davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Omaha daily bee., 1914-08-10
south Side Improvement.

The South Side Improvement club met
last Friday evening at the Madison street
school in Albright. The club decided to
change it's boundaries so as TO embrace
the whole southern section Of the city
Hereafter the club will be known as the
South side Improvement club.
A number OF. property owners from Y
street advanced arguments for the i'm
provement Of their street They pro-
tested against the laying Of a temporary
walk at that time, maintaining that after
the grading OF the street was completed a
permanent walk would be desired II
was announced that petition for the
grading of the street was ready to be
filed with the city council.
More than 100 persons were In attend
ance at the meeting. The club has been
growing rapidly during the last few
months both In membership and territory.
The next meeting will be held Friday
evening at the Madison street school. All
residents OF that section of the city are
earnestly requested to be present.
In honor OF the splendid life and char
6eter OF Mrs. Woodrow Wilson. late wife
Of the president OF the United States.
Mayor Hector has issued a proclamation
dseresinR that all official business OF
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-14
Sheridan soon graduated.

raised a large sum of money with which
they meant to hire an armed steamer.
sail to New Caledonia and rescue Tom
from the colony. This tale was in
vented by a couple Of slick grafters
and their object In getting it into print
was simply to shake down Nelly Gray.
AS they expected, Nelly saw the story
in the paper and when they visited her
she was ready to give up. And she did
so, to the extent of $4,000. To be used
for preliminary expenses, with 100000
promised later on.
But the plans of the grafters were
broken up when Nelly Gray received a
letter from O'Brien, in which he stated
that he was quite content where he was
and never wanted to set foot in the
United States again. And he kept his
word. He got married, settled down in
the colony and later on was appointed
to an official position in Noumea, the
capital, corresponding something to an
American Chief of Police. He was 4S
years of age when he went to New
Caledonia and he held that job till he
died seven years ago. 1t was rather a
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-14

ing IL and stealing rides on trains. They
were supposed to be only hoboes. but
the police soon learned to know them
as expert thieves in a small way. The
swell cracksmen didn't mix up with
them, and they got the name of cross.
country yeggs," which simply means a
bum thief.
These yeggs bore such monakers.
and in fact do to-day, as Pennsylvania
Slim. New York Jimmy, Chi Kid, Fris-
co Joe and so on, usually lacking on the
city they hailed from. In the beginning
of things the yeggs used only to rob
freight cars. whenever they got the
chance. but as time went on they de-
reloped into a more desperate mob.
, carried guns. were ready to shoot ir
interfered with and robbed post office
safes in the smaller towns, where the
swell craftsmen never thought OF 60
ing.
The yeggs Of to-day are much as
they have been for the past sixteen
years except that they don't confine
their work to post offices alone. Any
thing that looks like a plant likely to
yield few hundred dollars Is meat for
the yeggs. But they never work in the
big towns. Their Western headauar-
money. is in Chicago. and New York
in the East
The swell craftsman Of the old DAYS
| liked to dress up In the best clothes
money could buy wear diamonds and
open wine around flash, up to date
cafes. Those fellows thought nothing
OF peeling several hundreds and per-
maps more Off their rolls in one night
Just to treat their crowd. They were
big money gamblers. too. and I have
known one of them to lose his entire
! hit from a recent job. amounting to
$4,000, In few hours at the faro
tables.
But the yegg has different ideas OF
enjoyment. His hangout is always
| some low class little saloon In New
York or Chicago when he isn't on the
| road. He doesn't care about glad rags
or sparklers; you couldn't tell him at
a glance from the ordinary hobo as
he leans on some dirty bar. clad in blue
shirt, greasy coat and trousers. with
SLOUGH hat or cap pulled down over his
eyes
They are type closer to the modern
| gunner of the big cities than to the
swell thief Of years ago. except that
few of them have the dope habit. Their
| one redeeming trait is sort of loyalty
| To each other. in that they are seldom
| known to squeal when plnched. Any
| cop who has handled them will tell you
| that stool pigeons are rare birds among
| the yegg brotherhood. Perhaps the
| real reason for this is that a yegg who
| gave his gang away would never be
| able to travel over the road again.
Unless he stayed right in the city and
Il.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-14

