Recently neither man could have known the importance of the meeting at the time. In the 1850s, Pinkertons National Detective Agency would lay the foundation for what would become the most famous Detective Agency. Pinkertops agency focused on criminal matters and was often employed by government agencies. In putting together what would be a talented team of detectives, Timothy Webster who was recommend to pinkerton by a member of the new York City Police force was one of these men. Though he did not join the pinkerton Detective Agency, he may have decided to accept the offer after continuing harassment webster moved his family to illinois and went on to become one of the agencys best detectives. Though quiets and reserved personally, when on a case, webster used an outgoing personally to get information he needed. The skilled detective worked on such interesting cases as tracking the forger uncovering a plot to destroy the rock Island Bridge and investigating grave robberies in chicago. He also did the more mundane work as railroad detective. Then Abraham Lincoln was elected president of the United States. There were even threats to assassinate the president elect before he took office. Timothy webster, Allan Pinkerton foiled the assassination notes. Websters service to his country did not stop there. The Southern States soon suceded and the United States fell into the civil war. Men from both sides joined the military and prepared for battle. Tim webster did not hesitate when the time came to serve his country. But he would not not as a soldier, but as a spy. Allan pinkerton was put in charge of espionage and tim webster who gathered much Important Information became pinker on thes top spy. Websters work behind the lines included multiple trips to the capitol of rich monday. Once took official correspondent from a confederate general to a colonel. On top of that, he received passes from behinden my lines from the confederate secretary of war. The succession websters family immigrated to the United States when tim was young. Webster was raised primarily in new jersey and married a local woman. The couple had four children, family was important to webster, he always looked to his siblings. Professionally Timothy Webster, who braved worked as a new york state policeman, a private detective and served mias ma have saved Abraham Lincolns life in 1861. Timothy webster began his career as a new York City Policeman, and went on to serve as a detective and a spy. He did a dramatic life and theres no telling what he would have accomplished if his life had not been cut short. He was born march 22, 1822 in new heavy on, sussex county, evening land. He was the fourth child and they would have seven children in all, but two died in infancy and one at the age of two. The family immigrated to the United States when webster was just a boy and settled in prince on t princeton, new jersey where he would grow into a man. We dont know why, but soon he grew bored or some other reasons left life in princeton and decided to move to new york city and decided to take a job for a newly formed new york Police Department. The trouble in new york was the Police Department was. Large or effective enough to patrol the agreeing city. Timothy webster was a member of the force during its formative years. In 1853, he was assigned to work the Crystal Palace exhibition, which became known as the first world war, he was introduced to Allan Pinkerton who probably offered him a job in his newly formed Detective Agency at this time. If a job was offered, webster turned it down. The english born webster served at a time a when xeno phobia ran high in america. There was general feelings against foreigners at this time. Because of this an investigation was begun into a number of foreigners. Chief matsell also of england send a report to tell how many foreign born officers were in the department. Of the 1,000 roughly 400 officers, they reported that, i believe there were 477 foreign born officers in the departments. Oliver briggs charged perjury, claiming there were at least 600 foreigners in the department. While this may not seem like a big difference, it was to brigs who because of this initiated a yearlong investigation into charges of perjury into lieutenant matsel trying to get him removed as chief of police. This was New York City Hall where most of the hearings took place. Of the few officers called to testify, one was Timothy Webster who was repeatedly called and each time shows disdain and refused to cooperate. I would like to read some of the testimony. Mr. Timothy webster, lieutenant of police made his appearance at the conclusion of the foregoing testimony and was formed by oliver brigs. Brigs preparing to administer the oath asked webster, you do some let mely swear that you will answer all the questions . Responded webster, i solemnly swear that the evidence i shall give, will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me god. Put your hands on the good book . You solemnly swear that the evidence you give will be under oath . Webster said now i decline answering any of the questions brigs began by asking, what is your name . Webster sat silent, the clerk spoke up and said you can give us your name, cant you . Timothy didnt answer. That is the name on the brigs asked, have you answered any questions in the station house with regard