> 00:25:04,920 Speaker 1: proved too much. When wartime shortages increased, Mary leased the 373 00:25:04,960 --> 00:25:07,760 Speaker 1: tavern to a Confederate sympathizer and moved to a d 374 00:25:07,840 --> 00:25:12,160 Speaker 1: C town home. Though she had moved, Mary still helped 375 00:25:12,240 --> 00:25:16,119 Speaker 1: run the tavern, causing historians to theorize that the deal 376 00:25:16,200 --> 00:25:19,840 Speaker 1: helped draw attention away from her and John Junior's activities. 377 00:25:20,840 --> 00:25:23,639 Speaker 1: By now, the pub also hid a cache of weapons, 378 00:25:24,560 --> 00:25:27,840 Speaker 1: and in eighteen sixty four she had a regular who 379 00:25:27,880 --> 00:25:33,000 Speaker 1: took part in Confederate meetings, John Wilkes Booth. Booth met 380 00:25:33,040 --> 00:25:36,440 Speaker 1: with Mary on April fourteenth of eighteen sixty five, dropped 381 00:25:36,480 --> 00:25:38,920 Speaker 1: off a package, and spoke to her about a plan 382 00:25:39,119 --> 00:25:42,960 Speaker 1: the group had in place. That night, the plan went 383 00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:47,800 Speaker 1: into action, and Booth fatally shot Lincoln. He returned to 384 00:25:47,840 --> 00:25:50,480 Speaker 1: the tavern, where Mary handed him back to package and 385 00:25:50,520 --> 00:25:53,360 Speaker 1: supplied him with weapons before he fled to the countryside. 386 00:25:54,800 --> 00:25:59,320 Speaker 1: Police arrived shortly afterward and questioned Mary. They reportedly found 387 00:25:59,320 --> 00:26:02,800 Speaker 1: her confidence and arrogant, claiming ignorance to any plot to 388 00:26:02,840 --> 00:26:07,200 Speaker 1: assassinate the president. A one employee had a different story 389 00:26:07,400 --> 00:26:12,040 Speaker 1: and told them what he knew. The police promptly arrested Mary, 390 00:26:12,240 --> 00:26:15,320 Speaker 1: along with Dr Samuel Mudd, a country doctor who set 391 00:26:15,320 --> 00:26:19,760 Speaker 1: Booth's leg. Late that night. Before daybreak, police arrested and 392 00:26:19,840 --> 00:26:24,840 Speaker 1: imprisoned more suspected conspirators. Due to the nature of the 393 00:26:24,880 --> 00:26:28,600 Speaker 1: crime an ongoing distrust between the North and South. Mary 394 00:26:28,600 --> 00:26:32,400 Speaker 1: and the others were tried by a military tribunal. Though 395 00:26:32,440 --> 00:26:35,640 Speaker 1: her priest and friends came to her defense, the evidence 396 00:26:35,640 --> 00:26:38,560 Speaker 1: found at the inn, along with staff testimony against her, 397 00:26:38,720 --> 00:26:44,480 Speaker 1: proved overwhelming. Mary was sentenced to death on June sixty. 398 00:26:45,840 --> 00:26:48,520 Speaker 1: She would be the first woman executed in US history. 399 00:26:49,840 --> 00:26:52,840 Speaker 1: In July, she stood with her co conspirators at the gallows. 400 00:26:54,200 --> 00:26:57,240 Speaker 1: Dressed in black from head to toe. Mary's arrogance was 401 00:26:57,320 --> 00:26:59,960 Speaker 1: gone as she begged a guard to not let her draw. 402 00:27:01,240 --> 00:27:04,200 Speaker 1: She stood alongside her co conspirators for ten four seconds 403 00:27:04,240 --> 00:27:08,399 Speaker 1: before the supports were knocked from under them. Unlike Kate, 404 00:27:08,560 --> 00:27:11,560 Speaker 1: who found her way to a family plot or Pauline, 405 00:27:11,600 --> 00:27:14,760 Speaker 1: who was given a military burial. Mary was given a 406 00:27:14,800 --> 00:27:18,200 Speaker 1: different sort of interment. She was buried in the prison 407 00:27:18,280 --> 00:27:32,760 Speaker 1: yard not that far from the gallows. American Shadows is 408 00:27:32,840 --> 00:27:37,119 Speaker 1: hosted by Lauren Vogelbaum. This episode was written by Michelle Muto, 409 00:27:37,640 --> 00:27:41,080 Speaker 1: researched by Ali Steed, and produced by Miranda Hawkins and 410 00:27:41,119 --> 00:27:45,520 Speaker 1: Trevor Young, with executive producers Aaron Mankey, Alex Williams, and 411 00:27:45,560 --> 00:27:49,159 Speaker 1: Matt Frederick. To learn more about the show, visit Grim 412 00:27:49,160 --> 00:27:52,320 Speaker 1: and Mild dot com. From more podcasts from iHeart Radio, 413 00:27:52,560 --> 00:27:56,239 Speaker 1: visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 414 00:27:56,320 --> 00:28:02,439 Speaker 1: get your podcasts. Two fo