Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1913-05-14
UNCLE SANS WAR
ON THE YEt'GS."
CONTINUED from Second Page.)

Gross, and w. l.. Dunn, more famil-
iarly known as Irish Jimmy" This
newly formed triumvirate looted
thirl"-sevcn post offices in the next
sixty days, and then dropped in at
their old haunts in Alexandria, Va,
where they were Joined by Faces"
sometimes known as Connecticut
Shorty No. g"
Maryland is but a short step from
Alexandria,, and frequent trips into
the Terrapin State netted the ''yeggs"
fruitful returns. Mccarthy was
familiar figure in the tenderloins of
Washing ,on and Baltimore and his
arrival was always joyfully heralded
through the underworld, for
"Johnny" was famed as a spender
and his consorts in the brothels
around Front, High, Frederick and
Caroline streets in Baltimore, whore
all successful "yeggS" gather, vel
coined him with open arms.
1t was while in Baltimore that Nc
Carthy and his old friend "Portland
Ned" met again, and while they
agreed to bury the hatchet and let
bygones be bygones Mccarthy refused
to take to the road again with Ned.
Instead, he started forth alone, since
Ned had won over Irish Jimmy"
and Charley Cross, while Faces"
Joined Connecticut Shorty" and
Pennsylvania Swipes." Mccarthy
caught a blind baggage as far as Will
mington, Del, and dropping off there
met Pennsylvania Mickey" and
"Brooklyn Harry" They made Will
mington temporary headquarters,
and within month they tapped
twenty-five Maryland and Delaware
post offices, stealing several thousand
dollars in cash and "stickers," the
latter being taken to a Bowery re-
sort In New York for disposal.
At Harrington. Del, they split with
"Brooklyn Harry" and Mccarthy
and Pennsylvania Mickey" acciden-
tally met Portland Ned" Charley
Cross and Irish Jimmy" and a new
coalition was formed. Pickings from
then on improved materially, since
Portland Ned" was an artist In the
game Of locating" contemplated
points and arranging little details
for their looting.
All this time post office inspectors
were hot on the trail OF the "yeggs,"
but the latter had a faculty for elud-
ing capture just when the net as
about to enmesh them. 1t was one
Of these doubling tours that took
Ned and Mccarthy back to Norfolk,
and from that point they operated
together, going over the same
ground, practically, that they looted
before, only this second visit paid
far handsomer dividends, as Ned was
an expert cracksman and could blow
the strongest Of safes, and so dexter
RI nP
soups" explosion wouldn't arouse
baby slumbering in an adjoining
room.
Three times following his escape
from a Southern penitentiary Nc
Carthy was caught following some
| daring post Office or bank burglary,
but each time he managed to get
clear before the post office inspectors
could lay hands on him. With these
he exchanged shots several times,
but here, too, fortune smiled upon
him and he got away before the cold
click OF an Uncle Sam bracelet en-
circled his wrist.
Taking final run down to Nor
folk, Va, Ned" and Mccarthy met
"Ohio Hump" who stood head and
shoulders at the head of the "yegg"
clan. A big job in the vicinity of
Richmond proved so profitable that
| Mccarthy made a hurried trip to
| New York to call on the Bowery with
his loot. This disposed of and the
proceeds divided, Mccarthy slipped
out to Michigan, where he figured in
several post office and bank Jobs, but
letters and messages from his old
| cronies informed him that the big
gest job they had yet tackled awaited
them in New England. So he made
tracks for Boston.
In Massachusetts Mccarthy and
walter" operated together They
made some big and many small hauls,
| although the general average was
| sufficiently good to keep Johnny"
| well supplied with pocket money.
They were joined little later by
"Fritzey" "California Fingers" and
"Bellefontaine Slim" Canada
Trapper" was another New England
"yegg," who soon asccrtained the
| whereabouts Of Mccarthy. and being
familiar with his record eagerly
seized the chance to operate in his
band.
This cluster OF prize crooks re-
maineG together for three months,
and when philadelphia Johnny"
called off all further combined thiev-
cry he left for the Bowery "crib" in
New York with a little more than
$4,000 in "stickers" as his share of
the loot, to say nothing Of several
thousand dollars in greenbacks.
This New England trip had netted
Mccarthy such handsome dividends
that after his negotiations in New
York he had more actual poSh af hio