to i refuse to answer. What country are you native of . I positively decline to answer any question this Committee Puts to me, webster stated, i wish that to be distinctly understood. The yearlong investigation led nowhere, chief matsel retachbed his position, but what it may have done is soured webster on being a Police Officer of new york. Because less than an hour after the hearing, he newly formed Detective Agency in chicago. What effect the investigation by alderman has on timothys decision to leave is unknown. To be close to pingingertons agency, webster moved his family to illinois. The northwest Police Agency founded by Allan Pinkerton in the 1850s, went on to become the most famous private Detective Agency ever. But at the time, webster joined, it was still a growing regional agency. Unfortunately, many of the agencies records, most of them from websters time were destroyed in the great chicago of 1871 so little is known of what webster did as an operative. He he took on a variety of interest case, such as tracking a forger, evening jumping off a moving train in michigan to keep one the man. Investigating grave robberies in a chicago cemetery and working to find those behind the attempt to burn down the Rock Island Railroad bridge. I would like to speak to you about the latter of these two cases. The history of grave robbing dates back to the 19th century. As medicine was advancing and schools needed cadavers for research and study, antiquated laws left them unable to obtain the number of bodies they needed. Because of this, medical schools often turned to rest recollectionists, who were grave one example of this happened in october 1857, when it was discovered that four bodies in the field section of the chicago cemetery had been removed. When the undertaker discovered the grave digger discovered this, he went to the undertaker, who in turn went to a lotter man. In this role he had some legal powers which gave him the power to arrest people violencing cemetery regulations. This may have gave which might explain why instead of going to the police, that the city alderman went to Allan Pinkertons Detective Agency, because immediately they suspectsuspect ed quinlan was somehow involved in the disappearance of the bodies. For six nights, webster led five operatives to their cemetery, they staked it out and found nothing. And then on november 5, he only had four available. They arrived at 10 00 on what is described as an unusually dark night. Its probable that the graverobbers were already there. A buggy was seen driving away from the cemetery. Two of the operatives, one of them were most likely webster, so what ill do is ex two operatives, the other was most likely webster, followed the buggy at a distance so they wouldnt be seen. They followed through chicago a streets similar to one and crawled at times even to remain unseen. As the buggy turned the corner, started to increase its speed. One of the operatives ran out achkd grabbed the what are necessaries in the back. This disarranged the what are necessaries and the buggy was forced to stop. The operatives wen to the side of the road as well as exited the buggy to fix the harness. They could smell the krpss inside the buggy, so they moved in, arrested and turned out martin quinlan. As one operative held him, the other drew his gun on the two men inside the buggy. Unfortunately, at this time the horse backed up and the operative got his wheel caught in the buggy, as he went to remove his leg, they jumped out of the buggy and took off running, the operative chased the other two, fire a few shots but was unable to catch them. Quinlan was held at the Police Department until to the morning. The horse took him to couriers lirry stable where they were able to find out the identity of the man who represented the buggy, turned out to be a medical student at york medical college. York was also arrested. In the end, all charges against york were dropped, quinn lyn was found guilty of two charges and fined 500 and that closed the book on the case. Around that particular case, but resurrectations continued to happen as laws failed to keep up with the needs of medical schools. At this time, the country was being obviously there was a slave issue that was dividing north and south. But another north and south issue was as the rock Island Bridge was being built between davenport, iowa and rock island illinois which would be a benefit for a lot of reasons, it would allow trains, as they had to at the time, stop in rock island, unload all their passengers and goods, and then cross them all by ferry and reload them in davenport. Much of this opposition came from the city of st. Louis which had become the shipping center of the United States in the 1850s and remained so during this time, but threatened to lose that if this bridge were built. Despite the opposition, the bridge was completed. Shortly after completion in may of 1856, the steamboat crashed in one of the piers on the bridge, as the ship was sinking to the ground and cattle were swimming to the shore and drowning and the screams filled the air, a section of the bridge collapsed and which shows how some people felt about this bridge. The cone over of the fef, sued the rock Island Bridge company, claiming the bridge was the destruction of the river. Norman b. Judge and both those men would later be connected to