and she says she introduces herself, her name is kate warren. she's a young widow, 22 or 23 years old and she says she's looking for work. pinkerton doesn't know quite what she means. .. he says, it is not the custom to employ women as detectives. how exactly do you propose to be of service? and she's ready for this. she says, a female detective may go and warm out the secrets in ways that are impossible for a male detective. a man may hide all traces of his guilt from his fellow man, but he will not hide it from his wife. and what she proposes to do is strike up useful friendships with the wives of these suspected criminals. get them to spill the beans, and then she will take that information back to pinkerton. and that's what she did, and much more besides, and on the night in question in the hour of peril, if you will, lincoln was accompanied not by a squad of cavalry, sir, but by a resourceful young woman who was posing as his sister, a traveling companion. but that was only part of impotence plan on that night. -- pinkertons plan. earlier o