New Britain herald., 1930-04-17
Reporter s Clever Figuring
 Identifies Hold-Up p Man
The Phantom Negg

''Stickups" are one of the common | est forms of crimes in large cities. !
 They are so common that little space is allotted to them in the news papers unless the victim is killed, or else noted parsonage is robbed.
 And so when several hold-ups were reported as happening in tho ferry district of a large city little attention was paid to them at first.
 But when plain-c clothes man Han lon was stuck up and robbed it ere ated something of a laugh.
 Hanlon was sore, and out for this Negg. He spent lot of his spare time around the ferry district a night. looking for him. Hanlon stood at the street end of Slip Alley, which was blind alley. when q man rush. cd out and complained that he had been help up. Hanlon dashed into the. alley and started a search. He went into every shop that had rear entrance on the alley, and canvassed the two cheap tenement houses, but with no results.
 The holdups in that vicinity in creased. They were all around the ferry district on dozen short streets.
 One night Officer Kellogg glanced down Bell Place and saw q man with his arms in the air. The light was dim, but he was sure the man was being held up. Kellogg dashed down after his man, but the yegg vanished in a shadow and couldn't be located
 Captain Gregory, retired and veal thy, was held up the next night in the same locality.
 The authorities began 10 plant plain clothes men around in that district.
 Five hold-ups occurred within the following week, some half a block from where men were stationed. Twice the following week the ycgg was dimIy seen and shot at.
 Even poor Michael Corbin, inc lame cobbler. was held up and rob- bed of twelve dollars.
 Corbin's shop was on Water St and the rear of the tiny shop opened on Bell Place.
 Corbin had been mendng shoes down in the ferry district for more than a year and was well liked by everyone.
 He had gone 10 his back door 10 open 1t up for air and there stood the Phantom Yegg," as he was call ed by this time.
 r started to leap back" Corbin said, "when he said he'd drill me. 1 didn't want to be shot, so l give up all I had, twelve dollars, and then he give me 2. shove, and me bcin' un- steady on account of my bad foot, fell over. He were a tallish man with mltStache.'
 Holdups Continue
 Three others had described the mysterious stick-up man as tall and wearing a mustache, but as many more had said he was smooth shavcn he wore a beard.
 The holdups kept up.
 One night Corbin limpcd up to Officer Kellogg and reported that he had seen holdup just as he was locking up his back door, but being lame he couldn't give chase.
 Corbin got permission 10 carry a gun.
 When Webster, a newspaper re- porter, proving around the ferry district trying to get some not dope" on the phantom yegg, was held up he resisted. with the result that he got a clip on tho head that put him in . hospital for weeks, and nearly finished him.
 When Webster got out of tho hos nitai he began to haunt that locality. He carried a small automatic, by per mission, in his coat pocket his hand always in his pocket on it. If he were hold up again he intended 10 shoot through his pocket and inc police captain of that district told him 10 go ahead and do so.
 Ishman, a picture director, was down on Bell looking it over as q possible "location" for scene in q forthcoming picture when he was held up and robbed of nearly thousand in cash. Ho saw the yegg dart into a door way. Ishman would mt risk going in alone. He got an officer.
 That's Lmpy Corbins cobblor shop" the officer said "hc was held