other operations in websters life. The trial ended with a hung jury, 91 in fair of the kbrijs company. Some saw a quicker method to get rid of the bridge. It was written that there was an a attempt to burn down the braj in 1858, whether there actually was an attempt or just threats of an attempt, they were undoubtedly there by 1869. Pinkertons northwest bridges agency was hired to guard the bridge. Timothy webster was named superintendent of the bridge. Under him was a group of uniformed guards, the records of the investigation havent survived, we dont know if webster took a vfrzry role or a more active role in trying to find the culprits. While sculpt of the bridge, tim webster moved at least parttime to davenport, iowa. Actually hoe lived on the poor of the bridge. It was known that he had a family back in illinois, so its likely that he took many train trips back to visit his family. Even so, he did make a big impact on the davenport community, even being asked to run for local office while he was there. The investigation eventually focused on two men. Businessal had been fired by the chamber of commerce to take evidence on the in chicago, just over two years after webster arrived in davenport, pinnerton arrested paul in chicago. Chadwick Timothy Webster, still posing as the bridges superintendent, invited chadwick to the Railroad Depot and told him he had some papers he wished that he would see. The when chadwick arrived, webster told him he mistakenly forgot the papers on the train. They went on the train tove them and the papers he wait a minuted to show him was a warrant for his arrest the train was already on its way to chicago where the warrant was issued. The location of the bridge was improperly described in the indictment. More charges were brought, but by that time, following bissel ekes what the bridge was allowed to stand and it allowed railroads to reshape the nation. This is one of two of websters detective books, this is from his work as a labor spy, in this case a railroad detective. The work was very simple. He would ride the rails and pay with marked bills and marked others paid for as they watched for thieving conductors, over the years this brought much crisis to the pinkertons agency. Had webster continued on the past he was on, he most likely would have headed up one of the branches of the Pinkerton Agency that would open in the nec several years. Allan pinkerton received a request to investigate suscessions threats to destroy the railroad bridges between washington, d. C. And new york city. Pinkerton took a small group of operatives to investigate the threat. John h. Huntington took an office next to james h. Lock ket in baltimore. He led a small group that claimed to have a plan to assassinate lincoln as he passedthrough baltimore on his way to d. C. For his inauguration, at the time the way it was set up, lincoln would arrive on one train in baltimore and have to cross the city openly in a carriage to get to the other train to take him to d. C. , which of course now seems like a horrible idea lets the president of the United States even in a nonhostile place cross open like that, but in baltimore, it was very split on the issue of suscession, this was a really bad idea. Another operative, also in on the plans to assassinatefa lincn independent of pinker torn. Webster went to maryland where hattie lewis posing as his wife. Webster joined a local militia and learned that they had similar plans to assassinate lincoln as he passed through baltimore. Because of this, lincolns it tin rare changed and he was sneaked through baltimore night train. He received much criticism for this, but as we saw four years later, how easy it could be for one determined man to assassinate the president , it seems these precautions were very, very necessary. It was of two detectives who had also joined the militia, posing as spies to try to find out what was going on. Years after the incident, the new york chief of police at the time, when he wrote his memoirs, asked one of these men to replay his experience as a spy. Requested certain questions about davis. His wife had sent him a letter. Though it was addressed to his alias,of it arose suspicion. Sampson recalled he was asked many questions in regards to the letter. Where it came from and what it was about. R he, plained as well as he could but knew hisnu time with the national volunteers. He explained the danger theyfa faced. The company was in the majorityi all carried revolvers. E0atre was even a detail whose duty it was to do away with suspected perso co the men left for washington fa o quickly, leaving everything behind and taking on new wardrobes fori] e1disguise. Sampson wrote one detail about his change in clothes. I remembert i wore a heavy clo band with fur around it. Gave it away. Registered underq the alias as thompson and davis. Then they went to the hotel room andt discussed it. In the lobby were several of the nationalnr volunteers. They were examining theco hotel. Sampson recalled i cursed mycon to change my alias. Wk sampson watched as one of the men turned and whispered to hisu associates. Then they all walked out. The new york detectives didnt know what tonr do. Sampson looked toward the room and becamew3 separated. Sampson tried to think a way out. It was at that moment when a man in a longlpe1 overcoat got us b towards sampson. Suddenly