Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-03
FEAR THE ''YECGMEN
Police Throughout the Country
Taking Notice.
AGAIN CAUSE ANNOYANCE
Robbed Post Office at Brookland
Several Years Ago.
TOP COPS" DISCUSS SUBJECT
Chief Goodrich of Binghamton, N.
Y, and William A. Pinkerton
Supply Information.
TOP COPS" DISCUSS SUBJECT

seven years since they caused trouble to
the local police. but they have committed
so many daring robberies elsewhere of
late that Maj. Sylvester and Inspector
Boardman are displaying interest in them.
Under ordinary circumstances, it Is stat
ed. the ''yegss' content themselves with
escaping Dy jumping express trains. but
of late some of them have resorted to
the use of automobiles with great sue
cess.
feegmen are especially feared by
heads of police departments. because they
are more daring than most robbers, never
hestating to sacrifice human life should
there be the slightest chance of capture.
The use of explosives. the police realize,
is dangerous and usually causes the de-
StruCt1On of considerable property, but
the principal danger is when persons are
awakened by an explosion and go in pur-
suit of the criminals. The last work per-
petrated by such criminals in this section
was when the post Office at Brookland
was robbed Strange men had been seen
about the town, but the reason for their
presence was not explained until after the
safe In the post Office had been blown
open and robbed.
Discuss Work of Yeggmen.
The work of yeggmen has been dis
cussed at several meetings of the Inter
national Association of Chiefs of Police
At the last annual session of the associa-
ton Charles II. Goodrich, chief of police
of Binghamton, n. Y, delivered an adj
dress on The Common Hobo He took
occasion to say something about the
'yeggs.' 1t has been estimated. he stat
ed. that there are more than 100000 hoboS
In the United States. and his observations
satisfied him that the estimate is conser-
Vative. In their ranks, he declared are
to be found some of the most dangerous
and desperate criminals in the world.
Chief Goodrich was a railroad detec-
tive a number of years, and during that
time came in contact with many So
called hoboes. Many of them, he real
ICES. were "yeggs.' During the time
he was In that service he was RESPONSE
BILE for the capture and punishment of a
number of them. Among other things
Chief Goodrich said THE hobo can we'll
be termed national pest. ] say ma
tional. because. AS nearly as I can ascer-
tain, he is peculiarly American. at least
In number of Objectionable features
Kill a Policeman.
He recalled that early one morning sew
eral years ago d policeman was shot and
killed in the village of Cobleskill, n. Y.
No one knew who committed the muir
der. but the indications were that the
policeman had surprised "yeggs'' at
work at the door of the bank and had
been killed by them. Investigations
showed that six hoboes had arrived in the
village on a freight train from Albany
about one hour before the shots were
fired. The men were arrested and two
of them later electrocuted.
Il have no doubt If I had been in
CobleskiI that night and arrested the
six hoboes for illegal train riding Chief
Goodrich remarked. 1.-The townspeople
would have sympathized with them. and
the judge would have given them an hour
to get out of town.
There must be reason for this army
of lawless buns" ne continued land
either the police authorities or the laws
of our country are at fault. l believe
the biggest fault is with the people them
selves. The American people. as rule.
are too sympathetic and easily worked.
One important point In connection with
this subject is the origin of the evil.
Question Not Easily Answered.
This is, of course. question that
Is not easily answered, but | believe more
hoboes are created by allowing small boys
to frequent railroad yards and catch
short rides out into the country, If they
are city bred, than from any other cause.
! can say, from experience. that there
Is nothing SO fascinating to a boy as
being about a railroad and being per
mitted to take rides.
The boys soon form the acquaintance
Of others with more experience. and soon
the temptation to take long rides cannot
be resisted. They are put off train
and Just for a lark rob a chicken roost.
Sooner or later they steal little some
thing from cars on which they are rid
ing. then rob a. country store, and in a
short while. and before they are aware
OF It, they have become fullfledged
yeggs' and are branded as criminals
William A. Pinkerton Explains
William A. Pinkerton, head of the
P.nkerton detective agency. has discussed
the ''yeggmen" question al several meet
ngs of the association. He explained to
the members of the association the
method of operating and related many in
teresting instances of their crimes. The
man who is sent ahead to a small town
to ascertain the necessary information, he
explained, is called a gay cat" That
person is usually graduate of a tramp
camp and is selected because of his inno-
cent appearance. He goes to the place
where bank is to be robbed in order to
ascertain the minor details for the more
desperate men. Usually he goes there as
a salesman or beggar and 1t takes him
only a short while to ascertain about the
police projection. how the place is lighted
and while doing this he is supposed TO
study the freight train schedules the loca-
ton of hand cars and where horses may
easily be stolen to assist in escape after
the robbery is committed.
Safe burglary, like almost everything
else. Capt. Pinkerton explained. has its
season, which commences when the nights
are long and ends when they begin to get
short. For his own good reasons the
'yeggman' will not operate on moonlight
nights. He knows the darker tie night
the safer his work and less likelihood of
his being seen or identified. Most "yegg-
men now operate on bank vaults and
safes with ntroglycerin but in some in
stances dynamite is used. The more
skilled of them understand nitroglycerin
is extracted from dynamite by a simple
method. When made ii is carried by the
more careful members in rubber water
bags, but sometimes the more careless
ones carry 1t in ordinary glass bottles,
which is quite dangerous. 1t is known as
the OIL.
''Inside Men" Use Explosives.
The 'inside men, who use the explosive
n blowing bank vaults or safes, OF whom
there usually two. select the out
siders' or "stck-ups'' who intimidata
any interfering citizens and prevent them
from capturing those making the attack
"YeggS'' who actually engage in an at
tack upon bank seldom visit in the day-
time the place where the bank is situated
fearing subsequent Identification. They
either go from some large city to the
scene of the attack or camp in the woods
within walking distance of the town until
night They visit the bank to be attacked
near midnight between midnight and
90 hoo :,