Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1908-07-15
Works Of JOHN TTGG
q Daring Burglar VINO Attained
Fame In His Line.
HIS NAME A POLICE LEGACY.

y is Now Applied to the Most Danger
Gus Criminals With When tho Oil
GERS CT the Law Have 20 Contend.
Nitroslyeerin In Safe Bursting.
In the expressive slang that per
meates police circles throughout the
country. 'yegg" is one OF the dan
gerous 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 viii lead to an elucl-
dation 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 introglyccrin 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
lished broadcast through the commu-
nifty At last they succeeded in max
ing she'll in which nitroglycerin was
the chief component part and which
made al former ones sink into insig-
nifcance.
In town in the middle west at the
time there lived man named John.
Negg. In his earlier days he had been
one Of the most expert electricians as
well rs all round experienced mechan-
les in the country. Later, through drink
and bad associates. he had descended
10 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.
Giycerin. The thought struck him.
Why could not this be used In blowing
safes?
The method ut that time was to drill
hole In the safe TO be wrecked. ill
this with powder or dynamite and
then touch the fuse This method.
however. required considera bic time 10
pull off "a job" and was noisy and
dangerous.
Yegg went TO work on the nitro
Slycerin method. He tried 1t. and il
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.
Yegg's 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 II
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 of
went the doors, slick and clean. The
entire job took but few minutes. II
remained for a young Pinkerton de-
tective to solve the matter on a safe
that was blown in COldwater. Mich.
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 older
methods were called "yeggmen" OF
"yeggs.''
This was the beginning OF the term
but since that time the application OF
II has grown greatly To-day "yegg.'
viewed from whatever aspect. is the
most dangerous criminal with whom
the police of the country have to deal
lie Is one who rides the country o'ei
on freight trains. working through the
south j. the winter and migrating &c
more celebrating chimes during the
summer lie viii beg when he Is
hungry and viii steal and commit
murder when he sees IN opportunity
OF benehtlng himself
Today there are thousands of ''yeggs'
scattered throughout the country Most
OF them belong to some certain band
each one of which has leader. He
Is the king. II Is his duty TO enlist
recruits. TO him also is shipped M
the loot. ar be in turn converts It inc
money ard ..aces the amount to the
credit OF the member sending Il In
S'or this u. king receives n commits
sion.
Most OF the ''yegg" g1ngs carry what
is known as ''kittcn" with them TIC
Kitten Is boy young man or Grip
pie. whose cuty II is to visit houses
and places Of business. apparently ber
ging food or selling shoestrines. lead
pencils, etc. ard who then reports -
the gang "the lay OF the land" so that
when The time comes for pulling on