Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1905-07-14
CONFESSION OF McCARTY THE BANK ROBBER
Tells How He Dred into Criminal Life and Some Of the Customs
Of the Yeggs look Part in so Bank and Post Office RObbees

in the robbery OF the Windham County
Savings bank at Newfane, and who is
now serving a sentence of seven years
in the state prison at Windor, has made
a statement of his criminal career to the
Boston Herald.
He has had part in 40 or so postofflce
and bank robberies in different parts Of
the country.
Since his arrest and imprisonment in
Vermont he has announced his determi-
nation to reform and has given Informal
ton which has led to the conviction Of
six of his former pals, making four trips
to Virginia and Maryland to testify in
| court.
He has done more than any other man
to break up the gangs of ''yeggs" which
have terrified the postmasters and bank
| officials of the country for a decade
If ever caught by any of the men he
has been instrumental in sending to
| prison or by their friends he is destined
| to be killed, and threats have been openly
made that he will be assassinated at
| sight.
His statement covers his experience of
| over six years as a safebreaker and his
| story is more exciting than a dime novel.
| After serving two years in the state
his depredations and was again captured
and sentenced for Is years, from which
he escaped.
He comes from an excellent family in
| Philadelphia, and is the only black sheep
| In a flock Of eight.
| To the former states attorney of Wind
ham county, A. F. Schwenk Of Brattle-
| boro, is due principally McCarthy's change
| of front and his determination to lead an
| honorable life in the future, even though
he emphasized his change and forever
| cut off all connection with his former
| partners in crime by giving evidence
| which would land them in prison. His
| decision was arrived at, too, without any
| hope of reward or pardon being held out
| to him; he was plainly told that he could
| expect no satisfaction except that which
| his own conscience could give, yet 1t was
| pointed out to him that he ought to re-
form before 1t became too late, and make
| up his mind to lead an honorable life
/ while there was yet a chance before him
| to become a respected and useful member
| of the community. Mccarthy accordingly
/ decided to cut entirely adrft from all
| previous associations, and do everything
in his power to aid the officers of the law
in bringing to punishment the men he
| knew to be guilty OF crimes, as well as
devise means which should prevent their
| work of robbery in the future.
| Mccarthy was convicted OF completely
in the robbery of the Newfane bank, which
| occurred Aug. 5, 1904, at the September
| term of the Windham county court. His
| lawyers entered an appeal but before the
| case could be further heard he told States
| Attorney Schwenk that he had determined
to give up the criminal business and re-
| form, and was ready to make a clean
breast of everything. Accordingly at the
| October term Of court he came up for sem
| tence, and was given not less than six
years, and not more than seven, at hard
labor in the state prison at Windsor.
Mccarthy was born in Philadelphia,
| July 81, 1879. His parents are middle
| class, well-to-do people, and bear an ex-
| cellent reputation. The lads grand
| mother set her heart on his entering the
| priesthood. and to that end he was made
| an altar boy at st. James church. He had
| been there but a short time when in
| a spirit of recklessness he drank the wine
| intended for communion. The loss of the
| beverage might have been forgiven, but
| the boy was made intoxicated, and did
| not hesitate to let people know 1t. That
| was the objectionable disgrace. and he
| was subjected to a heavy penance and
| compelled to give up his place. He at
| tended the public schools until he was II
years old, and then was given a place in
| a white lead manufacturing concern, also
| working for a time for John Wanamaker
| In both places he had positions of trust,
and with the former concern he was ac-
customed to go to the Centennial bank
every Friday and draw $500 for the next
days pay roll. He was fast atoning for
| the disgrace suffered as altar boy, when
| he made the great mistake of his life at
the time he was IS years of age.
The Schuylkill river divides the city in
| to East Philadelphia and West Phladel-
phia. The latter section was in 1897 a
| rendezvous for yeggmen of the worst
class. In some way or other he became
acquainted with a yegg known as New
York Red" and by him was fired with
enthusiasm for the merry CD life 1t was
represented the class led. All sorts OF
promises of an easy existence and plenty
| of money were held out to him, and he
| finally agreed to join the man and act as
| his assistant in getting money. Aug. 81.
1897, he left Philadelphia and gave up
| home, parents and everything which
would aid him to become a worthy and
| honored citizen and went on the road.
The brilliant visions of ease and comfort
were soon dispelled however.
AS the punk of New York Red" he
was compelled to do all the begging.
while the locker Ga yegg who has boy
to beg for him) loafed. Mccarthy was
supplied with letter purporting to be
written by a clergyman, in which it was
stated that he was an orphan boy pro-
ceeding to a distant point to join his
relatives, and urging all charitably dis
posed persons to aid him all in their
power 1t was a very effectual method
of gaining money, and Mccarthy was able
to turn in from IS to $40 day to the
''jocker." After he turned over the cash
late in the afternoon he was then COM
PEELED to go out and beg food newspapers
and tobacco, or find 'snipes" for the man
to smoke, as no true "yegg'' will pay cash
for anything but liquor, and the lad found
the life anything but what he had
imagined it to be when he listened to the
highly colored tales told by the yegg as
they were seated about the gangs camp
fire in the outskirt lots of West Phila- |
delphia.
Even with such excellent records New |
York Red" was not satisfied with the |
efforts of his punk" and declared that |
he ought never to return with less than |
$40 or $12 daily as he did when he was a |
boy. Then he said that Mccarthy could |
never hope to become a first-class cracks |
man until he was a No. "plinger," which |
is the ''yegg" term for beggar. About |
that time the boy wanted to go home but |
the direful threats of New York Red" /
of the horrible fate to which he would be |
subjected should he attempt to get away /
drove all idea of leaving from McCarthy's /
mind, and he continued the disagreeable
work for his heartless task master. The
boy was known then as pennsylvania
Kid" When he had graduated from the |
punk ranks his sobriquet was to be
Pennsylvania Johnny" For two months
the pair Travelled through Delaware,
Maryland and Virginia, and in that time
the computations of the lad finally gave
way to the stern necessities of his posi-
tion' and he made up his mind that so
long as he was in yeggdom he might as