n a very low tone soq sampson can just make out the words,i] the man spoke. For god sakes, tom, come out of this, he said. Sampson kept his composure and did not move. Okni both men stood okstill. Sampson replied,t i do not recognizenico you. He was trying to help him or just getco him alone so he coul murder him, when the stranger walked out of the hotel, sampson followed. He remembered, i followed him very closely. My steps almost locking his. I carried a selfcocking pistol and i knew how to use it. I made n my mindcoxd that at first Suspicious Movement i would shoot. Out on pennsylvania avenue, still in a quiet voice, the unidentified man said,my god, where is washington walling . What, washington walling sampsoo asked . Why okxdtom. Fa he described the man. My companion had on a great coat with thenioec collar turned upn his nose. A heavy cap was drawn over his 9n sampson fearedxd the worst. I]xdk as to save you from death that i followed you. Your life is now with decent. I swear there are 20 men after you this instant. Even though i suspect were being watched, i may not be suspected if im with them. They will not kill my friend if i shall help it. Webster helped the two men out of the city. Later he made a verbal report to pinkerton who reported at 10 30 a. M. , he returned from washington, d. C. And made a verbal report in relation to detective sampson. They were both very much frightened to receive the news by tw and left their hotel without paying their bill or getting their baggage. Thanking tw for his information. Tw also called on mj john at his room in wards hotel. He was very pleased to see him and laughed at the new york detectives being discovered. Shortly after this this is tom sampson, the detective in his later years when he relaid that story. This is wards hotel where much of it took place. Shortly after this incident, Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated. The country fell into civil war. Allen pinkerton was placed in charge of the secret service for general george mcclelen who at that time was in the department of ohio. His main tasks were at the time mcclelen thought was to defend cincinnati an attack coming south from cincinnati. So webster going to kentucky and tennessee. What they wanted was to find out the troop numbers and the intentions of the enemy, supply information, and the general feeling of the south in the war. Websters first trip was to memphis and next trip was to memphis. Webster returned with detailed reports. Soon mcclelen became Major General of the entire army and that shifted the goals. Now he was starting to plan a defense of richmond. So Timothy Webster made his next residence in baltimore, a city dm in a state that stayed with the union. He soon volunteered to act as a courier for them, to reply the messages to friends and family who lived in the south and replies back north. This provided a perfect cover for webster to move behind enemy lines without being suspected of anything nefarious. Hi did such a good job at it actually that he was actually being watched by the baltimore marshall. This led to a raid on Millers Hotel by the Marshalls Office where the Hotel Webster was staying in and he was arrested and his, equity, wife was arrested at the time and all the letters that he was gathering for his next trip south were confiscated. Once it became clear who webster actually was, they planned they set up a fake escape so it wouldnt be known that he was just let go. The newspaper, the baltimore american commercial advertiser reported escape of a state prisoner. It was rumored yesterday that the man webster who was arrested at the hotel upon the charge of being concerned in the regular transportation arrived between baltimore had succeeded in making his escape. He was removed from the western Police Station and placed in a carriage under heavy charge of the special detective officer driven towards ft. Mchenry. He had been previously ordered to that post. When the vehicle had arrived within a short distance of the main gate, me gave a sudden bound for his feet. He was beyond the officers grasp. It is not known which direction he took but he will scarcely be able to escape the city. He was a citizen of kentucky. He is residing in baltimore. This report no doubt raised the opinion of webster among his contacts. Webster made multiple trips to the capital of richmond picking up an impressive amount of information. He made contacts that included generals and kernels. Carried official documents for confederate grudner and received passes across enemy lines. During his first trip to the confederate capital, webster met with officers and picked up an impressive amount of information. While returning north, something unexpected happened. He was asked to carry important documents. Webster undertook this mission, crossed the dangerous water at nights and further endeared himself to the enemy. As far as they were concerned, he was one of them. This is one of websters reports. This is from one of his earlier trips from kentucky and tennessee. With the detail of the reports webster submitted its fair to ask, how accurate were these reports. Over the years, general mcclelen has received much criticism. Much of this criticism has been focussed on Allen Pinkerton for supplying overinflated troop number. The fault did not lie at webster that the numbers eventually