The L'Anse sentinel., 1923-07-20
cancsrous Lip Leads to Cap
ture of "HostiIe John" 0'Brien,
Safe Blower.

Philsdelphia.-IlOs John O'Brien,
of whom 1t Is said that he could blow a
safe with such expertness that were
the safe abutting a paper cluttered
desk not one of said papers would be
30 much as fluttered by the conclusion.
is u prisoner in Philadelphia.
Hostile John is something OF a throw
back to the ancient and therefore ro-
mancecloaked days OF Wal Crosby.
Easy Roberts, Bill Dow. Mark Shin
burn, George White and Ike celebri-
ties OF the ponderous sos. And let Us
not forget 10 mention, says the New
York Herald. as lopg as the capture
OF Hostile John is Philadelphia's, that
citys favorite safe-cracking hero, the
late Jimmie Logue.
A tired old man Is OBrien now. six
ty-eight years old and apparently re-
slgned 10 spendln; the remainder of
ais days in federal prison. But he
mas seen almost everything that seemed
good to him. He will probably die OF
cancer, and II was because of this ma
lignant growth upon his lower lip that
he was caught. Driven by pain to APP
ply at a Philadelphia hospital for
treatment OF his disease. he virtually
surrendered, because 1t was this can
cerous Infection that was his chief
mark Of Identification.
At least half dozen men with such
growths were arrested before the au-
thorities found Hostile John. And what
t. 81 hfu
title because, unlike the average safe
cracker, he was belligerent soul ready
20 fight IT out with his gun. With a
length OF pipe. with his short, heavy
Jimmy, with his fists. Many battle
has John given the police here and
there in the world, although the rec
oHds do not show that murder may be
charged to his account John has
calmed down. He did not resist arrest.
oId-Fashioned Yeegman.
His arrest causes stir because he
- one of the last of dying race
that race of old-fashioned yeggmen-
and because Of the chase around the
world which is ended.
The particular Job this time was the
liowing Of the safe in the post Office
Ia oxford, n. c., almost three years
ago. 1t must have been simple Job
for Hostile John. He pried open a win
dow, drilled the iron box. dripped a
quantity Of nitroglycerin Into the lock
mechanism and touched 1t Off. There
was $4,000 in the safe and II seems
reasonable to assume that John fed
with the major portion OF that in his
money belt. for John never was one
to divide equally with his confederates
There was nothing messy about the
Job. O'Brien knew by experience just
how much nitroglycerin to use. In
,ome respects he was not unlike the
dumble Dutchman; In others, very
unlike The Humble Dutchman, a con-
temporary of Johns, was clumsy
yegg, as his violent demise would indi-
cate but he was basher or strong
arm when cornered. The Humble One
was often arrested In his earlier days
and was wont to weep SO copiously
and to 80 exploit his starving legen-
dary wife and sick children (or was It
Just the other wayO that the detec-
tives who had collared him were moved
TO sympathy.
The Humble One. feeling the soften
ing Of the official clutch, would jerk
himself free and with one tremendous
-wallop Of his huge fist stun his captor
and run for II. But he was n crude
peterman. He carried his liquid nitro
giycerin IN a bottle In that pocket that
has become most popular since the
United States adopted prohibition laws
He jimmIed post Office window out
IN Ohio somewhere. The sash cord
broke as the Humble Dutchman was
halfway In and halfway out. The
falling sash struck the nitro bottle.
The Humble Dutchman vanished,
never again to trouble Us.
Enjoyed Immunity.
Hostile John was no such bungler.
And before II n forgotten, Il In ex-