For others researching the Pinkerton family who immigrated from County Antrim (many from Ballymoney), Ireland and who settled in Washington County, New York; Waupaca County, Wisconsin; Page County, Iowa, and many other locations . . .

I recently came upon a newspaper death notice for John Pinkerton who was found dead upon train tracks in Washington County, New York in 1876. The newspaper notice is from the New York Herald newspaper, January 8, 1876. A JPEG image of the article, with my annotations is attached. According to the notice, he worked as a night watchman for the Delaware & Hudson Canal Co. Railroad, Rutland & Washington Branch.

I also found some New York state railroad reports listing the death of John Pinkerton, 6 Jan 1876, ". . . run over by train; was lying across track near Baxterville" [in Salem Township, Washington County.] This is a TinyURL link to one of the reports with the information:
http://tinyurl.com/pxgggtb
Annual Report of the State Engineer and Surveyor of the State of New York . . . From Reports of the Railroad Corporations for the Year Ending Sept. 30, 1876
Rensselaer and Saratoga, Report of Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, Lessee; Accidents, Page 808

Best wishes