From Detective to Clairvoyant: Kate Warne's Legendary Fortune-Teller Disguise

“How do you think you would succeed as a fortune-teller?"

It was a rather unusual question that would elicit a humorous response from just about anyone, especially from Kate Warne, the superintendent of the Women’s Detective Bureau at Pinkerton’s National Detective Agency — she also happened to be the first female detective in the United States. But when Allan Pinkerton, the founder of the Agency asked the question, His eyes were serious and intent, leaving no doubt about the gravity of the matter.

In a time when psychics and fortune-tellers were but few and most thought of as humbugs, Pinkerton was asked to investigate a case where a person of interest was very much a believer in the mystic arts. He thought he could, in his own words, “…take advantage of that trait…” to draw out secrets and crucial information in what was believed to be a murder case.  And he immediately thought of Warne, who he described as one of his top five detectives, someone who was admirably adapted to take on any role.

Warne leveraged her distinctive talents and keen social insight to infiltrate elite circles, gather intelligence, and navigate the challenges of a male-dominated profession. One of her early — and highly celebrated roles — was in the Adam’s Express Company case. Warne strategically befriended the wife of the main suspect, Nathan Maroney, using her charm and wit to gain the family's trust and gather crucial information. She discovered the hidden money, carefully piecing together evidence that linked Maroney to the embezzlement.

Her repertoire of personas was extensive. Notably, she once assumed the role of a sister to a covertly cloaked President-elect Abraham Lincoln to safely escort him to his presidential inauguration. During the Civil War, Warne displayed exceptional espionage skills as she operated deep within enemy lines, collecting vital military intelligence — even posing as Pinkerton's wife on some assignments. Post-war, she adopted yet another persona to elicit the truth from a murderer’s wife. This particular case had a very somber conclusion. And there were so many more.

"That is certainly a new role. However, I think I might learn to take the part…after a few lessons," said Warne, who immediately learned enough of astrology, clairvoyance, and mesmerism to pass for one of the genuine tribe. 

The Disguise of Divination

Warne's operation centered on creating a character, “L. L. Lucille,” a fortune teller of (supposedly) great renown, the seventh daughter of the seventh daughter and the only living descendant of Hermes, the Egyptian, who had traveled through all the known parts of the world reading the fortunes and horoscopes of dignitaries and heads of state, now making her first appearance in Chicago.

Lucille blew into the city with some amount of fanfare and a great marketing plan that included a series of prominent half-column advertisements in Chicago’s daily newspapers and enough eye-catching handbills to flood the city’s streets.

Her objective was to win the confidence of a person of interest, the widow Mrs. Annie Thayer to unravel the threads of deception and guilt. Thayer was in Chicago with her brother, Captain J. N. Sumner who suspected his favorite sister and her married lover, Mr. Pattmore of Greenville, Ohio, of murdering Mr. Pattmore’s wife.

Moreso, Sumner suspected that he was the next victim in this nefarious scheme — because he vehemently disapproved of his sister’s adulterous relationship and scandalous past. He had no proof of such a plan, just the feeling that something was terribly wrong.

A Little Backstory

In a desperate meeting with Pinkerton, Sumner unraveled the saga of Annie and Henry Thayer — a romance born from friendship and gifts from afar yet tainted by Annie's taste for an indulgent social life and Henry's seafaring absences. Their love, sealed in marriage, crumbled under the weight of rumors and jealousy, culminating in a fiery dispute that caused Henry and his ship to vanish, leaving only whispers of his fate.

Amidst her new life of music and glamour in Brooklyn, Annie's path crossed with Mr. Pattmore, the affluent hotelier from Ohio, whose invitation to Greenville promised a fresh start, teaching his children and becoming his wife. There was a person who stood in their way, the lovely Mrs. Pattmore, who was very much still alive when Annie, who wore a large diamond engagement ring, arrived in Greenville.

It wasn’t long after that Mrs. Pattmore died…of apparent dysentery.

To elicit a confession, Lucille’s setup required an environment that both convinced and captivated her subject. To this end, Warne rented a second-story, three-room office suite with two entrances and named it the Temple of Magic located at 50 South Clark St. in downtown Chicago. 

