this gang of cut-throats and murderers. He gave the Telluride mine owners to understand that they would never be safe either in person or property, so long as the Federation had a foothold in San Miguel County, and that their only recourse was to hire a Pinkerton operative who would do to the Federation what James McParland had done to the Mollies.
The plausible talk of the Pinkerton drummer or assistant superintendent convinced the members of the Telluride Mine Owners' Association; they instructed him to furnish their association with an operative who would hunt down the murderers of Collins and Barney, and also expose the Inner Circle of the union.
As previously stated, the Agency got the services of a very intelligent quartz miner for this work. This second James McParland was George W. Riddell, or, as he was known at the Agency, No. 36.