Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-11-19
GENESIS OF CRIMINAL ALIAS.
Hou the Denizens of the Underworld
Acquire Their Titles.



courage. He was active as a petty
gambler on the Fast Side, and was
noted for the quickness and accuracy
Of his gun play. Word came to him
one afternoon that pal Of his was
cornered in a Seventh avenue saloon
by the Gopher gang. Ike the Blood"
hurTied to the rescue, dropped" one
Of the enemy, and was himself slain.
Another character who passed not
long ago was "Eat-'Em-Up Jack"
McManus. He received his title be-
cause of his thoroughness as rough
in many of the Bowery saloons around
Chatham Square, and when he was in
action he fought with his teeth as well
as his fists and feet.
The details Of most Of his en-
counters are too barbaric to print. At
any rate he had a clear and undisput-
ed title to his "monaker" FEAT EN-
Up Jack" At the time Of his death
he was SHERIFF" Of the New Brighton
dance hall in Great Jones street. The
sheriff is the new name Of the old
bouncer. His function is to settle
violently and conclusively every diff
cult question Of propriety that comes
up. Someone sandbagged him as he
was going home after his nights
work.
The grass had not begun to grow on
the grave of "Eat-'Em-Up Jack" be-
fore his gang companions killed two
Of their enemies. One Of the leaders
Of the avengers of Eat 'Em-Up
Jack" in the New Brighton affair was
"Bif" Ellison, so styled from his
uuickness in striking with his fists.
He, too, was sheriff" in Bowery
dance halls and saloons. He was found
guilty Of manslaughter in the first
degree about a year ago and sentenced
to 20 years Imprisonment for killing
one Of the two men shot to death
In the New Brighton. Ellison's ap-
peal from his conviction caused him
to be released on $4,000 bail. Then
he disappeared until the other day,
when he was located in one Of the city
asylums for the insane. When the
police lost track of him he was a big,
burly man. When they found him
again he was a shrunken, shambling
figure, with little life left in him.
Dope" and drink had had their cum
ulatiye effect, and paresis was doing
It's work swiftly.
The chief witness against "Bif' was
one aRed House"-Hogan, so oalled--eR-
account Of his fiery red hair. 1t was
the theory Of the gangsters that "Bif'
was lying low to "croke" RED House
and also to get even with few others
who had "double-crossed" him. AT
any rate, RED House" has disappeared
and if "Biff'' got him no one knows
but "Biff," and he cannot tell.
The yeggmen are far more desperate
in their criminal courage than the
gangsters. The gangster has his hab-
tat within we'll defined boundaries
in the city. The yeggman wonders
from place to place, wherever there is
a good chance to snuff a drum" as
blowing a safe is called. Hence, the
yeggmen mostly have ''monakers" that
relate to the city or state that they
are reputed to hail from.
There was Boston AL" for instance,
who broke out of Charleston, Mass, a
few years ago, Boston Al" was ar
rested for Kicking in pete" which
Is still another term for safe blowing.
The case against him was clear. He
was sure to be convicted. He pro-
fessed repentance and was "converted'
by a prison chaplain. He expressed
a desire to marry the girl he was en-
gagged to, and the ceremony was ar
ranged for by the Jail officials. They
could see no harm in it, and were proud
Of Boston AIS reformation.
There was a wedding ceremony, at
which the prison chaplain officiated,
with the wardens as witnesses. The
bride insisted on a wedding cake, and
one Of "Boston's' friends went out and
got one. Everything was lovely. But
that night Boston" sawed his way out
Of jail There were "briars" in the
cake. "Briars" are steel
saws. Boston Az was nearly cap
tured once not long ago because the
woman he had married was jealous
of his attentions to some other wo-
man and betrayed him to the police.
But he got wind of their coming and
fed.
"Shang" is a favorite name among
the yeggs for any one who is tall. 1t
is an abbreviation of shanghai" the
family Of chickens noted for long legs.
"Shang" Campbell was one of the
most noted Of the recent bearers of
this monaker. With him boldness
was a characteristic that made him
successful at robbery. His
specially was small towns. He and
his gang would shoot off their re-
NOiNtIS llulSCIlllllHdlelS 81 DIS W III
timidate the townspeople and keep
them from interfering with the safe
robbery. After the safe had been
rifled of it's contents the gang would
jump on a handcar and ride away,
firing as they went. "Shang" Camp
bell was doing long term in Joliet the
last he was heard of. He claimed to
have learned all he knew Of the art
Of safeblowing from another "Shang"
This was the famous "Shang" Draper.
who stood 6 feet 3 in his stockings
New York Press.
WITH NEIGhsoRING EXCHANGES
Notes and Comments About M alters of
Local Interest.