She meticulously adorned the office with the trappings of the trade, creating an ideal place where any seeker would feel transported to the great beyond. Five swinging lamps cast a dim, otherworldly glow, while walls were draped with heavy dark fabrics gracefully hung from gilded cornices, wholly shutting out every ray of sunlight. Charts, globes, and a painted zodiac on the floor completed the illusion. Two ghastly skeletons guarded a mirror that doubled the room’s haunting appearance, and a peculiar retort on a small furnace filled the air with aromatic incense, setting the stage for the supernatural.

Warne was unrecognizable as Lucille. Her dress was made of rich, lavish fabrics adorned extravagantly with symbols from her travels. Her sleeves were large and flowing, while her skirt trailed gracefully behind her about a foot. She let her long dark hair hang loose to her waist. She was both commanding and mysterious, wielding a wand and speaking with the authority of one who could see beyond the mortal realm.

Lucille’s fame had become quickly “uncomfortably great,” Pinkerton later wrote. Her newspaper ads drew a large crowd of visitors, all willing to await their turn and willing to pay $10 to hear their horoscopes. She granted each seeker one short interview to keep up appearances and discover what information they wanted.

Pinkerton also wrote that it was an easy matter to satisfy them all to an “exceptional extent,” while deployed two detectives to shadow the seekers and find out everything possible about them. The next day when the seekers returned for their horoscopes, they were astonished with the accuracy of Lucille’s knowledge.

After that, Pinkerton filled Lucille’s office with his own employees, so any new seekers would be discouraged with the long wait and not remain, and Lucille could focus on Annie Thayer.

An Audience of One

Annie was no stranger to the mystic arts. She had stolen her brother’s opal ring to monitor her own fortunes — black meant bad news and white meant good fortune was on its way. And, she often sought to tell her future by consulting the cards — announcing that her future always looked unpromising.

She was already caught in Pinkerton’s sights. She read and reread with some enthusiasm Lucille’s newspaper ads. And on her daily outing, she was handed one of Lucille’s handbills. Just a few minutes later, she climbed the stairs to the Temple of Magic seeking an audience with the clairvoyant.

“I have a strong presentiment that she could help me out of my troubles,” said Annie to her companion, Miss Seaton, who took a room in the same boarding house as Annie and Sumner. Miss Seaton — whose first name was never revealed — was another undercover Pinkerton Detective, who very discreetly guided Annie, agreeing with her conclusion.

Seekers were slowly introduced to the Temple of Magic’s inner chamber, encountering first Lucille’s imposing and mute assistant, another Pinkerton agent. They were seated on one of the many couches in the outer office where there were hints of what awaited them inside.

Anxiety gripped Annie. And when the door to the inner chamber opened, the air fell heavy, and she was struck with superstitious terror. She moved as if wading through an invisible resistance. Her legs trembled with each tentative step, betraying her struggle as she inched toward the visitor's chair.

Once Annie became somewhat accustomed to the peculiar light, she saw Madam Lucille standing beside the table. Her tall, commanding figure struck Anie with awe, already giving away her secrets.

"Come hither, my daughter," said Lucille, in a clear, sweet voice. "What would you like to know, my child? State your errand quickly; as my time is short, to unfold the mysteries of the future.”

In a trembling voice, she replied, "I have come to learn my future."

“What is the day and time of your birth?” 

Lucille noted the numbers that whispered the secrets of Annie's entrance into the world and, with a gentle grasp, cradled her palm. Her eyes, keen and searching, traced the labyrinth of lines etched in the skin, as if deciphering an ancient map written in the language of fate.

"Your parents are dead, and also one brother; your father passed through great dangers safely — ah! I see, he was a sailor. You have been surrounded by other sea-faring people; still, I cannot see what relationship they bore to you. I shall learn all when I cast your horoscope. Your father acquired moderate wealth, of which you have received your share. You desire more, and you are not too scrupulous as to how you get it. Why, what means this?" Lucille exclaimed, starting back and fixing a piercing glance on the cowering woman before her.

She continued, "You are in danger! Yes, there is danger all about you, but it is impossible to tell now how it will end. There is a man in your trouble, who claims to love you; and there is a woman who comes between you.”

Lucille looked deeper into Annie’s hand.

“Ah! What is she doing?" she demanded in tragical tones, feigning terror.