their suspicious. 1t was generally be-
leved that Max Shinburn was indl-
rectly interested in several big Euro
pean jobs.
For instance. there Is good reason to
believe that 1t was Shinburn who
planned the robbery of the post office
ear on a Belgian mail train between
Ostend and Brussels in November,
1856. There was rich consignment
of diamonds, a large amount in cash
and letters Of credit, and the loss was
estimated at over 100000
But Walter Sheridan, born on a small
farm in ohio and a CRATER from boy
hood, was the prime mover in the af-
fair. He had been guest at Shin
burns castle near Brussels for several
months and between them they planned
the raid on the train.
Sheridan began his career when not
quite 20 as a pupil of Joe Moran. an
expert hotel thief, but soon graduated
into a higher line of graft. 1t was
Sheridan who cracked the First Ma
tional Bank of Springfield, Ill.,, for
$4,000 and secured $4,000 from the
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-14

hold him, and with 100000 in his kick
he sailed for Europe.
For couple of years he lived in Ber-
lin. London and Paris and was mixed
up in several successful jewel robber-
les. Prosperity spoiled him; he got to
drinking heavily, grew reckless ana
was arrested in Paris for a peculiarly
daring bank job. He enjoyed the
doubtful distinction Of being the first
American crook to be sent to Devils
Island, French Guiana, where he died
Porter is well remembered in the sport
ing world as the man who collected the
1000 which was paid over to Charley
Mitchell when an agreement was
reached between the promoters and
principals of the Sullivan-Mitchell bat
tie at Chantilly, France, to call the ar
fair draw. Billy was schoolfellow
Of John l.. Sullivans and warm
admirer OF the then champion.
The undsputed king of the conf
d. nee men in tho7r days was Tom
O'Brlen. 1t was q Prlan who with a
pal named George Post took Senator
Peck into camp at Albany for 100000.
They landed Peck with the old mine
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-14

funny windup for the man who was
the recognized king of all the con
throwers in this country In his day.
Max Shinburn ranked ace high among
the bank men: indeed, IL is doubtful II
any one before or after his time ever
made such tremendous hauls as Shin
burn during his career. He came to
this country In 1861 and 1t wasn't long
before the best Of the American crooks
had to take Off their hats to him.
Shlnburn wasn't just merely clever:
he was IA regular magician in his line.
In his day there didn't seem to be a lock
invented that he couldn't get the better
Of He could counterfeit any kind OF
key, and no safe, combination or
otherwise, was a puzzle for Max IL he
wanted to get into it. The number of
banks he looted was extraordinary, his
browning achievement being when he
secured a clean million dollars from the
Ocean National Bank OF New York.
Shinburn then went to Belgium,
where he bought a castle and a title,
and lived there quietly enough without
seeming to be interested In anything
pertaining to his old life. But though
the authorities never managed to verify
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-14

Maryland Fire Insurance Company of
Baltimore. He got away with $4,000
from the Mechanics Bank of Scranton
Pa. and $4,000 from the Savings and
Loan Bank of Cleveland in 1870. In
1873 he forged 100000 in bonds of the
Buffalo. New York & Erie Railroad and
sold them for $4,000 in cash.
Unlike Shinburn. Sheridan didn't
know how to hold on to his coin after
he got 1t, and the last I heard of him
he was living in poor circumstances in
n small town in Colorado.
The big banks are better protected by
modern safety inventions nowadays
and most of them would be as hard to
get into and rob as the United States
Treasury. You hear of small banks in
little towns and minor post offices be-
ing cracked by yeggs. but the vaults of
the city banks aren't meddled with,
The yegg is the rather unworthy sue
cessor of the topnotch bank men Of
the Shinburn, Sheridan type 1t was
about 1889 that the yeggs first began
to make their work known They We're
fellows who spent all their time tramp
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-14

