The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-05-05
A Bank Robber Says They Have
Very Little Trouble
IN THE SMALL TOWNS
In Going Through and Robbing Banks
Postoffices. Stores aud Other Places
of Business. He Says His Gang
Operated All Through the
South Successfully.

At Baltimore "Johuny" Mccarthy,
alias Dandrell, alias "Johnnyn vii.
son, notorious yeggman and bank
burglar, while on his way back to the
Vermont penitentiary where he is
serving seven-year term for bur-
glary, talked freely to a reporter OF his
past. He had just been brought
back from Charleston, S O., where he
was taken to testify against yeggmen
arrested in Baltimore and now con.
victed OF postoffice robberles in South
Carolina. Mccarthy no longer at.
tempts to conceal the details of his
criminal career.
1 was one OF the gang of yeggmen,
who last year rOboed country stores
and small banks throughout Maryland,
Virginia and Delaware" he said. "It
was our push that got into the safe in
the cotton mill office at Illchester.
Md, and we also blew open boxes
(safes) in Dover, Brldgeville and
T0wnsends, Del, and Churchill, Md"
Mccarthy is only twenty-five years
old, and Is possessed of considerable
intelligence. He says he has made up
his mind to sever all connection with
'crookdom," and after he is released
from prison will endeavor to lead an
honest life.
was a clerk in a philadelphia
manufacturing concern" said McCar.
thy and occasionally I used to take
run down to Wilmington. There l
met Ned Morgan, who was the lea.
der of a band Of yeggs operating In
the Elst and South. This wss In
1897. The first job did was in Muir.
freesboro, N. Q. Morgan sent me
down there to look over the ground
reported favorably, and the gang
went down there and blew open q
safe: Well, we worked that section
of the country pretty thoroughly, and
then came up through Virginia Nor.
gan, Irish Jimmy Charlie Cross
and myself.
In the winter of 1903 Morgan.
Maude Morgan, and had a house in
Alexandria, Va. Morgan got into
trouble there by shooting a man who
insulted Maude. The man didn't die.
but Ned skipped town. Last March
year ago we all came to Baltimore,
and worked off the jobs at Illchester
SAN OAAoiSd AAilis i WdSu Ill CDo
burglary Of the Sandy Springs (Md. }
bank or the La Plata bank. Just
then L was attending to some work on
my own account.
Our gang at first hung up on Pratt
street, near Gay. Then Steinbach,
alias Johnson, came to Baltimore from
the South and opened saloon at 90
South Front street. Morgan knew him,
and we made his place our hang-out.
While the main part Of the gang hung
up at Steinbach's place, Morgan,
Charlie Cross, Ohio Hump another
member Of the gang, and myself took
flying trip through Delaware.
We blew safe at Dover, the cap.
itai OF the state, and at Bridgeville.
This was ia April or May, 1904. We got
safely away with the goods, about ST.. i.
200 la all, and the next job we did
was at Port Norfoli, Va, where we
tapped safe In the postoffice and got
s265 in money and Sl95 in stamps. l
went up North then with the other
section Of the gang The Southern
bunch stayed here, and ali except .Jur
were rounded up WHEN Pumphrey and
his men raidcd StsLbach's place, al %
South Front street.
WheW! but that was warm raid.
lt gave people Of our profession ter
rible jar. L was picked up In Yer
mont; Morgan and the rest of the
gang were landed here Con Shorty,
the Guinea not the Con Shorty, who
is awaiting trial on the charge of
burglarizing the bank at Sandy
Springs, Md, and Charlie Cross went
down S.uth. Both of them were shot
while attempting to commit a bur
glary at Wadesboro, n c., last week
Cross will probably die, but they say
Shorty will recover.
The gang Is pretty we'll broken up,
and I'm out Of 1T for good. We used
nitro glycerine exclusively in blowing
safe we made the soup, as we call
1t, from dynamite. We could crumble
the dynamite on piece of paper, and
then mix 1t with warm water in a
gauze b@g. This bag we would put in
a bucket Of warm water, and then
squeeze 1t with our hands and the
nitro-glycerine would be extracted and
would precipitate on the bottom of
the tucket. Then the water would be
withdrawn with syringe and the nj
tro. glycerine bottled for use. 1t Is a
dangerous stuff to mix, and il a piece
OF sand or anything gritty gets into it
1t Is likely TO cause friction and ex-
ploSion."
Firo Bug Arrested.