Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-02-27
SAFE BLOWER is DEAD
ADMITTED THAT HE HAD BEEN COR.
RECTLY IDENTIFIED.
Companion of Charles FOulke, Who
Died Several Days Ago-Death
Results From Accident.

| James Mccarthy, the safe blower, whc
has been under treatment for injuries re-
| ceived the 18th of this month at the Vir-
| g.nia Midland crossing below Alexandria. as
published in The Star at the time, died al
the Emergency Hospital about $50 O'Clock
yesterday afternoon. Before he died he ad-
mitted his identity, but had nothing to say
| in explanation of the fatal accident. He
made inquiry during his confinement in
| the hospital concerning the fate of Charles
Foulke, his companion, who died at the
| hospital not long after he reached there
The origin of the accident in which the
safe blowers, or ''yeggmen,'' as they are
known to the police, received their fatal
injuries will perhaps never be definitely
known, although it is believed there was
third member of the party who knows.
1t occurred between 1 and 2 o'clock in the
morning, and when the victims were brought
here and placed in the hospital 1t was
stated that they had been injured by a
train. The doctors made no comment upon
this explanation at the time, but the ma
ture OF the injuries caused them to believe
they had been received in another manner.
Many bones had been shattered. but the
physicians noted the absence of ugly lacera-
lions. which usually result when persons
are hurt by moving railroad trains.
Mccarthy remained in an unconscious
condition for several days, and when he
was able to talk he gave his name as John
Howard and afterward declared his name
was Cummings. When Mrs. Anderson of
12.}6 Pennsylvania avenue visited the hos
pital Sunday and identified the patient the
latter admitted that he had known her
earlier in life, although he did not then adj
nit his name.
Mrs Anderson stated today that she was
not a friend of McCarthy's and had never
been acquainted with him. She had merely
known him from having seen him in the
Jail on several occasions when she had Wis
TIED the institution prior to the time he was
sent to the penitentiary. Her visits were
made in an effort to contribute to the COM
fort Of the prisoners.
1t was not until Post Office Inspector
Smith made an investigation of the case
that the theory that the men had been
injured by an explosion was advanced
Then the physicians expressed the belief
mat the men were injured by an explosion.
In support of this the officers referred to
the condition of the switch and ground
near where the affair happened
Mccarthy and Foulke, as heretofore pub
lished in The Star, served a sentence of
Twelve years at Albany, having been sent
there in 1898 for robbing safes in this city
For some reason the penitentiary officials
failed to notify the local authorities of the
release of the men and it was not until
Foulke was identified that it was known
here he was at liberty. Since the release of
these and other men from the prison at
Albany "yeggmen'' have been active in
Maryland and Virginia. and because Of the
circumstances under which FOulke and Nc
Carthy were fatally injured 1t is believed
they were interested in some of the safe
blowing cases. Charles Foulke was we'll
known to the local police He was born in
this city and had been arrested a number
of times Mccarthy was not so well known
here. 1t is stated that his real name was
not Mccarthy. but that he assumed it
after leaving home, and his partners in
crime never knew of his family connec-
tions. After he was sentenced to the peni- |
Tertiary his father secured the services of
a local attorney and effort was made
to get him pardoned, but without success
Foulke's body was inferred in potter's
field after it was kept in the morgue sew
eral days, and it is likely the body Of his
will also find a resting place
there Coroner hewitt viewed the remains
and decided he would not hold inquest.
The body VIII be held at the morgue a
reasonable time to give relatives a chance
to claim it.