William “Billy” Walsh
Billy Walsh was an undercover officer for the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) in the Yukon. Superintendent Steele and Commissioner Ogilvie started a Criminal Investigation Department in Dawson in 1898. The detectives were usually former policemen known only to Steele and they operated undercover in the town. Superintendent Perry took over later and also hired detectives. A man named Kallis got $175.00 a month and he rehired J. H. Seeley, who had been one of Steele's detectives, for $200 a month. After the O'Brien murders, the two former detectives, Seeley and McGuire, gave an account to the Alaskan newspapers and claimed credit for the O'Brien's capture.1)
A robbery on 15 November 1902 warranted the hiring of Billy Walsh as an undercover detective. In September 1901, there were rumours from Seattle that discontent among the American miners was fuelling a movement to seize the territory. The number of NWMP officers in the territory was increased by fifty and the Dalton Post detachment was also doubled. Inspector Donald Howard was brought in to teach the Whitehorse men how to operate the Maxim machine gun.2)