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The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-14

the trial. OBren, who was we'll sup
piled with cash. fixed 1t with the guard
to go out of their way about seventy
five miles to Utica, where he had an
appointment to meet a friend. lie told
Buck that everything was arranged for
his release by the new trial and prom
Used to reward him we'll for his trouble.
At Utica Olirien with the help of a
woman named Nelly Gray drugged the
guard and made his escape.
In New York he boarded a tramp
steamer and sailed for Buenos Ayres.
O'Brien lived there two years. In 1856
he returned home. He palled up with
Kid Waddell and they went to Ten
nessee. where they turned a confidence
trick that Melted them $4,000 A few
weeks later Waddell was nailed by the
police, but OBrien kept clear.
Waddell was convicted OF swlndling
and sentenced to serve two years. In
the meantime a Chicago gambler, a
great friend of Waddcl"s, gave OBrien
$4,000. which he was supposed to use
in freeing Waddell. Instead Of going
| 10 work at once to have Waddell re-
| leased, OBrlen got into faro game in
which he dropped every cent he had, as
well as the $1,000.
| The consequence was that Waddell
was obliged to serve his full sentence.
with good behavior time off. When he
got out he went to Paris, where he
went into gambling on a large scale and
became very popular with the French
sports. In 1898 O'Brcn went to Paris
lie had never seen Waddell since the
Kid was pinched, but Waddell had
sworn To get even with him for the
trick he played.
| AS luck had It, OBrlen wasn't in
| Paris twenty-four hours before he
| walked into cafe on the Boulevard
de rOpera. where Waddell was sitting
| with some friends. 1t was an Ameri-
can crowd. They all knew Tom O'Brlcn,
and every one of them jumped up and
shook hands with him. except Waddell
When Waddell got up he reached for a
bottle. rushed at OBrlen and smashed
IL on his head, knocking him com
petely out.
| O'Brien was a dangerous rough and
tumble fighter. as well as a dead shot
with a gun, and Waddell knew very
well that as soon as he came to he
would be looking. for his former pal. So
the Kid resolved to hike away from the
city for a while. lie wasn't a coward by
any means, but ne knew OBrien. The
next day, as Waddell was about to
board a train. O'Brien appeared on the
platform, whipped out a gun and sent
four bullets into him. Waddell only lived
two hours, but was conscious to the
last.
O'Brien made no attempt to escape
and was arrested Immediately after the
shooting. He was brought into the
room where Waddell lay dying. so that
the latter could Identify him.
Waddell opened his eyes and looked
at the big man. who stared back with
out saying word. The tee who had
the prisoner in charge leaned close t.
Waddell and asked him If that was the
man who had shot him. Waddell turned
his eyes on OBrien again-then smiled
and shook his head slowly. Half a
minute later he was dead.
OBrien broke down and cried like Q
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-14
The Way Things Happen i'm New York-By hampton

done SOP" shuddered the critic, and the
editor shrugged his eyebrows.
A bald headed Wall Street bachelor
broker was bewailng his sad lot
Don't talk to me about woman's
sympathy" he complained bitterly: tits
false alarm. ] know. because have
tried it, Listen.
Ten days ago I went up into Con-
necticut with friend to indulge in the
rural delights he told me about until |
had to go in self-defence. Naturally In
the country I didn't wear "A hat, though
he told me had better. But whoever
heard of May sun doing any damage?
I had three days OF it and by that time
I discovered that May sun was loaded.
when I got back to the city my head
looked like n billiard ball-one of the
red ones. And hurt? Well, now say!
"The first evening ! was back HE'D
me forth to see my best girl. 81 rt!ng.
of course, to have her sympathy and
perhaps the touch of her cool white
hand upon my red hot block. But did
get anything like that? Did 7?
"'Oh. Billy she cried joyously when
she saw me. how lovely
"'What is lovely?' said I, wondering
what in thunder could be lovely, feeling
around the head as ! was.
"'Why,' she explained. standing of
and surveying me critically. that lovely
shade to your head, You know wigs of
all colors are the rage now and
YOURS
"Then she stopped suddenly. oh, but
forgot about the hair
and do you know, she just stood
there and laughed and laughed as
though / was topliner vaudeville ar
tist sympathy? Yes, thank you. I've
got about barrel OF different kinds OF
sunburn remedies. But how could that
girl behave SOP"
Two women came into the elevated
station at SiXty-slxth street and after
looking around for a minute or two and
saying something about his not being
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-14