reached mcclelen were exaggerated. Websters reports were by far the most accurate of any the reports pinkerton was receiving. Although, through all reports, it seemed pretty clear the operatives themselves were not the reason that mcclelen got inflated troop numbers. It appears from reports that mcclelen new not only knew that the numbers were inflated but in fact requested it. The logic is twofold. It was thought, number one, that the numbers coming from operatives and refuges coming north would never be complete so the numbers were for the uncounted troops. The problem that pinkertons numbers were already too high. Increasing them only made this problem worse. The ore problem for the increase was that mcclelen never wanted to get caught off guard by more. To justify his request to lincoln for more troops. He likely believed them and convinced himself that troops that werent there actually existed. In the midst of a mission that websters health became an issue. The 39yearold webster had to sleep on the ground after crossing Chesapeake Bay one cold, winter night. This led to himkz contracting rheumatism. A generic term for any ailment stiffening of the joints. Webster suffered from in his life and for days kept him bedridden for days at a time. So his next Mission South because of rheumatism he went with lewis still poising as his wife. This is supposed to be a Short Mission because after not being gone very long, pinkerton panicked not knowing where they were and sent to operatives south to find them. Now, the problem that pinkerton had in selecting these two operatives is he had been using them in other capacities in washington, d. C. There was, for example, a senator jack morton whose wife messages to the confederates. When pinkerton went to search his house, he brought lewis and scully to search the mortonson home. These two men went south to find webster and found him in the Monumental Hotel on capitol square. The fence there is around the washington monument. That hotel itself no longer exists. They found him in the Monumental Hotel. Visiting webster was a drktive of general john h. Winder. With the detective was chase morton, the son of the senator Jackson Morton whose home they had searched in washington, d. C. Chase morton immediately recognized lewis and scully. V men were soon after arrested, quickly tried and sentenced to death. John scully, catholic, requested to see a priest for confession before his execution. Father mcmullen urged scully to confess to the general and tell him everything he knew. Scully eventually gave into this and confessed. Not only confessed to being a spy but told that Timothy Webster and lewis were also spies. The result of this is that Timothy Webster, bedridden was arrested and so was lewis. Price lewis also confessed. While he contended throughout his life that he only confessed to being a spy and never said that Timothy Webster or lewis were spies, the evidence seems to indicate otherwise. Not only was his sentence commuted from death to a few years in prison which seems unlikely that they would do if he only confessed to being what they already con convicted of him of being, he was called as a witness to Timothy Websters trial. Trial. Webster was arrested because of, this confession and sentenced to death. Police went out to general winder who was in charge of him and Jefferson Davis not to execute him. At the time, the north or south hadnt executed any spies. In fact, in the north when spies had been arrested for the most part they were held for a very short time and then released. Unfrntsly many cases then they returned to spying. But winder and Jefferson Davis ignored these qcpleas. The fact is i mean, this was a testament to websters skills as a spy. The men were fooled. They were embarrassed and quite frankly they wanted revenge and Timothy Webster was going to pay for deceiving them. August 29, 1862, still suffering from rheumatism, tim webster was helped up to the scaffold. The first attempt did not succeed. The nuse was put around his neck and fell off. The second time the rope was tied so tight it was choking him the trap was sprung and he became the first spy executed in the american civil war. After the war, in 1871, pinkerton went to richmond to retrieve his body. He found it after three days and websters return to illinois where he was laid to rest next to his son who had died from wounds in the battle as a union soldier. The other side of that stone is websters father who died infg 1860. In a moment ill take questions. If anyone wants to purchase any books, i have them for 35. I will be at the table in the back afterwards. I also have a few copies of my first book, murder on the white sands, the disappearance of albert fountain who ch is about a new mexico lawyer who along with his 8yearold son disappeared in 1896. Their bodies were never found. And if anyone has wants to contact me for anything else or wants more information, you can vilt my web at ww www. Coreyrecko. Com. Is there any questions . Whats the practical effect of we know the effect of his work with the lincoln inauguration train. Its pretty well established. With his spy work duringq richmond with the war, did it have a practical effect on operations . Unfortunately no. Because of the inflated numbers that we talked about. And not only webster, but there was a lot of spies on both sides