It’s day 3 of our theme week on Female Firsts, and today we’re talking about the first female detective in the U.S., Kate Warne! She worked for the Pinkerton Detective Agency starting in 1856. She showed up at their office in Chicago after seeing an advertisement in a local newspaper, and asked for a job as a detective. Pinkerton was hesitant at first – it was pretty much unheard of for a woman to be a police officer or detective at the time. But Warne convinced him that her undercover skills would be extremely useful to his agency. She explained that a female detective could infiltrate areas men could not, adding that women have an eye for detail and are excellent observers. Pinkerton was convinced, and later said that she was one of the 5 best agents he’d ever hired.
One of Warne’s first cases had to do with the embezzlement of $50,000 from the Adams Express Company railroad. She was able to befriend the wife of the prime suspect, gathering valuable evidence which lead to the husband’s conviction. The highlight of her career were her efforts on behalf of Abraham Lincoln. In 1861, Pinkerton was hired by the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad to investigate growing secessionist activity and threats to the railroad in Maryland. Pinkerton soon discovered that the railroad wasn’t the target – so was president-elect Lincoln. Warne was one of 5 detectives sent to Baltimore in 1861 to investigate secessionist activity. Through her undercover work, a plot to assassinate Lincoln was revealed. She was assigned and successfully delivered Lincoln to the capital city through a series of disguises and tactics.
Warne continued to work for Pinkerton through the Civil War, becoming one of the most noted female spies for the Union. She eventually became the superintendent of the agency’s bureau for women, also known as the Lady Pinks, training a growing number of female detectives. She worked on several high profile cases until she died from pneumonia at the age of 34 or 35.