私家偵探平克頓 (Allan Pinkerton) 於1819年8月25日出生於蘇格蘭的格拉斯高 (Glasgow)

撇開那些騎馬的偵探不說，穆德 (Mulder) 、史考利 (Scully) ，還有007都是現代偵探。美國首批秘密情報員之一，在內戰期間擔任偵察兵與林肯總統的護衛，他就是私家偵探愛倫‧平克頓。

愛倫‧平克頓於1819年8月25日生於蘇格蘭的格拉斯高地區。他設立了「平克頓偵探社」 (Pinkerton National Detective Agency) 。但是他的偵探生涯，卻是因為機緣巧合才開始的。當他在1842年移民到美國後，他在芝加哥附近的一個小鎮開了一家製造桶子的店。平克頓是一個「廢奴主義者」 (abolitionist) ，積極反對奴隸制度。他的店也成為南方奴隸經由秘密管道逃到北方之間的休息站。有一天，當平克頓出門採集木頭時，他發現一群幫派份子正在製造偽幣。


Mulder, Scully and 007, move over for the detective on horseback. One of America's first undercover agents, a Civil War scout and guardian of President Lincoln, he was Allan Pinkerton, Private Eye.

Allan Pinkerton, born in Glasgow, Scotland, on August 25, 1819, founded the Pinkerton National Detective Agency. But his career as a detective began by chance. After emigrating to the United States in 1842, he established a barrel-making shop in a small town outside of Chicago. Pinkerton was an abolitionist (activist against slavery). His shop functioned as a "station" for escaped slaves traveling the Underground Railroad to freedom in the North. One day while out gathering wood, Pinkerton discovered a gang of counterfeiters making coins in the area.

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