Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1908-09-03
WORKS OF JOHN YEGG
A Daring Burglar Who Attained
Fame In His Line.
HIS NAME A POLICE LEGACY.
1t Is Now Applied to the Most Danger
Gus Criminals With Whom the OIL
GERS Of the Law Have to Contend
NitroGlycerin In Safe Bursting

GERS Of the Law Have to Contend
Nitroglycern In Safe Bursting.
In the EXPRESSIVE slang that per
neatos police circles throughout the
country, "yegg' is one OF the dan
Scrous criminal class.
The question Is often asked, "What
is yegg. and how did the expression
originate? An answer to the latter
part of the query will lead TO an e!ucl-
data,n Of the first.
Some years ago, when the United
States government was experimenting
with high explosives. wishing to secure
some death dealing and destructive
shell that would cause more damage
than any before manufactured, some
one suggested that introglycerin be
tried. Up to that time this most pow
erful Of explosives had not been util'
lied in this way.
The government experts went 10
work, and the results OF their expert
ments were from time to time pub
llSI1Gu bIOuuCdSN thiou6h NhS ~SA'~
nity. At last they succeeded in max
ing a shell in which nitroglycerin was
fhe chief component part and which
made all former ones sink into insis-
nifcance.
In a town in the middle west at the
time there lived man named John
Yecg. In his earlier days he had been
one Of the most expert electricians as
we'll as all round experienced mechan-
les in the country. Later, through drink
and bad associates, he had descended
10 a life of crime, his principal art be-
ing that Of safe blowing
He was attracted by the published
accounts OF tie experiments of the
government authorities with nitro
glycerin. The thought struck him.
Why could not this be used in blowing
safes?
The method at that time was to drill
a hole in the safe to be wrecked. NIL
this with powder or dynamite and
then touch the fuse. This method
however, required considerable time to
pull off "a job" and was noisy and
dangerous.
Yegg went to work on the nitro
glycerin method He tried it and 1t
was a complete success. Furthermore
after he had performed job after job
he had the police of the country baf-
fed. They did not know how the
work was done. Yegg instructed
others in the art, and soon from one
end Of the country to the other safes
were being wrecked, but by what man
ner no one knew.
Yeggs method was to take some Of
the explosive which he and those with
him called "soup"-and, by the way.
this term is still extant-and pour it
in the crack Of the safe near the
hinges Of the door The small aperture
was then covered with soap to hold
the explosive in place. The fuse was
applied, and with the explosion off
went the doors, slick and clean. The
entire Job took but a few minutes. 1t
remained for a young Pinkerton de-
tective TO solve the matter on safe
that was blown in Coldwater, Mich.
where a bank was wrecked and many
thousands of dollars secured.
The crime was traced to Yegg and
some Of his companions, and they
were found guilty and sent to prison.
Thereafter those who employed the
nitroglycerin instead of the older
methods were called 'yeggmen" or
"yeggs."
This was the beginning Of the term
but since that time the application OF
it has grown greatly. Today "yegg,
viewed from whatever aspect. is the
most dangerous criminal with whom
the police of the country have to deal
He Is one who rides the country o'el
on freight trains, working through the
south in the winter and migrating tC
more eXhilarating climes during the
summer. He will beg when he is
hungry and will steal and commit
murder when he sees an opportunity
of benefting himself.
Today there are thousands of "yeggs'
scattered throughout the country. Mos
of them belong to some certain band
each one Of which has a leader. He
is the king. 1t is his duty to enlist
recruits. To him also is shipped al
the loot. and he in turn converts it into
money and places the amount to the
credit Of the member sending it in
For this the king receives a commits
sion.
Most Of the "ycgg" gangs carry what
IS known as 'kitten" with them. The
Kitten is a boy, young man or Grip.
PIE, whose duty it is to visit houses
and places Of business. apparently beg
ging food or selling shoestrings, lead
pencils. etc. and who then reports to
the gang the lay Of the land 50 that
whom the time comes for pulling off
the job all are familiar with the prem
ises. The kittens" are often runaway
boys and later become "ycggs" them
selves. destined TO follow a life of
crime and degradation.-Pitts Ga