Annie's body recoiled sharply, her hand flying to her chest as though she had been pierced by an invisible blade, the color draining from her face in an instant of shock.

"I cannot do much now, but you must come again tomorrow when I have more time. I will cast your horoscope, and will be able to tell you all you wish to know…" Breaking off suddenly, she changed her tone and demanded imperiously, "Who is this woman? Is she his enemy, or yours? Are you sure that man loves you?"

"Oh, yes. I am sure he does," Annie replied, hastily.

"Then what is the trouble between you and this woman?" asked Lucille. "She is older than you, yet she constantly crosses your path."

Then, closing her eyes, Lucille said, “A shadow falls over her…it must be death!"

"Death!" The word erupted from Annie's lips, a high-pitched cry of terror that sliced through the air. Her body jerked backward, collapsing into the chair with a force that made the frame creak. She lay there, chest heaving, eyes wide and unseeing, gripped by an invisible hand that held her down. Time stretched on as she fought for composure, and it was several long minutes before she could muster the strength to rise, unaided, back to her feet.

Lucille’s performance was so convincing that Annie was utterly persuaded of the fortune teller's powers after just that meeting that she promised to return for her full horoscope the next day. As she left, she placed Lucille’s fee of $10 on the table. 

The Art of Interrogation

Over the next few days, Lucille masterfully wove a tapestry of revelation and inquiry, each question more pointed and theatrical than the last. She drew out confessions and insights, piecing together the narrative of a crime most foul. Thanks to the brilliant undercover investigations by Allan Pinkerton and Pinkerton’s vast global network, Lucille held the keys to unlock the truth that haunted Annie. With a mix of gravitas and reassurance, she delivered a twist that defied all expectations: Annie's first husband, Henry Thayer long-thought deceased, was very much alive and on a journey back to her.

"There is another man near you, whose presence you do not suspect; neither have you ever seen him; but he is watching you all the time. You will soon meet him, for he wishes to talk with you. He is only of medium height, but he is very well built and powerful; he has a full face, ruddy complexion, brown hair, and gray eyes; he wears full whiskers all around his face, and his expression is kindly but resolute. He is a very determined man, and when he tries to do anything, he never gives up until he has accomplished his object. He has great power, and if you follow his counsel, he can save you from harm; but you must trust him fully and tell him the whole truth, for he can instantly detect any falsehood or evasion, and he will be very dangerous to you if you try to deceive him. This is all I have to tell you at present, my child (The Murderer and the Fortune Teller, Pinkerton)."

Lucille was, of course, referring to Pinkerton himself. And when Annie “unexpectedly” met Pinkerton on her way back to her boarding house, she was overcome with both shock and guilt. She accompanied Pinkerton to his office, where she recounted the story of Mrs. Pattmore’s death — nay, murder — and how she was almost complicit. She even spoke of how she and Pattmore married in secret soon after Mrs. Pattmore’s death and how Pattmore was attempting to convince her to poison her brother, Captain Sumner. And much to Annie’s surprise, she learned that her marriage to Pattmore was nothing more than a sham. She was, in fact, still married to Henry Thayer.

The information gleaned by Lucille, and later confessed to Pinkerton, proved pivotal, leading to the arrest and indictment of Pattmore.

Annie's name cleared, she sought refuge in the rustic tranquility of her brother's farm. Henry Thayer walked through the door a month later, alive against all odds, his love undiminished. Together, the Thayers embarked on a new chapter, venturing to China, to live out their golden years.

The Fortune Teller’s Curtain Call

The case took a toll on the detective, who, despite her success, expressed a reluctance ever to assume the guise of a fortune teller again.

"I am nearly exhausted, and I cannot stand the atmosphere of that room much longer," said Warne. “I will never undertake such a role again."

Warne's role in this case is a testament to her ingenuity and courage. Her innovative methods continue to inspire and remind us of the power of unconventional strategies in the pursuit of truth.

But there’s much more to this story — cemeteries, grave robbers, a colluding undertaker, and things so scandalous that we dare not mention them. Read the whole spooky, twisty story in Allan Pinkerton’s book, “The Murderer and the Fortune Teller.” Find it here at Project Gutenberg: The Somnambulist and the Detective; The Murderer and the Fortune Teller | Project Gutenberg