George W. Riddell facts for kids

George W. Riddell was a secret agent who worked for the Pinkerton Agency. He was hired to secretly join a group of miners in Colorado. Later, he even became the leader of a miners' union in Utah. His secret work was eventually revealed in a book, which forced him to leave his job.

Who Was George W. Riddell?

George W. Riddell worked as a "labor spy" for the Pinkerton Agency. This agency was like a private detective company. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, some companies hired Pinkerton agents. Their job was to secretly join workers' unions. They would then report back to the companies about what the unions were planning.

A Secret Agent for Pinkerton

Riddell was known as Agent No. 36 within the Pinkerton Agency. He was sent to Telluride, Colorado. His mission was to join the Western Federation of Miners (WFM). This was a powerful union for miners. The local mine owners paid Pinkerton a lot of money for Riddell's services. They paid about $7,000, which was a huge amount back then. He worked for them for two years.

The "Inner Circle" Mystery

Riddell's main task was to find a secret group. This group was called the "Inner Circle." Some people believed this group was planning bad things within the WFM union. James McParland, a leader at Pinkerton, strongly believed in this idea. However, Riddell searched and searched, but he never found any proof of this "Inner Circle." The idea of this secret group came from some serious events. These included the murder of a person named Arthur L. Collins. There was also a claim that a mine guard, William J. Barney, had been murdered.

His Cover Blown

After his time in Colorado, Riddell became the president of a miners' union in Eureka, Utah. But his secret identity as a Pinkerton agent did not stay hidden forever. A book called The Pinkerton Labor Spy was published by Morris Friedman. This book exposed Riddell and his secret work. Because of this book, George W. Riddell had to resign from his position as union president.