The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1910-05-26


Secretary Champion, ASKING what h
had in view. He replied you ma.
not know that the Yeggmen ar
more numerous in the state of Hi
nois than is generally supposed.
had no idea the woods were literal,
so full of them as proves to be TIL
Ease, judging from the reports OF th'
detectives and informants with whom
have como in contact since active
" lnterc ted in running down somC
of the recent attacks against our
Association members" To some eX
tent. | was aware OF this cond.t on
rs | had been informed by secre
service men. who were working alons
other lines of work, that a gang wert
fmaking their headquarters in my owl
city This gang was eventually bro
ken up and passed on to other field
no doubt to carry on their purpose
elsewhere. | have recently read re
ports in the metropolitan papers, o
six bank safe burglaries in one week
aggregating funds taken by yegsmer
amounting to s40.C0c.-->-, These bur
glares occurred in the States of Hi
nois, Kansas, TexaF, Nebraska, ant
Iowa. | assume there may have beer
other cases OF safe blowing, perha s
IN the states mentioned as well as
in SOME other states, not only oil
banks. hrt other blu mess houses.
Reports show that there were six
teen attacks on banks in the State
of Illinois during the year 1909, oil
which eight were members of the
State Association and eight were
non members. So far during the
vear there has been three attacks on
banks in the State, two members OF
the AS oeiation and one a nonmem-
Der
The most notable fact regarding
these attacks mentioned is that only
one bank reported the case to the
Association and this case was vigor-
ously gone after, but understand
before information wa lodged much
time had elapsed which made 1t diff
Ticult to apprehend the criminals,
although recent developments indl-
cate who were the parties and theJ
are now being sought for. IL is not
understood why members do not re-
port of the Association and ask its
aid, or why they really let such Grim
inal acts be perpetrated upon them
and apparently do so little ether than
mere investigation by local parties,
for it is the duty Of every banker
to secure in any way possible the
conviction of yeggmen who have at
tackled their banks. otherwise it OPP
crates almost as an invitation, to 10
to others a. you have done to us,
and you won't be molested
The class of men engaged in this
character of robbery. viz, the blow
ing of safes or holding up bank,
commonly known as yeggmen, is not
always a professional crook or rob
Der; more often they are men who
prefer a rough and idle life and
camp in out-of-way places AMI de-
serted buildings, or lay around the
low dive resorts in the larger cities
or country towns. They are usually
hard drinkers, degraded and vicious
in their habits, have enough me-
chanical knowledge or genius to use
tools and> explosives, and appear to
find their greatest pleasure in crack
ing safes in the country storeg and
small banks, because of the-as a
risk and yielding easy
money. The yeggman seldom does
his work In the large city. from the
fact that the bank or mercantile prem
Uses are usually guarded by night
watchmen or protected by other de-
vices of burglar alarm systems. He,
therefore, operates in the small towns
first informing himself of the prem
Uses and the occupants, abides what
he considers the golden opportunity,
and the easiest and best method of
escape with his booty
Have you stopped to think the
many times they crack a safe in this
or that community and the small
amount of funds they sometimes OBJ
tain, yet 500 for the time being IS
just as much to this class of men as
$4,000. The only difference is, that
the larger amount gives them that
much longer period of idlenes. and
a more lavish time in their disso-
lutte mode of living.
It is not necessary to further ex'
plain who and what Is the yeggman,
for you no doubt know of them as
well as myself. Now the question
arises. What are we as bankers
going to do? What is the be I
method that will give us the protec-
ton dtsired at reasonable and eco
monte cost? We know that detec-
tive agencies, by their services arc
one of the efficient methods that can
be. adopted. They have proved sue
cessful In the discouragement of bank
crooks in their efforts to swindle and
commit crimes on bank and bank
ers, not only by the professional mem
bers of organized gangs, but also the
amateur, engaged as sneak thief, for.
ger, swiDdler and burglar. We
al o,,ld apcotYrapa tho work anI am