Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-08
Increase in Operations in Last
Few Years.
MR., PINKERTON'S VIEWS
STATEMENT MADE AT MEETING
OF POLICE CHIEFS.
How They Get Their Name-Recruit!
Gathered From Tramp Camps
Their Work.

ss an authority in criminal matters in the
United States, read a paper on the "Yegg-
man at the recent meeting of police chiefs
in st Louis. Three years ago he dis
cussed the same question with the chiefs
and predicted an increase in their opera
tons His prediction has been fulfilled, as
the figures he presented showed. He said
that during the twelve months ended Sep
timber Is, 1901, there were III banks at
tackled and s137, s3776 taken. The next
twelve months there was an increase Of
twenty-three in the number of robberies,
with s152,97S.27 the proceeds. There was
a decrease of seventeen in the number Of
bank robberies the next year, but in
erase in the amount Of money taken This
latter sum amounted to $3.50 977.46. During
these three years there were 107 persons
convicted and their sentences aggregated
$50 years and II months. Fully 90 per cent
of these burglaries, Capt. Pinkerton says,
were committed by burglars of the ''Yegg"
class
In addition to those who were sentenced
to the penitentiary. Capt. Pinkerton ex-
planned six men paid the death penalty
for numbering officials who attempted to
arrest them. In explaining the method OF
the "Yeggs,' Capt. Pinkerton said that the
actual burglar sends out finder" who is
a graduate of some tramp camp; one whose
youth or innocent appearance would not
excite suspicion. and whose physical
strength and courage would prevent his en-
gaging in an attack. He is called in the
"Yesg' vernacular a Gay Cat" In the
guise of peddler or beggar he Is sent
TO country towns to ascertain and report
If there are any police, town marshal or
! night Waterman. if any are on duty all
night, If the town Is lighted by electricity;
how entrance could safely be effected to
bank building, make of vault safe and
best route of escaping. He studies the local
freight time tables learns W lc
and coal chutes are. finds where handcars
are kept and where horses and buggies can
easily be stolen by the "Yeggs'' to assist
them in escaping.
Seasons of Burglary.
Safe burglary, like everything else, has
Its season. the detective said, and it is
generally when the nights are long For
their own reasons the "Yeggs'' will not op-
crate on moonlight nights. They know that
the darker the night the less likelihood
there is of their being caught or identified.
Pinkerton went on to tell how most thieves
OF this class operate with nitro-glycerine
although in some instances dynamite is
used The more skilled of them under
stand nitro-glycerine is extracted from dy-
Mantle by a simple method. When made 1t 1t
carried by the more careful members of this
class in rubber water bags, but sometimes
the more careless ones carry 1T in ordinary
glass bottles, which is quite dangerous. 1t
who use the explosive in blowing bank
vaults or safes, of whom there are usually
two, select the 'outsiders'' or "stick-ups.''
who intimidate any interfering citizens and
prevent them from capturing those making
the attack. "Yeggs who actually engage
In an attack upon a bank seldom visit in
the day time the place where the bank Is
situated, fearing subsequent Identification.
Ihey either go from some large city to the
scene of the attack or camp in the woods
within walking distance of the town until
night. They visit the bank to be attacked
near midnight or between midnight and 3
am These 4eSgs' go heavily armed on
their work They seldom carry reviewers
OF less than -3S caliber and most of them
carry "A and AS Colts Remington pis-
tolls blue barrel, with additional rounds of
ammunition. The sentinels are posted near
the bank and are frequently instructed to
shoot If necessary, any intruder Their
DUTY Is TO guarantee the safe escape of
their confederates operating on the vault
or safe in the bank building, who seal up
the cracks of vault or safe doors with COM
mon washing soap, well softened leaving
a slight aperture at top of door, where a
soap dam Is built into which the "soup" or
nitro-glycerine is poured This oozes about
the cracks of the safe very quickly; fuse
and detonator are used to explode it, One
shot of nitro-glycerine sometimes demoI-
fshes the safe door. If 1t does not another
charge Is made.
Makes Loud Explosion.
loud explosion follows each attack,
which attracts the attention of citizens,
but not infrequently these "Yegg' burglars
will first awaken the neighborhood by fir
Ing numerous revolver shots before the ex-
plosives are applied, which leads the popu-
lace to believe there are a number of men
engaged in the attack and which frequent
ly dfscourages Interference. After the
smoke has passed away the contents of the
safe or vault is obtained and the "Yegg"
"a n n{t
stolen teams or hand cars, or on foot. hid
ing by day and travelling by night until
pursuit is discontinued. Occasionally a
good outside man" graduates to the lin
side class This class of criminals rarely
considers human life.
No matter whether one man or a family
Of ten live in building it makes but little
direrence to the "Yegg" burglar. The
fire by the explosion. In one case a man.
his wife and children occupied a room over
a store opposite bank building, which
"Yeggs'' attacked; when the merchant
arose to learn the cause of all the commo-
ton on the street one Of the outsiders
Immediately opened fire on him. They shoot
to kill any one who interferes.
The head of railroad police force can
aid greatly in suppressing these "Yegg" or
Hobo" burglars by breaking up tramp
bands who ride on freight trains. per-
sistent fight on these bands will do much
In putting the "Yegg" burglars out of BUSH
ness. Many of the railroad companies do
not fully realize the great Importance of
having special agents to rid their property
of this class of criminals. Nearly all Of
these Hobo" bands who ride the trains
without paying have ''Yegg" burglars in
their bands.
Origin Of Name.
The word "Yegg" or "Yeggman" origi-
mated with the gypsies, explained the de-
tective. When particularly clever thief is
found among gypsy tribe he is selected
as the 'Yegg" or chief thief. This express
sion is now adopted by the better class of
thieves among the tramps hobo" ele-
ment of this country. AS late as twenty
years ago, one tramp meeting another and
wishing to be sure of his identity as a pro-
fessional tramp. would address him as ''Ho
Beau" This expression subsequently de-
velOped the word hobo" If tribe or band
of tramps found among their number a par
ticularly persistent beggar daring thief
they, using the expression of the gypsies
called him 'Yegg." Then came the name
of John Yegg" and finally the word "Yegg-
man.
Nine-tenths of them made up of So
called driftwood of humanity in this coun-
try, composed of about one-half natives,
one-quarter foreign descent and one-quar-
ter foreign birth; most of these are me-