Final answer:
The Pinkerton detectives did not apprehend Wild Bill Hickok in the 1800s; he was not a criminal but a lawman and gunfighter. They did attempt to capture notorious criminals such as Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid, and the members of the James Gang involved in various robberies and criminal acts across the American West. The correct answer is option b. Wild Bill Hickok
Step-by-step explanation:
The Pinkerton National Detective Agency did not apprehend Wild Bill Hickok during the 1800s. Hickok was not a criminal but rather a lawman, gunfighter, and gambler. The Pinkerton Agency did, however, pursue notorious outlaws of the time, such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, alongside members of the James Gang. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were known for their train and bank robberies, leading them to become targets of the Pinkerton agents. Similarly, the James Gang, led by Jesse James, was known for their brazen train robberies, becoming infamous in the American West and thus also pursued by the Pinkertons. While the detectives were adept at tracking down many criminals of the era, they did not always capture them; notably, Cassidy and the Sundance Kid eluded capture for many years.
During the tumultuous times of the Old West, figures like Hickok and the outlaws pursued by the Pinkertons became legends. The James Gang was particularly romanticized in the eyes of some despite their criminal activities, seen by some as a form of resistance against the exploitations of larger financial institutions of the time. Yet the Pinkertons were relentless in their pursuit, contributing to the eventual decline of such outlaws and helping to cement their places in American folklore.