George Samuel Dougherty

George Samuel Dougherty (April 5, 1865 – July 16, 1931) was an American law enforcement officer, private detective and writer. He was considered one of the leading detectives in the United States, first for the Pinkerton Detective Agency and then as a private investigator. Dougherty was responsible for the capture of many notorious criminals during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He also introduced the modern-day fingerprinting to the police force.

While serving as Second Deputy Police Commissioner and head of the NYPD Detectives Bureau, he is credited for his assistance in solving the 1912 murder of Herman Rosenthal which ultimately resulted in the conviction and execution of the Lenox Avenue Gang and NYPD police detective Lieutenant Charles Becker.

Biography

Early life and career with the Pinkertons Born to Charles A. Dougherty and Ellen June in Cressona, Pennsylvania on April 5, 1865, George Dougherty worked as a printer before joining the Pinkerton Detective Agency in 1888. Dougherty soon established himself as one of the agency's top men and apprehended countless criminals during his twenty-three years with the Pinkertons.

Dougherty eventually took charge of the Pinkerton's branch in New York City and held that position until accepting an offer from Mayor William Jay Gaynor to become Deputy Police Commissioner of the New York City Police Department on May 1, 1911.

NYPD & the Rosenthal murder His appointment was seen as an attempt to reorganize the NY Police Department. and, in one incident, used axes to force their way in.

Later years In 1913, Dougherty left the NYPD to become a partner in Dougherty's Detective Bureau and Mercantile Police founded by his brother Harry V. Dougherty around the turn of the 20th century. He began writing books and articles on crime and, in 1914, appeared in two silent films, Our Mutual Girl and The Line-Up at Police Headquarters. In 1921, Dougherty became wealthy when oil was found on land he owned in Arizona. The Criminal As A Human Being (1924)

Articles "The Public The Criminal's Partner" New Outlook. (August 1913) "The Capture of the Missouri Kid" The Detective Magazine. (July 1923) "The Criminal as a Human Being" Saturday Evening Post. (March 1924) "The Gentle arts of Shadowing and Roping" Saturday Evening Post. (March 1924) "The Third Degree" Saturday Evening Post. (May 1924) "The Stick-Up and House Prowler" Saturday Evening Post. (June 1924) "Combination Lock" Triple-X. (June 1924) "The Stage Management of Crime" Saturday Evening Post. (July 1924) "Meet the Real City Detective" Saturday Evening Post. (September 1924) "The Innocent Guilty" Fawcett's Magazine. (September 1925) "Secrets of the Night Club Racketeers" The Master Detective. (June 1931) "Recovering the $1,000,000 Art Masterpiece" True Detective Mysteries. (June 1931)