bringing in Important Information, but because military espionage was so new, they didnt commanders on both sides didnt really know how to use this information and mcclelens case, because they inflated numbers so much, all it did was help scare him away from his target of richmond. But thats not thats not the fall of webster what they did with the information. The end result is it really wasnt very helpful because of how they used the data. Was timothy involved with he was. That was a big part of what he did. He would do that by either what he viewed or he made contacts all on the way. Surprisingly with no one suspecting just ask, how many troops are coming in from here. You have all kinds of information from different officials. They were so happy to see him he brought letters from loved ones to different camps that they wanted to know. Anymore questions . Yes . Ive always questioned the competency of the pinqviq 9n group. I think it had a lot to do with the overinflation of the troop numbers. But if i heard you correctly, you were saying that was more of at the very least, mcclelen knew of the overmassed estimate. I didnt have the personal conversation to know exactly how that decision was made, but it appears that pinkerton was doing it because he was requested to do so by mcclelen and that pinkerton defended those numbers many years, too, because he really admired george mcclelen and because of his admiration for mcclelen he seemed to whatever mcclelen said was true he bought into which was obviously a mistake. And there were also theres also mathematical errors in some of the reports, though. Its not that was not to absolve away from Allen Pinkerton. He did a superb job running his Detective Agency. His work as a spy master, that probably left a Little Something to be desired. Anymore questions . Yes. Do you know what part of richmond the execution took place . The execution took place at the time it was camp lee, which is at the time before there was camp lee there were fairgrounds and today theres ive been there and its been enough years ago i cant think of the name of it, but theres definitely an open field its by the science museum. I have been to the area but its been quite a few years. I have been researching this book since 2000. It was a public execution . It was a public execution. Anymore questions . Thank you very much, everyone. [ applause ]. With live coverage of the u. S. House on cspan and the senate on cspan2, here on cspan3, we show you the most relevant congressional hearings and Public Affairs event n. Then on weekends, cspan3 is the home to American History tv withd8 programs that tell our nations story including six unique stories. Visiting battlefields and key events. American artifacts. History book shelf with the bestknown American History writers. The presidency, looking at the policies and leg sis of our nations commanders in chief. Lectures and history. And our new series, real america featuring ar kooifl government and educational films. Cspan3, created by the cable tv industry and funded by your local cable or satellite c n provider. Watch us in hd, like us on facebook and follow us on twitter. Next, author and journalist, howard blum talks abut german espionage in the United States. Before the u. S. Entered world war i. In his book dark envision slk 195 slk slk germanys secret war and the hurt for the first terrorist cell in america. He also profiling new York City Police inspector tom. He uncovers a spy network and helped develop a modern counterterrorism strategy. The event was hosted by the new York Military affairs symposium. Minutes. Good evening and welcome. I am pleased to welcome howard blum, an investigative journalist and author of the new york city times best seller dark invasion as well as many other great books. He is currently a contributing editor at vanity fair. While at the New York Times he was twice nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting. Several of his books were nonfiction best sellers including, among others i pledge allegiance, the true story of the walkers, an american spy family that was turned into a great mini series on cbs, perhaps some of you watched it in the past. Gang land how the fbi broke the mob in 1993. The eve of destruction. The untold story of the yam kiper war in 2003. American lightning terror of mystery and the birth of hollywood and the crime of the centuryo 2008. A floor of heaven, a true tale of the last frontier and the uconn gold rush in 2011. I should also mention that Warner Brothers is preparing ax film of dark invasion starring Bradley Cooper as tom, the hero of the book. Please welcome, howard blum. [ applause ]. Pick up a newspaper and just glance at the headline. Check out the internet and read almost any post. Theres news about terrorism anywhere and its all very frightening. It will keep you up at night. One day theyre saying new york city is a target. The next day is chicago. Then las vegas, even the air force academy. The president tells us that we dont have to worry. Isis is not going to attack the homeland yet. Then a republican president ial candidate comes out and says, well, maybe we do have to worry. Our borders are very pourus, but theres no doubt about it, my children are growing up in a world of terrorism. Terrorism has become part of the dna of the times in which we live. So consider this very