The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-02
YEGG BURGLARS ROUNDED UP.
SAFE BLOWER, TWO PATH
FINDERS AND A STICKER-UP.
Detectives Disguised as Tramps Trailed
Thenl-Wanted just Now for Looting
the Harrison Post once and RobbIng
Banking Firm at (hurchyille

the Harrison Post once and RobbIng
Banking Firm at Churchyille.
Three bank burglars and post Office
thieves were rounded up on the BowerY
yesterday morning by tho Pinkertons
working with the postal authorities and the
local police. The trio under arrest are
-yegg men AT Police Headquarters they
were booked IA William Smith, Thomas
Kennedy and Edwari James
They are arrested specifically for rob-
bing Briscoe x Tucker, bankers. of Church
vile, y. Y. on Nov. 10 last. These bankers
are members of the American Bankers
Association, which employs the Pinkertons.
and the bank lost 5000 in money The
burglars opened the safe with nitroglycer-
inc. The burglars might have made
bigger haul by taking notes and drafts TO
the value OF $4,000, but yegg men are care
ful never to take anything by which they
may be traced. They left Churohvlle in
middle Of the night in a stolen rig. which
they abandoned outside Rochester
The case against the three prisoners on
this one job. the detectives say, Is COM
plete and they hope to show that the trio
have been concerned in sixteen bank burg
laries and twenty post Office burglaries
Two Of the bank burglaries were COM
mltted in this State and fourteen in South
ern states. The post Office burg ares
were in the Eastern and Southern States
There were so many burgiaries Of small
banks and post offices that three months
ago the Pinkertons, the post office in
spectors and the police Of the large cities.
agreed that this class of criminals ought
To be rounded up as far as possible. Every
one Interested promised to help and since
that time many yegg men have gone TO
prison. In Boston on Nov. 20 twelve first
class veggs were nabbed They were all
banA and post Office men and they went to
Jail. This raid was followed on Dec.
by the arrest Of twelve more in Baltimore
They were caught in twos and threes and
many of them mad the tools OF their trade
on them. They were sent away like the
others
When the Churchville robbery came
Pinkerton men were sent out disguised as
tTamps to frequent the haunts of the yegg
men IN this and nearby cities. On Dec.
the post Office at Harrison. y. Y. was robbed
OF $3.50 IN money and stamps This
stirred Post Office Inspector Jacobs and his
men particularly They satisfied them
selves that john GierTlty, a yegg, was one of
the men concerned in this post office rob
berry. He was arrested and Is now in the
Tombs awaiting a hearing. He was ar
rested for taking mail that did not belong
10 him His captors didn't want 10 charge
him with the post office robbery until they
had rounded up one or more OF the others
concerned.
In the arrests made yesterday both In
spector Jacobs and Supt Dougherty of the
Pinkertons believe they have the rest of the
gang They are absolutely certain, they
say. that the man who gave his name
Smith was concerned IN the Harrison post
office robbery, and was the leader Of the trio
that committed the Churchvllle robbery.
They think that Smith and the other two
are the men who made an unsuccessful at
tempt to rob the First National Bank of
Champlain, y. Y. on Nov. 3 last. In that
attempt they blew oil the doors of the
vaults. but they were scared away without
getting anything.
The Pinkerton men who were sent out in
disguise TO frequent the Bowery resorts
where yegg men congregate in this city
reported We Sterday that Smith. kennedy
and James had blown into town to spend
the beginning Of the ne@ year smith and
wore good clothes and each had
a diamond rng. James the third man,
was not so well dressed but those who
know his ways didn't expect that he would
be. They were trailed until yesterday
morning by the spoilers and then Supt.
Inspector Jacobs and Detective
Herman and Brennan gathered
them in in the Bowery near Canal street.
They will be arraigned in the Tombs police
court this morning and remanded, Some
time to-day warrant will arrive here from
Hhurchvile for the arrest of all three for
burglary.
The prisoner who gave the name OF
Smith has dozen other names, but he is
best known as Gus De Ford. and Ky Yellow
is his yegg name. He il the man who
handles the soup which Is yegg for nitro
glycerine. The nitro man is usually the
ia Af ha lnatra
hat he takes the more desperate chances.
smith or De Ford as the police call him.
is an expert vault and bank burglar. He /
Is bout 80 years old and at one time kept /
a saloon in Cleveland. Tenn. He has been |
arrested once before. His biggest job /
was pulled of in Brownsville, Ont. |
six years ago where bank was looted of |
10000.
De Ford has worked with ell the expert !
yeRg men and he knows the game thor
ouEhly. He has a nasty scar on his fore !
head On Feb. IS. 1901. the newspapers /
.old Of the finding Of an unconscious man.
horribly beaten and cut on the body, in a /
country schoolhouse in Chester, Va. This
man wore diamonds and had considerable
money on him He wouldn't tell who he
EaS or tell anything about himself After
ne had got out Of town bottle Of nitro
q ycerine and some fu ses we're found in
he schoolhouse There had been n des-
1erate fight beween two yeggmen over a
ilNlSlO1 OF Spnlls ana lie fOTO Wa. one OF
hem. That is how he got the scar.
The prisoner who gave the name OF
Kennedy IS known Hamilton Jack"
ie is the man who keeps guard outside
he bank or post Office while the safe is
,eing opened, He scares away any one
Who comes near by threatening TO shoot
lie is known aS the -sticker-up."
James the third ran, Is called a path
inder' or locator" He goes 10 a town
nd looks il over. learns all about the bank
nd the post Office, the make Of safe and
he kind Of protection the town has against
hieves. The pathfinder makes his oh
ervatons in the guise Of a tramp or a
edler James was peddlinC in Church
lie before the robbery there. and Gerrity.
he man in the Tombs. sold court plaster
1 Harrison, y Y. two days before tine
ost Office there was robbed
Yegg men do all their robbing in small /,
owns where there ia little or no police
rejection. They work at night and get
way as soon as possible They are the
locessors Of the old time bank burglars,
no seem TO have all passed away
Supt. Dougherty said yesterday when
cling about the arrests that an effort
as being made by the American Bankers
ssociation TO have a law passed in every
tate 10 make the minimum prison sentence
.enty years for any one who uses a high
= Z. al /. /