Morris Friedman was, until 1905, the private stenographer for Pinkerton detective James McParland

James McParland

James McParland,There are various spellings of James McParland's name. His stenographer, Morris Friedman, wrote a book about him — as "McParland." The Pinkerton Labor Spy, New York, Wilshire Book Co., 1907). also known as James McParlan,The Corpse On Boomerang Road, Telluride's War On Labor...

. Friedman came to the attention of the public when he published an exposé of anti-union actions by the private detective industry

Labor spies

Labor spies are persons recruited or employed for the purpose of gathering intelligence, committing sabotage, sowing dissent, or engaging in other similar activities, typically within the context of an employer/labor organization relationship....

 which was called The Pinkerton Labor Spy

The Pinkerton Labor Spy

The Pinkerton Labor Spy is a nonfiction book published in 1907 as an exposé of intrigue and abuses by the Pinkerton Detective Agency in general, and by chief agent James McParland in particular....

.
The book focused in particular on how mining and ore milling companies used spies during the Colorado Labor Wars

Colorado Labor Wars

Colorado's most significant battles between labor and capital occurred primarily between miners and mine operators. In these battles the state government, with one clear exception, always took the side of the mine operators....

.

Friedman was called as a witness at the trial of the Secretary-Treasurer of the Western Federation of Miners

Western Federation of Miners

The Western Federation of Miners was a radical labor union that gained a reputation for militancy in the mines of the western United States and British Columbia. Its efforts to organize both hard rock miners and smelter workers brought it into sharp conflicts – and often pitched battles...

 (WFM), Big Bill Haywood

Bill Haywood

William Dudley Haywood , better known as "Big Bill" Haywood, was a founding member and leader of the Industrial Workers of the World , and a member of the Executive Committee of the Socialist Party of America...

. The Idaho Daily Statesman described the Russian-born Friedman as,

...a striking looking young fellow, rather languid... with a shock of black hair, and his features of the marked Hebrew type. Heavy, thick glasses magnify his naturally large eyes and his smooth shaven face is very pale. He was slow and deliberate in his actions, like the railway conductor who knew the train wouldn't leave without him.

Friedman "described dirty tricks used by the Pinkertons to subvert the WFM, including the use of undercover operatives within the WFM who padded bills to drain the Federation treasury and reduced payments to miners to build dissatisfaction with Haywood."

Friedman described the Pinkertons as a secret police force. Under questioning by Clarence Darrow

Clarence Darrow

Clarence Seward Darrow was an American lawyer and leading member of the American Civil Liberties Union, best known for defending teenage thrill killers Leopold and Loeb in their trial for murdering 14-year-old Robert "Bobby" Franks and defending John T...

, defense attorney for Bill Haywood, Friedman identified Pinkerton agents who had infiltrated the Western Federation of Miners: Charlie Siringo

Charlie Siringo

Charles Angelo Siringo , was an American lawman, detective, and agent for the Pinkerton National Detective Agency during the late 19th century and early 20th century.-Early life:...

, who became recording secretary of the miners' union in Burke, Idaho

Burke, Idaho

Burke is a ghost town in Burke-Canyon in Shoshone County, Idaho, United States. Once a thriving silver and lead town, it is now far smaller than at its height. In 2002, about 300 people lived in or nearby Burke Canyon...

; A.H. Crane, secretary of the Cripple Creek, Colorado

Cripple Creek, Colorado

The City of Cripple Creek is a Statutory City that is the county seat of Teller County, Colorado, United States. Cripple Creek is a former gold mining camp located southwest of Colorado Springs near the base of Pikes Peak. The Cripple Creek Historic District, which received National Historic...

 union; C.J. Connibear, president of the Florence, Colorado

Florence, Colorado

The City of Florence is a Statutory City located in Fremont County, Colorado, United States. The population was 3,653 at the 2000 census.ADX Florence, the only federal Supermax prison in the United States, is located south of Florence in an unincorporated area in Fremont County...

 union; R.P. Bailey, a member of the Victor, Colorado

Victor, Colorado

Victor is a Statutory City in Teller County, Colorado, United States. The population was 445 at the 2000 census.Victor is in the heart of Colorado's gold country, home to two of the major gold mines in the Cripple Creek mining district...

 union; and A.W. Gratias, president of the union at Globeville

Globeville, Denver

Globeville is a neighborhood of Denver, Colorado. Globeville is located in the area traditionally called North Denver.-Boundaries:According to a document entitled, Globeville Neighborhood Assessment, prepared by the Denver Department of Planning and Community Development in 2008, "Globeville is...

. Pinkerton Agent George W. Riddell

George W. Riddell

George W. Riddell was a Pinkerton labor spy who infiltrated the Western Federation of Miners in Telluride, and later became president of the Eureka miners union in Utah. Riddell was forced to resign when Morris Friedman published the book The Pinkerton Labor Spy.Riddell was covertly identified as...

, former president of the Eureka

Eureka, Utah

Eureka was originally known as Ruby Hollow before it developed into a bustling mining town. Incorporated as a city in 1892, Eureka became the financial center for the Tintic Mining District, a wealthy gold and silver mining area in Utah and Juab counties. The district was organized in 1869 and by...

 miners union in Utah, was forced to resign when Friedman published the book.

Friedman provided the attorneys with a stack of documents which had been signed by Detective McParland, attesting to the authenticity of his observations. Many reporters thought that the witness's testimony indicated,

...that many of the infiltrators were actually agents provocateurs who'd committed crimes to bring the unions into disrepute.

See also