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How "West Philad came a Bank Bur, Met His Nemes: of a Rustic Vei ble.-When Paid their V nee and ^ (Copyright, 1913, hy the New York Herald Co. All rights reserved. ) ROM the lowly "yegg" w'ho preys ou poorly guarded post offices in small towns and rural districts to a bank bur glar who never knew tho word fear, or ever hesitated in re sorting to violence if it would fur ther his ends, ls not a far cry in the opinion of tho average reader, yet, according to the records of police and post ofllce authorities, the two types of criminals are so distinct that each as a rule confines his operations to that field In which h<< started. Tho depredations of tho "yegg men" in their attacks upon thc strong boxes of the rural post o ill ces in all parts of the country had become so daring thal Hie Chief 1'ost Ofllce In spector at Washington detailed Inc of his best deputies to round up tin various bands, capture as many as possible, nnd, al tin* same tillie, learn every detail concerning "yeggdom" in the United States il was possible to obtain. They were given their own time In which to accomplish this gigantic task so long as results were obtained. Two or three years were required to clean tip this assignment, bul when they finally reported to their superior officer many of the more notorious of the band were be hind prison bars and the Inspectors were In possession of Information which not only incriminated hun dreds of others, but nearly every haunt and associate ol* these desper ate characters were known to the postal police, lt is from one of these confidential reports that tho writer gleaned the lads that go to make up this series which deals with the "yegg" and bank burglar. The post office inspectors, after trailing various bands of post office robbers from one end of the country to the other, soon UNI rued that it was necessary to com......<- tho.tr r'~ ?e. ie capturo ol ike ringhader ol' i Jj ere WHIR, inu.-.n;icu nearly i . ?.;. --oijiii:i. . ?1!. li? mailer jiow1 .fa!' d?? mi t'coiM it./ ?.isi one '"i- i ? o bore .'?' i lie ? ' mark*1 01 li 1 lug ' oeen ni i flied ny one muster mind. In this they were not mistaken, and by ii.iii.iiiK and relentlessly pursuing .lohn P. McCarthv, alias John C. Han drail, alias -West Philadelphia .Johnny," they learned more from him when he was finally brought to bay than they ever had known about "yeggs" and their operations before. McCarthy- th.it ls not his right name, for the posi office authorities, respecting the feelings of the bur glar's highly respectable parents in Philadelphia, have faithfully kept j their promise to their captive and never revealed it was the man they decided lo "get," and get him they did. He was as slippery as an eel, had broken jail several times and once, as has been tolflfc fled his cap tors just as they were about to con duct liini through the gates of a Fede ral prison. .McCarthy, while young in ci ?nie as far as years went, bad proved himself such an apt pupil of the criminal band he consorted with that he soon dominated it and was the recognized leader. He took chances that others ({nailed at and he invariably made 1 his "getaway." His operations ex- j tended to every State in the Unffon, and at flush times Xew York was bis j goal. Thero he negotiated with his 1 favorite "fences" for the sale of the ? ?tamps be stole from post offices, and these hauls. In tho aggregate, netted , him handsome retuniB. His stamps, or "stickers," he sold at a discount of 25 per cent, and the purchasers had no difficulty in disposing of them at a profit to dishonest clerks and office boys. Rven unscrupulous busi ness men aided this nefarious under taking by purchasing stamps at these resorts, thereby saving five, or ten lier cent on their purchase. McCarthy, after a very successful tour of the country, arrived m ?Mew York with his pockets bulging with bank notes, and set out to enjoy him self in the Tenderloin. He spent bis money like a prince and fell in with a notorious bank burglar, who con vinced him that ono good bank job was worth fifty post ofllce lootings. McCarthy saw the logic of his argu ment, for the bank game was not al together new to him. Ho had par ticipated In several Jobs of this sort white looking over the postal field and hi figured that the risk attached to looting ,'i bank, where be was as sisted by a man who understood the manipulation of locks and combina tions he himself being an adept at safe blowing was littlo if any greater than cracking a post, office safe. According to the postal inspec tors, In their report to the chief in spector, McCarthy soon became quite as successful in the bank field as he had been in the other. After his extended stay in New York had absorbed all his 111 gotten gains McCarthy set out for Now Eng land The Windham County