And 7 may add that that figure Is not
thought to he eXorbitant as prices now
run for desirable property in our town.
The commuter from Stamford looked
pityngly at the fat brakeman as he
pushed his way along the narrow aisle
of the car.
THAT chap" he said to his seatmate.
reminds me of brakeman We used
to have on branch road to the town
where | lived up in York State. He
was very popular man and was uni
versaly known as Skinny, and the
hard time he used to have trying to
get through the car was pathetic.
"He had been a brakeman on the
main line until he got so fat that he
was in the way all the time. and he
was detailed to our branch, where the
rush was not so great. There he might
have managed to get away with his
job, but life was somewhat easier. and
what didshe do but fatten on 1t. E.
at first he could get through the
aisle head on, but presently he had to
go sideways, and II there was passen-
ger going or coming Skinny had to
shunt himself between the seats to clear
the way. BY and by he couldn't even
get through the aisle sidewise-he didn't
have any sidewise, as somebody said
and then the company was compelled
to lay him off.
"But It treated him right, for he
was given rent free a small nGarm the
company owned near town and there
Skinny and his thrifty wife and husky
children got right down to brass tacks
and in two or three years he was in.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-14

Inc lbs. # drugs was practically I'M
N"o"" among the old timers. Opium
,''N.A-. .'ea,ne and morphine were
s'' IT'D .'.Ne later and produce such
O''''' die .." East side gangsters and
e'"'H"" w.'h whom New York has
STOW" .n.liar Of late years. There
were A' r"Iular gunner as we have
VIII ualerstand the word among
aHy Do. FLAG branches of the old grafters.
4",l '.. anything but a murderously
'"' ''''I Of, which Is more than can be
% .l" dope crazed. bloodthirsty
w Wv" '.5" io.ngs furnish the papers
va" atoms these days.
An % the best of the sneak and
I pI.N '."n who went in for nothing but
,'s '...' may be mentioned Billy Por-
A. ".l' pI'rIen, of Bost IN: Sheeney
Nm jimmy Irving, Jim Welch the
~ - Jack straw, Jimmy Hope. Jack
ho',''' Jimmy Carroll. the Palmer
81 eye Red Leary, Dan Noble, Walter
e., ', 'IiH and Max Shinburn. 1t isn't
tba the truth a bit to say that IL
'oy' Sathered up by those men dur
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-14

tale. sold him a phony bundle of
stocks for n hole in the ground out
West that was worth less than nothing.
Peck wasn't the sort of man to swal-
low a dose like that without kicking
and he said he'd get the pair IL he had
TO rake the United States with a fine
tooth comb The cops made good and
landed O'Brlen and his mate. but they
didn't get back the money. The pair
got ten years and were sent to Clin-
ton prison.
Now OBrien was anything but an
ordinary crook. He had lots Of friends
high up in political circles, and he
wasn't in Clinton nine months before
influence was brought to bear and
money as well. which resulted in
his being granted a new trial.
guard by the name OF Buck was
deputized to take OBren to Albany for
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-14
you ever hear Of a poet
swapping poetry for a tooth
fillinpo" incurred n New York

DDs swapping Sua as'r pos "as' for or ,o Dov
fi!ling?" inquired New York
literary editor Of critic who had
stopped in for few moments Of high
brow communion.
Shocking" replied the critic, as
might have been expected.
still it happened" the editor insisted,
and went on to explain. you see. !
have a friend who is a dentist and one
who is a poet, both experts, but l am
free to admit the dentist makes more
money in a month than the poet makes
in year"
his brows still higher.
Let 1t go at that" continued the
editor. my dentist friend, happening
TO want a quatrain to fill out dinner
talk he was billed for asked me to write
II. OF course l know poetry when | see
It, but / can't write It, so ! sent him to
see my poet friend.
1.-THE visit was quite successful and
the dentist was so pleased that he in
sisted on paying the poet for his work.
and insisted quite vigorously that 1t
was only friendly act and he would
not take money for II.
Dentists are neither sentimental nor
temperamental as poets are, and this
one became so urgent that the poet was
forced to some kind Of compromise and
finally agreed to accept tooth filling
for the poem. He said the tooth had
to be filled and as II was not difficult
or complicated job he would permit the
dentist to square his obligation that
way II he We're willing to do so.
1.-The dentist was perfectly willing.
1t was merely an exchange Of courtesies
and he would be only too happy,
&c. Next day the poet collected his pay
but 1t was the dentist who told me
about It,"
"How could the poet possibly have
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-14
ANGUS CRIMINALS OF THE PAST AND
THEIR DEGENERATE SUCCESSORS

