Case file 02
March 20, 2026
17 min
Disguised
America's first female detective talked her way into a job that didn't exist for women yet — and used a fortune-teller disguise to help uncover a plot against a president-elect.
Identity confirmed
Kate Warne
When this episode's subject walked into a detective agency looking for work, the job of "detective" wasn't something women were hired to do. She made the case for herself anyway and became, by most accounts, the first female detective in the United States.
Her most famous case involved going undercover — including, in one well-documented episode, disguising herself as a fortune teller — to help gather intelligence around a plot targeting President-elect Abraham Lincoln.
Episode references
- Smithsonian Magazine — How Kate Warne, America's first woman detective, foiled a plot to assassinate Abraham Lincoln
- Library of Congress Blogs — Celebrating women's history: America's first female P.I.
- Pinkerton — From detective to clairvoyant: Kate Warne's legendary fortune-teller disguise
Compiled from the show's publicly listed episode notes.
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