Savings Bank, at Newfane, Vermont, was set tled! upon as the first to bo tried, and when McCarthy and his associa to emerged from one of its rear win dows they had concealed about them nearly every big and small bank note that had been stored In Its strong box. Silver and gold thoy left intact, deciding not to burden them selves with so bulky a load as might Jncle Sai _4_ elphia Johnny" Be rlar, and How He is in the Person rmont Consta i the "Yeggs" . isit to Oco Walhalla. provo embarrassing In the event of pursuit, lt wiiB a clean Job and one that McCarthy was immensely proud of. There had been no need of vio lence, since the watchman waa not in tho building and the burglar alarm bad been silenced before they began their operations on the safe, which yielded readily to McCarthy's appli cation of notroRlycorlno and his com panions' Jimmies. Hut ono person bad seen their Hight and b? got but a Hooting glailCS at McCarthy's fea tures. That was enough to stamp thom indelll'bly upon bis memory, however, and sonic years later slood him In good slead, for he recognised (he burglar and captured him. For once McCarthy was securely locked up and "did Ins bit"' without Inter ruption. Hut before this was accom plished McCarthy left a tr/iil of shat tered bank safes from coast to coast and from Vermont to the Gulf that kept Hie police and detectives of the surety companies busy for years. lt was a short Jump from Vermont into Massachusetts, and while in the Hay State McCarthy met several o? Iiis old yegg associates, among them "Fitzey," "California Fingers'" and "Bellefontaine Slim " Another of the band was known as "Walter," and on previous occasions be and Mc Carthy had successfully operated to gether on post offices. As much as McCarthy wanted to shake off his old associations and free himself from bis old "yegg" comrades he Knew that this was dangerous when they had so persistently urged him to aid them in several jobs pending in .Massachu setts. Ile feared if ne refused thej would set the police upon his track, and this was a contingency tu- didn't care to face in view of the recent bank robbery in Vermont. McCarthy stuck with the band and several post offices were looted. McCarthy set tled with his associates in cash for their share of the loot and after sidl ing the stamps to Tom Leo at his place on the Bowery, New York, he jumped to Michigan to visit an old sweet heart there. Returning from Michigan, McCar thy failed to meet his friend, tho bank robber, so with "Walter," "Hellefontnine Slim." "Canada Trap per," and "California Fingers" they tapped a bani, on a branch road a few miles from Rrattlcboro, Vt., pro curing $2,100. From tho' vault they made desper ate, but futile, attempts to get Into the big safo, which contained many thousands of dollars. Tho terrifi cally heavy charges of nitrogleerino wero set off, but the safe would not yield. AB the report of tho explosion was so sharp and loud, the burglars fled from the building just as a warning cry from "Hellefontaine Slim," the lookout, apprised them of m's War approaching danger. A number of citizens, aroused by the report, had run to the bank, and for a few minutes a fusillade of shots were exchanged. All but "California Fingers" escaped. A shot from a deputy sheriff's pistol laid him low, and he was seized and locked up. He was later convicted and got a twelve year term. Longing for a glimpse of his old friend "Fortland Ned," McCarthy took a Hying trip to Alexandria, Va., and there, learning that Charley Cross* alias Charles Blackburn, alias "Missouri Charley" and "Irisn Jim my," had located a bank job at Gor donsville, Va., he hurried on to Join them. The bank job did not materi alize, but the post office was entered? and a small amount of money and stamps stolen. The office at Louisa, Va., was next visited, immediately followed by a trip to the one at West Point. A running pistol battle with deputy sheriffs at Louisa, Va., re sulted in Hie laying out of several citizens of that sleepy little village, but tho "yeggs" escaped unscathed. But McCarthy was still dissatisiied with the small sums these post office robberies were netting him and he sorely fret teil for an opportunity to arrange some big bank job which : would return him sufficient funds to ! enable him to return to New York ; and live the dissolute life of ease ! that had yo fascinated him on previ ous visits. He hurried South, and joining forces with "Portland Ned" and "Missouri Shorty." they set forth to make a killing. They de cided to work their way West over the "blind baggage and under rod route." Stopping off at litusburg, Va., they robbed the Norfolk and Western Railroad station, procuring several hundred dollars in cash. An adjoining town was next visited and 1 a little store there was entered and j its safe yielded $240 to the general 1 fund. McCarthy