criminal methods change IN the
Vri,I,orid Veterans OF the army
nj ".H fingered and stcindiinD
gula dcpiorc The passing Of the
o,..N crooks" Of bygonc gears and
sur.- AZ ne Work OF their sue
c,,..., 10 one Of these old timers,
,rbn armed discretion rith adrdnc-
mr. r,, and retired on his dccumu-
bi,d 'opf the Writcr Is indebted for
n, tuDi5ug ricics Of the trdnsfor-
nation the pedrs hare drought.
-IlE nearest approach to the high
class thief of thirty or forty
i Years ago Is the modern fake
wiretapper, as represented by
,he Goudorf brothers and their gang.
Ru, ,l. bunk wiretappers only resem-
Me ,h, I'D top notch grafters in that
they play for high stakes. They don't
run ,r. risks that menaced the old
sm,r. and they work on cut and
srlcd pattern. following the same trail
Ike flock II sheep. The chap who
frs, framed up the fake wire scheme
is emitted to some credit, but the best
vou can say for his followers Is that
they are good students Of human ma
.ure and know how and when to size
up an easy mark.
The. are practically no men nova
aays worthy If being classed for nerve
II. =
The .,,o, pigeon wasn't so common
then and there was very little Of what
We have come to know as protected
graft" IN which division Of the coin Is
made WIKI men higher up. The organi-
.a,lon Of a gang. the members of which
were trained to work in harmony with
each other. counted for whole lot in
acauir.ns efficiency. Take the modern
din. f.. instance. He generally prefers
10 work either alone or maybe with one
or two stalls and never thinks Of such
thing a. making an over the country
raid with regular brigade of pals.
The old style pickpocket mob, usually
made up here in New York and con-
ss,in- II from eight to ten members.
vas organized with the greatest care.
When 70 was a travelling mob formed
to tour he country. every man had to
ka .,rickerjack with successful rec
ord behind him to break into the COM
bnat.un An ordinary dip with no big
touches % boast of had no more chance
Of joining a swell mob than an imateur
h,p,pyer would have Of signing up
with Connie Mack.
\ swell, mob always devoted a certain
part II the profits to the kitty" or
fall money" reserve, and 1t was moth
Ing uncommon for this to amount to
5000 or $1,000. This sum was placed
In the hands of an outsider. a saloon
keeper for choice, for the purpose OF
proydn- legal defence. bride or hush
money Whenever one of the crowd got
ammel 10 a clinch. And there were
mighty few Instances of the keeper Of
the fall uoin being false to his trust.
t. make a getaway with the kitty"
vas an uGparlonable sin, and the fellow
who took such a chance wasn't likely
to benefit by his grab in the long run.
Sooner Or later one Of the mob would
trail him down and croak him.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-14
No Men in the Underworld of To-day to Be Cassed for
Nerve and Dash With the Leaders of
Thirty Years Ago

Ing their careers could be set down in
hgures 1t would total away up in the
millions.
Red Leary Is best remembered by the
successful robbery of the Northampton.
Mass, bank which he engineered H.
was at one time n heavyweight boxer
OF no small reputation and knocked out
Mike McCool, one OF the bare knuckle
stars, In two rounds. Leary was shot
and Killed by his chum Billy Trainor,
with whom he had a quarrel over d.
viding the proceeds Of bank robbery
Billy Porter In company with Shee-
ney Mike brought of in Troy. N. v,
in 1885 one of the biggest jewel rob-
berries ever known. Both men were
caught afterward and Sheeney Mike got
ten years. The evidence wasn't
strong enough to convict Porter. but
the police made this country too hot to
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-14

child. lie knew he had been in wrong
in the Waddell affair and that he had
1t coming to him when the Kid hit him
in the cafe-and yet Waddel wouldn't
sdueal. They say that incident broke
O'Bricn's heart, and I can easily believe
1t. OBrien was a hot tempered, i'm
pulsive chap. but he had "A soft side
TO his nature that was easily touched.
There was a strong public feeling
against O'l'rien in Paris as a result of
the killing of Waddell, and when he
came to trial they didn't spare him any.
At first he was sentenced to DEATH but
later this was committed to exile to New
Caledonia, French penal settlement In
the south Pacific Ocean. for life.
After O'Brien had been in New Gale
donia few months "a New York news
paper printed yarn about how some
Of O'Brien's friends in this country had