The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, December 3, 1905, Page 5

failed to detect at ith the brown hat.” course we saw hi THEL YEGGMAN erton, when he suddenly halted us op- Palace and pointed out the on peddler with the. cracked vario States, including almost every- in the category of crime from clev thief among them as a v d chief of the gang. ¥ rican hoboes bestowed the “yegg” on the more daring with whom they were wont to 1, and it finally ame into use among the worst element of criminals infest the country. In the opin- n of Detective Pinke his is seldom nal hunters of the hemisphere, the most dangerous crim- 1 abroad in the land to-day is the / THE SAN- FRANCISCO SUNDAY CALL. with the yeggman. The chief robber, while engaged on the safe, is generally guarded on the outside of the building by a number of his pals, who are duty men show a great deal of sagacity in eluding their pursuers. Keeping under abandoned the chase. “As a rule the yeggman avoids big cities in his search of loot, preferring the smaller towns, where policc protection is small and the means of communication with neighboring towns is limited. The migra- tory life of the yeggman makes it diffi- cult to apprehend him, for, unlike the old-time cracksmen. who, it must be ad- mitted, were wont to enjoy some of the luxuries oi” life with their plunder, and generally rounded up in some big clty, these fellows continue to lve the life of a peddler and keep wandering about the ‘with the criminal elements they came in contact with while traveling as tramps aeross the country. Fairly intelligent and keeping well advised on the affairs of the country they are able to discuss ordi- nary public topics and often this fact serves their purposes well in striking up acquaintances while on their tramps or reconnoitering in a town. | “The yeggman,” continded Pinkertop, . “is.usually prepared to prove his innocence if he is picked up by an officer on suspi- cion. One of the common tricks he re- sorts to is to carry a bogus traveling card of some labor umion, which he will show on his arrest to convince the officer that he is an industrious fellow and is simply on his way to some new fleld. S ““When yeggmen meet during their trav- els it ig regarded as a breach of ethics for one to ask the other his real! name. Instead he asks the other where he hails from. If he happens to be a Chicago man he will reply ‘Chi Bill," which is probably the name he is familiarly - known by in Chicago. If from Pittsburg and he is somewhat stout he may sgy ‘Pitts Fat,’ or ‘Pitts Red,’ if he happens to have red halr. Seldom you will run across a yegg- pursuing party, his fellow comrades in crime killed him. “Their careless way of handling nitroglycerin was shown on one occa- sion that was brought to my attention. A yeggman, who had been forced to abandon a rdbbery in one of the East- ern. towns owing to the, weather, dropped into' a saloon that was patron- ized by yeggs and tramps and handed the bartender, with whom he was acquainted, a bottle filled with white liquid, explaining that it was medicine. The bartender placed the bottle In the ‘rear of his cash drawer. Shortly after leaving the saloon the yeggman wue arrested on suspicion. The following morning when = the proprietor of the saloon began checking up his cash in the drawer he discovered the.bottle, - and, learning who had left it, he handed it over to a frequenter of the place with the request that he throw it in the lake near by. It was a cold morning and the man with the bottle, being poorly, clad and not relishing the walk to the lake, when he got abouf a block from the saloon thréw the bottle against the wall of a building In course of com- struction. There was a terrific explo- sion that blew out a large portion of the wall and sent the man flying across the street, where he .was picked up un- conscious, When he came to, the fel- A. Pinkerton’s knowledge of bound to protect his avenue of escape, 'y the history of the yeggmen has been in case of a surprise, at -any cost, and low had a vague idea of having felt quired during fifteen yea study of the arance of an officer of the law an earthquake and for a time thought the fellows, made necessary by their or a ted citizen of the town is usual- e e v i to the Palace frequent violations of the laws of the ly signalized by shooting. The yegg- “We have of record another where a yeggman wgs arfested Arkansas with a vial of nitroglycerin on his person. At his preliminary hear- er and robbery down to assault cover during the daytime, they beat their setty larceny. He has traced the “way along the railroads at night, some- ing the yeggman was defended by & el . of thei back to the times stealing the hand cars to cover a lawyer of some dratorical ability, which nted ‘with his f bands of the ropean continer portion of the distance, until they have he proceeded to exert:in behalM’ of his were in the habit of design been satisfied that the pursuers have client. The Taster had teld his attor- ney that the bottle.contained an ordi- nary eye wash and upon, this statement the lawyer proceeted to work out a de- fense for the man on trial. In the midst of his argument he picked up the vial, and, waving . before the Judge challenged the prosecution to prove, that the liquid was.other thdn an eye wash. He was about to throw the vial back on the table when the prisoper suddenly grabbed his atm, and, -halting his attorney, remarlked that -he. would: prefer to walve his hearing .than” ta see that eye wash