The Burglar's Fate and The Detectives is a true story of a bank robbery in small western town of Geneva. After closing the bank, an assistant cashier sends a fellow worker to answer the locked outer door. Two gangsters hit her, bind and gag both, and lock them in the bank vault, stealing a great fortune in gold, silver, and currency. Pinkerton sends his investigator who suspects an inside job.

Allan Pinkerton (1819-1884) was a Scottish American detective and spy, best known for creating the Pinkerton National Detective Agency. Pinkerton started with detective work back in Scotland, and in 1849 he was appointed as the first police detective in Chicago. Year later he partnered with Chicago attorney Edward Rucker in forming the Detective Agency which became famous for solving a series of train robberies during the 1850s. Pinkerton produced numerous popular detective books, based on his own exploits and those of his agents.