Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-07-11
WORKS OF JOHN YECG
A Daring Burglar Who Attained
Fame In His Line.

a Daring Burglar Who attained
Fame In His Line.
HIS NAME "A POLICE LEGAc Y.
II Is Now Applied to the Most Danger
GUS Criminals With Whom the Off
GERS Of the Law Have to Contend.
Nitroglyeerin In Safe Bursting.
\ In the expressive slang that per
meates police circles throughout the
country, a "yegg" is one Of the dan
gerous criminal class.
The question is often asked, What
is a yegg, and how did the expression
originate? An answer to the latter
part Of the query will lead to an eluci-
dalton 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 to
work, and the results Of their expert
ments were from time to time pub
nshed broadcast through the commu-
nifty. At last they succeeded in maxi
ing shell in which nitroglycerin was
the chief component part and which
made all former ones sink into insig-8
nificance.
VI In town in the middle west at the
time there lived a man named John
Yegg. In his earlier days he had been
one of the most expert electricians as
well as all round experienced mechan-
les in the country. Later, through drink
and bad associates, he had descended
to life of crime, his principal art be-
ing that of safe blowing.
He was attracted by the published
accounts Of the 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, fill
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
giycerin method. He tried it, and 1t
was 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.
1 Yegg's method was to take some OF
| him called soup BY the way,
this term is still extantand pour II
/ in the crack Of the safe near the
1 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 of
went the doors, slick and clean. The
entire job took but a few minutes. II
remained for young Pinkerton de.
1 tective to solve the matter on safe
4 that was blown in Coldwater, Mich.
4 where 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 oldel
! methods were called 'syeggmen' o.
ayeggs.'' ai
This was the beginning Of the term
but since that time the application O,
it has grown greatly. Today a ''yegg,'
i viewed from whatever aspect, is thu
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 tn,
i south in the winter and migrating t.
more exhilarating climes during th,
4 summer. He will beg when he Il
hungry and win steal and commi
murder when he sees an opportunit,
Of benefting himself.
! Today there are thousands Of '.yeggs'
4 scattered throughout the country. Mos
Il OF them belong to some certain band
4 each one Of which has a leader. H,
is the king. 1T is his duty to enlis
4 recruits. To him also is shipped al
the loot, and he In turn converts 1t int,
money and places the amount to th,
credit Of the member sending 1t In
For this the king receives q commits
sion.
4; Most Of the @yegg'' gangs carry wha
/. Is known as .'kitten" with them. Th
i. Kitten is a boy, young man or Grip
pie. whose duty it is to visit houses
and places of business, apparently beg
i ging food or selling shoestrings, Leaf
Il pencils, etc, and who then reports d
the gang athe lay of the land so tina
d when the time comes for pulling OF
the job all are familiar with the prem
ises. The kittens are often runawa,
boys and later become s.yeggsn them
II .