handled so Teck- I the past six years, country.” . nued Pinkerton, after we had r it was only after a co-operation of culty attending the arfest Palace otel urt, comfortably peace officers of every rank throughout " on of yeggmen for bank . eated ourselves about him and per- the country was effected with a view and other serious.crimes of | suaded ) to resume the discussion, of securing arrests, convictions and iden- that nature may " partly attributed “the yeggmen have been operating ex- tifications of these jmen, that Detective to the fact that they nevér. permit ell e any one to seé them arouhd a-place ctow which they propose to attack, thus 'im- ar “street T \ : suring themselves "against being fdep- et " vV/" \ \ o - ‘tifi?d and directly connecting them a with the commission of a crime. I3 / middle tensively throughout the and particularly in Wis sota, South Dakota Illinois, Indiana, Mis Oklahoma Territories. In the ro tramps, peddlers and beg men travel about the country, com- mitting daring crimes, from the pen- . alty for which they often escape through the inabincy of the law offi- cers to identify them among the gangs they assogiate with. Bank robbing and safe cracking are their specialties, althc h they do not generally ove: look an opportunity to commit less crimes and will not hesitate at order to accomplish their robbery or to effect their es- y of some crime; en .detected. shoulder toward yegg burglar has given the peace at- officers of the ¢ ry a great deal of in anr e. It he who is pioneered be- termed in the ve velr con- the man the ‘gay severa} latte isually a younger mera- and the gangs, and physi . daring work sent into districts 1 prepare the way the robbing of a the looting ek >, f a siore or whatev ject the gang : : : man who does not have a pecullar cog- my experience with the yeggs I have s B P U - 555 \V“_LIAA/\ fl DINKEQTON nomen, which his fellow veggs at home found isolated cases ‘where they have peddier’s wares, wi rop into a small . b have given.him. A man who has an im- displayed grit. In one of their esca~ arked conditions : town and proceed to reconnoiter in a = ban! 3 under most careful manner. He wi - the Pinkcrion was enabled to closely study about 50 per cent native born, one-quarter some honest kind of manual labor, gen- Dediment in specch has.been dubbed pades in the East & band of them o pder most careful manner. H i gpote UM the origin, habits and characteristics of foreign descent and tho remainder of for- erally as raflroad men. or membérs of e i St S T fellow watchmen in the town; how they are N Yesgman. He was not slow in class- eign birth. As his investization progressed some of the trades. \ < ;’;’a, s B s . henandoah and, pursued by & watchman, w! > 2 n o ocation and dia. driftweod, o umanity, composed of of criminals wi Tly 2 association ‘ it T was'doing out here. -1 ot the bk location and”din- g, Lo e e e T, i In the Pinkerton library in Chicago nto hiding fn & barn three miles from mxred MU el By fohaptad Sillding. Jn whith 1t & At ibh HATEVER be the disadvantages almost no planning with regard to com- his share to the upbuilding of a success- :n:;:"‘l: :o‘r"‘i;“t‘;:*:fl' ‘“M!":;h strange the scene of the “""""l l.,."“-,_’ talk e gang, 150 find out whether the town in connected with the playing of mon interests. Each lives his or her fulenterprise and each is more proud§ FERnTE - "To this lawieas fol. ih whieh ene € fhe dend rom *h he of the bank is flluminated at the modern game of football, it °Wn life, to get just as much out of it as of the concern as a whole fhan of his¢ 'UF O° DA€ VEEEMAL. To this e e g o ownq i / familiar with generally is: whether a guard furnishes to all classes of the POSsible for himself or herself. The unit own individual achievement. ool At e 1a R s nale "nnxnm tte, ‘th woed.' ‘m‘h’- the : Eight as I generally ta: whothee 4 guars American' people a powercal ob. dea is lost sight of and the influence of We have too little team work .n the | Shooting an officer Is “Jimmying & bull"; penknife, the bullet received 1as been what they call study the rallroad situation, especially ) ; that home as a home is thereby greatly church. A missionary from China, home ¢ [ & a safe is “snuffing a drum” or watchman's pistol. Ject lesson in team work. For success on impaired. But next door may be another on a furlough, was once asked what his( “shooting a box"; revolvers are “can- “Later the wounded yegg was do any of the ds the time of arrival and de- nons” or “rods”; a citizen with a beard tured and quickly recognized as has ‘bushes” or “woods’ the gridiron depends not simply on in- family whose members cherish a com- greatest trial in the mission field was a sort of fellow parture of trains, the location of water a countryman man gho had been shot, but he “ soping around to and coal chutes, which afford ) dividual 5"9“:"‘ ';’"‘ldrkmx b"'} o;: s fi.i"‘:\':.‘fifhefi?mfiefrfii :l‘::i :gy:ru: :fl;’fi;‘.’"“ promptly, Sy fellow i e Shndalen™: K IWEr I o the to prove that he had a bul- used by Tobbers : ping on trains after a operation on the subordination ot the one together in public places. If any one of , We are reaching & time-in the evolution { Plece”; a railroad ticket or begging card let in his shoulder and offered to sub- cvent of a gang robbery has been committed. By the )to the eleven, and on the power of a them 1s backward or unfortunate the 'of the state when team work will be ab-( 1S & ‘“ducket”; a policeman with a repu- mit to the surgeon’s knife to prove . prepara- time the gav cz » finished his recon- } captain to infuse the ‘“together spirit” % ety ecential for Ita conservation and | tation fob ushig a night stick is a “sap- that the officers were wrong. A sur= s T e o ot the g have learned { inio his men and make them respond to owiy efholency, What does the out-{ Per: a.