wasn't heard of again , until ho dropped off of an express train at Globe, Ariz., and. aided* by "Harry .Mich" and "Pennsylvania Mickey" rifled a butcher's shop of $900. Other nearby towns were vis ited and paid dearly for the lack of police protection, slflce each netted the trio In the neighborhood of one thousand dollars. The trio was re inforced at this timo by "Canada Paddy," and all went to Hisbee, Ariz., where gay revel was held fora week or moro. As the money de rived from recent operations soon melted away, the quartet became desperate and decided to "stick up" the town's most fluorlshlng gambling house. lt was a Saturday night; the rooms were crowded and tho play big. All had been regular patrons of tho gambling house and were known to most of Its habitues. on the Shortly after midnight, and less than half an hour before an eastbound ex press *.raln was due, at a given sig nal from McCarthy the lights were shot out and at the command of "hands up" all those Beated at the gaming tables wero compelled to range themselves against the wall and deliver over the contents of their pockets to the bandits. Tho proprie tor of the gambling house, as well aB his employees, also was robbed, and when the quartet backed out and mado tholr escape McCarthy, who had acted as collector, had .p ward of $5,000 In his pockets. All four boarded tho front end 01 a "blind baggage" car and made tracks for tho East. They separated at the first stopping place made by the. train, and there McCarthy purchased a ticket for New York and rolled into Manhattan in style. Word awaited McCarthy in New ' York from "Portland Ned" to tho ef fect that ho had "located several . easy bank jobs" in the South and that McCarthy should join him at once. This he did, and arriving In Denmark, S. C., ho found Ned, "Wal- j ter." "Kentucky Billy" and "Conn lieut Shorty" waiting for him. The bank In that little town had been marked. Shortly before midnight tho burglars were at work on one of the rear windows when tho night watchman unexpectedly appeared on the outside. .McCarthy ordered him to throw up Iiis handt? and "close h's E GAM-RUNG HOUSE,. AS WELL ) WA?? ROBBED ? * ? trap." The watchman was not in the least daunted hy tho pistol he faced, and avanced upon the band Three of them opened fire on the watchman, but apparently he bore a charmed life, for bo sped across the street, and, entering tho hotel, gave the alarm, lu a minute or two the street swarmed with armed men who opened fire on the "yeggs" and they scampered off, and although two of them vvoro badly wounded, all es caped on the horses they had com mandeered earlier in the evening and left tethered on the outskirts of the ? own In the event of tho necessity of a hurried get away. They fled to Branson, S. C., where they remained j under cover a day or two and then ' decided that tho bank In that little town was far too'prosperous for tho ' si'/.o of the population. After carefully reconnoitering, the burglar band found the negro night watchman asleep in a carriage house tn the rear of tho bank. They cov ered him with their gui and mada him conduct them to a blacksmith shop, where they picked up what tools they needed. The bank vault and safe wero both blown, and this explosion yielded the burglars up-v ward of $2,000, nearly all of which was In silver. They seized tho rnil Toad section boss's hand car and lied to Fairfax, 8. C., and apparently without leaving a clew by which tho 44 Sheriff and his constabl. could trace them. One or two little jobs in the vicinity of Fairfax paid them well for their trouble, but they decided lt would be healthier to leave the State for a few weeks, or at least until the hue and cry raised over the robber ies had subsided. At Mt. Olive, N. C., the little bank looked promising. "Fortland Ned," "Connecticut Shorty" and McCarthy all figured that this robbery could be effected with little trouble or fuss, when they could all return to Cour tenay, S. C., where lt had been de cided that a bank there would yield rich returns. After blowing the ? outer vault of the Mt. Olive bank it j was found the trio did not have a sufficient quantity of "soup," or ni- I troglycerine' to apply to tho big safe within. Daly $100 was found in the vault, but a bundle of bills amount ing to about $f>0() was found in a locked tin box usually^used for prl- , vate papers. This was in the desk of tho bank cashier. The lock was easily smashed and tho contents taken. The Courtenay bank proved to be just as fertile as it had promised. The same trio figured in this affair and both the vault and steel chest yielded readily to the heavy charges that were applied to them. The yeggs bad profited by their experience tit Mt. Olive, and never again would they bc andicuppcd by a bick of ma terial with which to work success fully. There was no opposition met