Alfred Swaine Taylor, renowned toxicologist and medical writer, bumbled just a bit in his testing for the Smethurst trial. Oopsie! But a real scientist can admit when he's wrong--right?

New episode! Looking at the Allan Pinkerton and the Pinkerton Detective Agency, the very first private detective agency in the US. Listen now! 🎧 buff.ly/2F2DxR9

Allan Pinkerton was born in 1819 in Glasgow, Scotland. Pictured is his birthplace. Check out the latest episode for more on Pinkerton & the legendary--and controversial--detective agency he created. buff.ly/2F2DxR9

Allan Pinkerton just kinda fell into being a detective after uncovering a counterfeiting scheme. Check out the latest episode for more! buff.ly/2F2DxR9

An 1856 ad from the Chicago Tribune, advertising the Pinkerton Agency's services.

Check out the latest episode of Detectives by the Decade--talking about Kate Warne, America's very first female detective, and some of her incredible exploits! buff.ly/2F2DxR9

Kate Warne insisted, when Pinkerton asked what good a female detective would be, that she--and other women!--could be very useful. #truecrimepodcast #podcastcommunity #forensics #history #historicalcrime #science #forensicscience #murder #truecrime #pod

An illustration of "Mrs. Potter" after she "fell from her horse," engineering the very situation that would help her catch a murderer. Check out the latest episode, "Pinkerton 2: The Ghost and the Lady Detective" to find out Mrs. Potter's true identity. buff.ly/2F2DxR9

An illustration of a rebel meeting, included in Pinkerton's tale of his adventures with Abraham Lincoln. Check out the latest episode for more! buff.ly/2F2DxR9

Cypriano Ferrandini, one of the conspirators in the alleged plot to kill Abraham Lincoln before his inauguration. #podcasts #History #truecrime

Allan Pinkerton went to Baltimore to investigate the threats against Lincoln and discovered that even the authorities were a problem.

Another illustration from Pinkerton's account of the alleged conspiracy to murder Lincoln: one of Pinkerton's agents being sworn into a group of extreme secessionists plotting to kill the president before the inauguration.

When Pinkerton told Lincoln of the threat to his life in Baltimore, Lincoln worried that avoiding Baltimore on his inaugural trip to Washington wouldn't be received well. Check out the full episode for more! buff.ly/2F2DxR9

Illustration of Pinkerton, Lincoln, and a select few friends board a carriage to begin the late-night trip from Harrisburg to Washington, DC.

Harper's Weekly cartoon depicting Lincoln's flight through Baltimore. Allan Pinkerton, leading the mission to get Lincoln safely to Washington, disputed the notion that Lincoln was disguised. Check out the full episode for more! buff.ly/2F2DxR9

After a harrowing journey, Lincoln made it safe and sound to Washington, DC. Illustration from Allan Pinkerton's "The Spy of the Rebellion." Find out how in the latest episode. buff.ly/2F2DxR9

Upon his successful journey to bring Abraham Lincoln safely to Washington, Allan Pinkerton sent a telegram to his agents to confirm their arrival. "Plums" was Pinkerton's code name. "Nuts" was Lincoln's.

Allan Pinkerton was proud to have safely conducted Abraham Lincoln to Washington, DC for the inauguration.

Photos of Allan Pinkerton, President Abraham Lincoln, and General George B. McClellan during the Civil War. Pinkerton's agency performed some surveillance and intelligence activities for the Union. Check out the latest episode for the full story! buff.ly/2F2DxR9

Fascinating photo: Women detectives in the LAPD practicing with their brand new guns, 1948. Via reddit.com/r/oldschoolcool