{relght train is a “rattler”; an ex- geon found & partly healed wound ke %afe T bamks, where Forses and buggles may be | & Central purpose as the various parts Cry for municipal ownership reveal? An( Press trajn is a “dangler”; alcohol drink- and proceeded to for a ball. He 3 of a machine combine to turn out the TEAM—W}ORK increasing conviction that the members of { TS hite liners”: silver money is suggested the use of the X-ray, buf, , if their s ices are needed. “junk’ th truth »- A st a democracy ought to learn to do things 8 jail is a ‘dump,” s0 is a lodg- the yeZg demurred and quietly together? to possess and ,administer cer- Ing-house; nitroglycerine is “soup”; fuse his arms and refusing to take a hs this information is carried back | Perfect product. Only the other day, at { VS. G Francisco e leader of the proposed attack on{a critical moment in a certain game a 24 k § 18 “squibs”; a money drawer is a “chip”: e alnad Ol & . e rese time by yeggmen, for sald the bank, and a ravoruhlg opportunity is { star player disobeyed an important sig- GOING IT AL S NE g.: m‘;fifi:‘;&m‘m&?fi;&fl: @ stecl chest is & “keister: & mn:fi oot oo surx:on"nwu eonvtn.lmw r ¢ none of the more daring of awaited to enterkthe town. The season( na) He thought he saw a chance to 3 4 % be allowed to grow rich and imperious at bar vault or safe is referred to as “har- no bullet was to be found. When the g here : e selected for ba:) vroblnng is senerally {make a fine dash by means of which he (SOIER OONNGIH06008D the expense of the common weal. We are | Nessed Dox"; arrested is “ditched”; sen- surgeon was through the yeggmam cre is one subject in criminol- during the long dark nlxhdts, when the { would becoma the hero of the field. But D ot froe the polnt where thoge | tenced ‘18 “settled,” as. “settled for & furned to the officers and asked them a1y famill ? \‘v:'-‘n i ,‘: o of being §ii'fc.'e'2i"af§§ :‘mgff‘ox{sfil Tarlcf. because he disobeyed the signal and was others throw the mantle'of charity about who make up the entity which we call the fl;‘f" means sentenced to five years’ im- if they were satisfied,>and added, with and hie imnumerable crime ter chance of getting away it he le. The | Practically a traitor to the team idea he him and act as a barrier between him public are capable of working together ef- gunn.{l}:fl‘: ]nlti::mel:]: :og;;t'.c{-.pu are }m.::;; lthu ?:Zn'fldum day was immediately ordered out of the lines and an unsympathetic world. There vely o shoulder all. the re- and by all the rules of fair football he always peace and joy in luchzhomo‘n.n‘; :;cu?ll)m&n: n:t‘;'t left to private ini- was properly enough disqualified from it is a real fountain of wholesome power tiative. - But the drift {s unmistakably playing. in any community. toward some form of co-operative action. Lads who play football and people who - Business concerns vary in their abllity .But we shall never get any emuctive look on should take to heart this lesson to secure team - work., In some, each team work in the home, in busine=ss, in the of team work. How much we need it in worker thinks first of himself and is often church or in the state until self-seeking all departments of life. What a difference jealous of the man who works by his side, gives way to a genuine love for others and thods 6f Keeping himself alive. more skilled of these men operate with two of the detective’s friends nitroglycerine, which tliey have learned 5 had started out of the St. to extract from dynamite by a simple is Hotel on our way to the Pal- method. and which they carry around p ur conversation accidentally with them in a rubber bag concealed on d on to the recent execution of a their person. They bandle this explosive veggman in the East, who in a reckless manner and not a few of “AS a class of criminals,” continued let had been removed and that the fact the detective, “the yeggman, consider- might help to convict him, which ul= ing the fact that he has shown a fair timately proved the case. degree of intelligence, is peculiarly de- = “There is only one good thing thas ‘void . of conscience. As a rule. indl- I can say about a yegsman, and vidually they are cowards, but in bands is he Is usually loyal to his pals of five and six they appear reckless and will always contribute to the defense cen tracked all over the country them have lost their lives by reason of \there is in homes in this particular! In In others an institutional feeli: fearl: I 11 in: 1 per- desire for personal aggrandizement ) fearless. recall. two instances within of a fellow yegz who Is in tgouble o= e famous sleuths, and we were lh.[x{v l":dl-" i i o l‘mnk 48 bet some the members: are constantly pull- -meates the entire force from ml.n::ar to :.aem into a real passion for the welfare j the past three years when, rather than aid in breaking him out of jall, al- % most attentively to an inter- e the robbery of ® J€Ing )ing apart. There is little consultation, office boy. Each cheerfully contributes ' of humanity. .. 'THB PARSON. |permit a member of their band to be though he may not personally knew £ discourse on ‘“yeggs” by Pink- committed human life cuts little figure Captured after being wounded by a the prisoner.”