with at Courtenay. Apparently the whole town was asleep when McCarthy and his two comrades sallied forth from their hiding place. Tho rugs and heavy curtains in the bank building easily mu filed the report of the two explosions. When the' inner steel chest had been penetrated the trio found upward of $10,000 in bank notes of denominations easily nego tiated wl'thout arousing suspicion, and aside from this, gold and silver amounting to $?1,500. Much valua ble jewelry was also found, among it a handsome brooch containing seven large and puro white diamonds. This "Portland Ned" immediately appro priated, saying it would bo his Christmas gift to Maud, his wife, with whom he was still violently in love. The gold and silver and the kit of burglar tools with which they worked were "planted" on the out skirts of tho village, near tho rail road freight yards, and this done, the littlo party separated, Mc Carthy making for Charleston, where he secreted himself at ene of the many resorts conducted by H. Rudolph Ilabens. McCarthy had moro money when he arrived In Charleston than at almost any one time before. He had Intended to re main in hiding 2 week or two and then make for New York, where he could once more provide himself with an elaborate wardrobe and cut a wide swath in the cafes of the White Light district. But Instead he went on a wild debauch In a saloon dance hall boarding house, and at the end of two weeks he was ponniless. With Habt.ns he returned to tho out skirts of Courtenay and tried to lo cate the spot In which he had burled his gold and silver hoard, but with out success. Not to bo deterred, Mc Carthy and Habens went to Balti more, where they hunted up "Con nectclut Shorty," who returned with them to South Carolina. "Shorty" had no difficultly In locating tho hid ing place and when "raised" the loot was placed in a buggy provided by Habens and all three drove to tho home *>f Ra-bens's father, at Wal halla, S. C., where the plunder was packed Into a trunk and checked to Charleston. Tho "baggage" upon Its arrival in Charleston was taken to Habens's saloon, where ho had the gold and silver converted Into bank notes. For his part in the transac tion McCarthy and "Shorty" gave Rabens $300 and a bundle of ibank notes which had been singed, and burnt in the explosion. Rubens had no difficulty in having these ex changed at a sub-treasury for good currency. South Ca o'ina had been so kind to McCarthy that he was loath to leave lt until he had made wider ex cursions among its small towns. "Pennsylvania Swipes," who together with "Portland Ned" had journeyed down from Virginia to join McCar thy and "Connecticut Shorty," lo lcated a bank at St. George. Rabona drove "Portland Ned" and McCarthy in lils carriage from Charleston to a railroad junction a few miles beyond the city limits and "Swipes" and "Shorty" boarded the same train as it left Charleston. Their conduct in jumping on and off the train at sta tions (not the one designated on their tickets) aroused the suspicion of the conductor, and when the band left his train at St. George he noti fied a policeman at the station to keei> his eye on. the new arrivals. The policeman pressed into service a number of citizens, who followed and surrounded tho quartet and opened fire on them without further notice. All wero more or less wounded and in turn shot, down a number of thoso In the posse. But in the excitement the would-be burglars fled the town and got to a dense forest, where they remained In hiding until their inju ries were sufficiently ministered to to permit of their returning to Ra bens's place In Charleston. An almost identical experience at tended their next effort. The little band, by this time broke and in des perate need of money, picked the county treasurer's office at Monk's Corner, S. C., as s likely point at which to reimburse their fallen for tunes. But In entering the office at midnight they awakened a sleeping watchman and he shot so freely that as the robbers fled down tho main street it was with a number of half clad but fully armed citizens at their heels and a shower of bullets whist ling about their ears. "Portland Ned" and "Pennsylva nia Swipes" picked the bank at Latta, S. C., for the next attempt, and the quartet met ngaln in the lit tle town late at night. The blast was sot after entrance to the bank wa? effected, and when it was touched off the door of the vault was blown and Jammed in such a man ner that lt was Impossible to gain entrance to tho door of the inner strong box. Another safe in the same building was blown, and from it was taken a few hundred dollars. Not satisfied with their night's work the quartet jimmied their way into the town's leading store, blew open the safo and got away with nearly $1,000. On their way out of town they stopped at the post office and (Continued on Sixth Page.)