Pinkerton's thwart assassination plot against Abraham Lincoln

In 1861, the Pinkerton Detective Agency, founded by Allan Pinkerton, foiled an assassination plot against President-elect Abraham Lincoln. They received information about a secret group planning to sabotage the rail lines in Baltimore, where Lincoln was scheduled to pass through. The Pinkertons arranged for Lincoln to secretly board an overnight train before his published schedule. The attempt to assassinate Lincoln was unsuccessful, and this event drastically changed public opinion of the James brothers, who were later pursued by the Pinkertons. The agency's involvement in the attack on the James family home resulted in death and severe injury, and evidence confirmed their responsibility. Despite their initial success in preventing Lincoln's assassination, the Pinkertons faced criticism for their mishandling of subsequent cases, such as their failed pursuit of the James gang.