The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-04-21
Described by a Reformed Yegg-
man in His Testimony
AGAINST HIS PALS.
He Says that South Carolina is an Eas,
Proposition for Professional Bur.
glars. Says Cracking Safes
in this State Is Just Like
Finding Money.

dldS Jouu ". OduuTell, GIle reformed
yeggman, who has been given n short
respite from the Vermont State peni.
tentiary to come to Charleston as a
States witness to testify in the safe
blowing and postofiice robbery cases
last week in the United StateS circuit
court, the remark being made in pre-.
facing description Of the manner in
which the ysgg nen do their work
During the past three or four years
there have been made robberieS of
safes and vaults In POS Offices and
banks in South Carolina, and McCar-
thy was probably telling the truth,
when he made the plain and candid
statement, the corroboration OF the
many witnesses to his testimony In
the robbery cases, during the past
week, having shown that the reform.
ed yeggman can tell the truth and
really seems desirCuS Of making a
clean breast OF bis past and starting
life anew. Mccarthy has operated in
many States In the Union, including
the distant California, Mexico, Ari-
zopa, as we'll IS the States along the
Atlantic seabuard, South Carolina,
North Carolina, Virginia, Mass achu-
setts, Rhode Island and Vermont, lis
robbery OF bank at Newfnne, in the
last named State few months ago,
IeSultir G In his conviction and a SEN
tence oI Il term Of seven years in the
pentiary at Windsor His testimony
on this point is certainly competent,
pert" testimony.
The statement that South Carolina
is an easy mark-"lt's just like find.
ing money" as Mccarthy went on to
explain-is not through any lack of
efficiency In the care OF postotlices and
bank vaults In this ;ate, but because
OF the sparsely settled condition COM
paratively speaking, and the open
character OF the country," which en-
ables the yePgmcn to easily make
their escape, atLer a "job," Us the op
Grafton OF breakii & and robbipg safes
Is termed. In the more thick,y set.
tied communities of the North and
West, the robbers run greater chances
OF arrests, and when they find an easy
mark they naturally woIk it, and this
is why there have been SO many safes
blown and robbed in South Carolina
during the past few years, and it fur,
ther accounts for eleven men nov
serving terms in the Federal prison at
Atlanta, sent up by Po,tOtllce Inspec-
tor Gregory and the other lynX.eyed
detectives Of the Postotlice Depart
ment, with the certainty that the
number will be increased by several
more cOnvictS, as result OF the pres
ent term Of the circuit court.
The first thing we do when we
reach our base of operations" said
Mccarthy, "is to secure 4 Grams
map, giving the names and location OF
banks in our vicinity, for we always
try to proceed intelligently in our
work, and the banks are more invit.
ing than postctlices. A job is usually
done by four men, although some
times there may be three, but four at
least Is almost necessary for success
full operation. When we secure the
map, we study the railrt ad time ia
bles and the general topograpical fea
lures of the immediate section. We
select the bank and one or more OF
the gang will so scouting to see that
the job can be safely pulled off. The
police prote ction Of the town is inves
tigated, and attention is giv-n to the
movements Of trains and general ave.
nues OF escape, as well as a place
where we may safely meet before be-
ginning work. a man will 90 into
the bank or pcst flica to have bill
changed that he IL ght survey the 10
cation OF things aud aS the Scouting
is most important part Of the j 10,
it Is always carefully attended to-
some times two or three days being
devoted to this work. The scout re.
turns to tae Lass, aud acQuaints the
party Of his veStigatiop, and II his
report is favorable, a time is then
fixed for the job and arrangements
made accordingly.
The preparations OF the nitro
glyceriDe Is a matter Of tie first con.
cern, OF course, and let ne say r ght
here, it makes a man aHfnlly sick 10
handle 1t, even carry ing it in 4 grip.
The fumes will turn mans S .umach,
and some times make him sick for
two or three days. On accouut Of its
dangerous nature, we can't buy II,
and we are forced to extract it from
dynamite, which we usually steal frl III
a quarry or magazine, near the buS.
Of Operations We never start out
on b with less than pint OF the
explosive, FIR we need Least quar-.
ter or a half pint for job. We take
about len sticks. six inches long and
half incn in oilmetcr, crum ble il in
a piece OF Goth, and thcn place it sus.
pended in a can Of WJ1m water. We
keep constantly renew the warm va
ter. which givss the opera ion the
name Of cooking the SOUP AS the
gly cerine comes out OF the dynamite.
1t being heavier titan the vat 1, 10
drops to the bDttom of the can, and
when we have ilicienlly extracted
the glycerne, We draw IF the water
from abave the explosive by means Of
a syringe. The glycerine is then
strained for we have to get cut ali
PARTICLES OF dust, in order to make II
safer in handling and al. o for better
results, when we use on safe.
One man will carry the bottle OF
glycerlne and the tools, which consist
OF few cakes Of soap, drills and i'm
pie ments, but gen rally sps akng, we
do not laden ourselves with tools for
we always find blackSmith's shop.
or a railroad section house at some
point convenient to the job, which we
break open and get the brace, sledge
hammer and few chiSels or crow.
bars to prize the outside door of the
bank or post, I'll e and then to operate
with on the bank or vault.
In going to the place we all do NOT