The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1901-1903, 1902-10-19

of this queer class of criminals that
band are working this way. 1t is on
the cards for them to be heard from
soon in New Jersey or down ON Long
Island, although in the past the
"yeggs" have bothered Long Island
very little
The men whose business it is to know
ali about criminals, their ways and
the peculiar marks by which their
work may be told, have had hard
time in studying the 'yeggs." One
reason is that the ''yeggs" are COM
paratively new class.
1t is only within ten years that they
have become known in this region.
If they were known previously in other
parts of the country detectives here
never heard of it.
Very little of their origin is known,
but that they have a more complete
organization than even the common
American tramp is well established
Their work is all of one class. They
loot country postoliices and railroad
stations, country stores and occasion
-
They use dynamite in blowing open
safes always, and they depend upon
the terror that their boldness spreads
over a neighborhood for their success.
Some of the raids that they have made
right in this State are uncqualled for
boldness by anything ever done by the
stage robbers of yellow fiction
The 'yeggs" are really tramp Grim
inals. They must not be confused with
the country road tramp who lc0ts
kitchens and hen roosts because they
do not belong 10 that class at all and
hold such petty criminals in great
contempt.
The 'yeggs" are bright, clover
thieves, who dress well and plan all
their operations with care. Their CHIEF
characteristic is their utter fearless
ress.
When they mark place for q raid
they don't sneak up tc it, throw cut
guards and use other precautions.
They just march M with their imple-
nents. break open as many doors as
may be necessary. charge the safe
with dynamite and touch it Of. Then
they take what they want from We il
terror and disappear.
II any one interrupts them they
shoot at him Almost Invariably
fusillade follows any attempt to inter-
fere with "yeggs," and this evident
willingness to shoot recklessly always
has the effect Of keeping people off.
1t mist be remembered that the
"veggs" work almost exclusively in
country places where there is no or
eanzed police force to interfere with
item.
Some folks think the "yeggs" are
rypsies but they certainly don't show
any signs Of belonging to that race.
They don't camp out anywhere and
they are seen very little on the road.
What road travelling they do is done
by night. as it is a part of their bust
ness to keep their movements secret.
Occasionally 'ycggs" are caught.
Then they are found 10 be men OF I'M
usual intelligence. They are of all
nationalities, and seem to come from
so many different walks Of life that the
notion that they are class like tia
gypsies is exploded.
It is the organization OF the 'yeggs"
which excites the admiration of men
who have seen something Of it. They
have ways Of communicatinaSwith one
another that are mysterious and ef-
fective They VIII sweep down on q
country postoffice, blow open the safe
shoot several people and then get away
with the loot without leaving the
slightest trace of their movements.
They haven't been seen coming in,
and they haven't been noticed going
out. 4 general alarm sent out over the
surrounding country never seems to,
result in catching the participants in
any Of these raids. They seem to melt
away.
A remarkable instance of this oc-
Cured last summer in small town
in Southern New York. A gang Of
about thirty ''yeggs' descended on the
place. Instead Of robbing stores they
carried out a carefully planned raid on
the residence district This town has
uniformed police force OF some thirty
men. but despite this the "yeggs"
marched in. went into houses without
botnering to find out whether any one
was. home or not. took what they
wanted, shot at any one who objected
and at some who didn't and then went
away. They walked through the main
streets of the place with their loot.
fred shots in the air and so terrified the
local police that the latter did not dare
to interfere.
The next night they came around
again and went through the same per-
Torrance. The third night they did it
again. On the three nights they got
away with about $4,000 worth of sill
yer and jewelry, and not one was ar
rested.
The "yeggs" fred about 300 shots