The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-09-17
Daring Work Of the Notorious
Sledge Hammer Gang.
Death of Charles Hanks in the Al
bnny Penitentinry Brings Mem
Sayles and His Pals in This vi
cinity-How They Were Run Down.


penitentiary of Charles F. Banks. whose
| alias was Little York Slim" q noted
safe blower. and member of the gang has
served to recall the crimes for which sew
eral of his former confederates are now
undergoing Imprisonment. An applica-
| tion is now before the Department OF JUS
| tice, made by James McCarty, who is
| seeking freedom on the ground of illness
from the sentence imposed as the result
! of his connection with the g,ng. Charlie
| Banks died from consumption. He was
| buried three weeks ago, interment being
!, at his former home at York, Pa.
! From York, Pa, to this city, then into
! Virginia. the gang left trail of crime.
John Sayles. a noted burglar and safe
| blower. was the leader of the gang. He
| turned states evidence. together with
| William Yeatman, and the couple were
/! not prosecuted after the capture of the
i gang. sayles went to Cincinnati and was
| there murdered by a sympathizer with
his former companions in crime. Yeatman
is somewhere in the West. Those in the
penitentiary at Albany are Charlie
Foulke, long ago pupil of the famous
| George McCauley. noted thief; James
! Nolan, swindler and housebreaker, and
| James McCarty, safe blower from Chi
cago. All of the gang except "Ohio
| Shorty" who was killed at Dover, Va,
| operated in this city.
| The story of the crimes committed by
the gang begins with burglaries commit
| ted about York, Pa, the home of Charlie
Foulke. There Sayles and Yeatman, both
former residents of this city, appear to
| have Joined the robbers. Slowly the op-
| erations of the burglars were extended.
| Southwark, through Pennsylvania, where
every town of considerable size was raid
| ed. the gang came. Stores, postoff1ces
and banks were robbed, safes blown open,
and money and jewelry taken. In Mary
land, also. burglaries were committed
| with amazing frequency and boldness.
| Word Of the opera Dns of the criminals
reached Washington ahead of the gang,
and the detectives here were on the alert;
| but this city suffered. nevertheless.
Early in December. 1892. Sayles and his
| gang arrived here. They lodged at the
establishment of Mrs. Lackey. ass Maine
| Avenue southwest. There schemes were
| Matched, robberies planned. and a portion
of their booty distributed. There several
| members of the gang were finally cap
tured. The first place raided by the
| thieves here was that keDt by a man
named Lully at the corner of Third Street
and Indiana Avenue northwest. 1t was
| large grocery store. Mr.. Lully kept a big
| bulldog in his place at night. The gang
went to a rear door about o'clock one
| morning, forced an entrance. and were
attacked by the dog. Sayles struck the
| animal in the head with a club and killed
| II, and the gang looted the place, securing
cash and jewelry valued at 5000 The
,pfn Vfro4 INT
| At Dover they robbed several stores
and the postof1se A citizens committee
was organized By the town people for
| protection. One morning toward the
! close of the year 1892. Sayles and his
| companions were discovered in the act
| of breaking into a store. They were at
| tackled by posse of citiz ms. fierce
battle ensued about the railroad station.
/ The gang attempted to board train. and
'4Ohio Shorty" was shot through the body
and fatally wounded. The remainder OF
| the gang escaped. Citizens called upon
| the dying burglar to reveal the names of
his companions, but he steadily refused
Two days after the fight at Dover word
came from Rockville, Md, of the appear
ance of the "Sledge Hammer Gang" at
| that town. The residence of Father Ros-
enstelle, a Catholic priese, was burglar
lied. The day following the robbery
quietly followed by the remainder OF the
gang within the next few days Head
qu3rters were again established at the
Lackey house in Maine Avenue, but for
several days nothing was done. Mean
while Detectives Weldon, Boardman, and
Lacey had been working to unravel the
burglary weeks before at the Lully store.
About January 1, 1893, a daring robbery
occurred at the establishment OF Nickolai
- a,d rCa-<
southwest This firm was the local repre-
sentative of the Standard OF Company 1t
is said. and considerable money was kept
in the office safe. The "Sledge Hammer
Gang visited the premises one dismal
night. broke into a side door. and bored
four large holes in the safe, which was
located in the office near the front Of the
building. Banks, it was afterward learned,
did the boring he being a skilled mechan-
ic Daylight found their work incomplete.
and the gang fed without securing any
thing of value. The boring was discovered
the following day. Detectives Weldon and
Boardman visited the scene. but nothing
was developed for a time. Toward ths
close of the same week, however. the gang
returned to the Nickolai establishment at
o'clock one morning. This time they
blew up the safe. A considerable sum Of
money was secured.
Next came robbery at the offices of the
Arlington Bottling Company, at the cor
uer of Twenty-seventh and x Streets
northwest Sayles and his gang broke in
the rear door of the place late one night
In January, 1893. Banks bored the safe,
which was blown up, and $500 in money
was stolen. This sum, as in other cases,
was apportioned among the gang. 1t be-
came noised around that the members of
a suspicious gang were carousing in
saloons along Pennsylvania avenue. De-
tectiyes Weldon and Boardman later
planned a raid on the Lackey establish
ment Fifteen detectives, in charge of
Inspector Hoilingberger, participated in
the raid 1t took place at o'clock in the
morning of Wednesday, February 1, 1893
i The detectives assembled at headquarters.
Led by Detectives Weldon and Boardman,
the party went to the Lackey house, which
was surrounded and an entrance forced
to the front door. Within were found
SayIes, Banks. McCarty, and Nolan, all of
whom were heavily armed. They were
taken into custody and lodged at the First
and Sixth precinct stations. search
was then instituted for the remaining
members OF the gang. Yeatman and
Foulke were located and arrested three
hours later in the Marble saloon, corner
of Ninth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue
northwest.
AS their trials approached Sayles and
Yeatman weakened. They agreed to turn
states evidence, and were not prosecuted.
After their release both left the city
FouIke. Banks McCarty. and Nolan plead
ed guilty and were each sentenced to a
term of twelve years in the Albany pen-
tentiary.