#yeggmen

"POLICE BELIEVE THEY HAVE A BIG ONE," Cobalt Daily Nugget. December 26, 1913. Page 2. --- Thief Captured at Sudbury Has Long Record; A Much Feared Criminal ---- SUDBURY, Dec. 26. Detective Casey, of the Pinkerton staff whose visit to Sudbury was the means of breaking up a band of pickpockets working the outgoing trains, effected the arrest of the third member of the gang, who turned out to be, according to his finger prints, none other than Billy Hillis, king of yeggmen, mon thief and one of the most feared smuggler, burglar, pickpocket, and common criminals in the West.

The police have the tip that one of Hillis' jobs in Sudbury was to have been the "cracking" of the post office safe.

Since his apprehension here on a charge of vagrancy, Detective Casey and Chief Walker have been scouring the country for information about him. Before the results of his finger prints were known, Detective Casey made inquiries in the West, with the result that he got information from Detective Springer, chief of the detective bureau at Saskatoon, Sask., that the description tallied exactly with that of the yeggman who blew up the safe in a laundry there last year.

From Chief Cuddy, of Calgary, comes the information from detective that Hillis is the leader of the Sullivan, Murphy, Ayres safe-blowing gang, who have worked the West and eastern states successfully. Hill's who has always been a hard man to get a case against, it being particularly hard to get a convection unless "caught with the goods on." He is known to all of the police departments in Canada and a great deal throughout the States, and his conviction here would be a great relief. Colonel Sherwood Chief Commissioner of the Dominion police supplies the information that Hillis, has served two terms of eight years-one for burglary and the other for bringing stolen goods into Canada. He was fined $25 another time for carrying a revolver, while a charge of having explosives in his possession and another one for theft were not pressed. He was arrested at Regina in March last on a telegram from the chief of police at Edmonton, charged with safe-blowing, but on account of one of the witnesses disappearing the case was dropped. It appears that since coming to Sudbury, Hillis has confined himself to robbing passengers boarding the Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal trains. At each of these reports of passengers being relieved cities the police have had numerous reports of passengers being relieved of various sums of money. Last week Police Constable Hunt, at the Union Station, Toronto, was informed by a passenger that he lost was containing $250. Another that he lost, a wad of $900, but the conductor recovered it for him.

"YEGGS MELTED SAFE; WERE THEN BAULKED BY CASH BOX LINING," Vancouver Sun. October 9, 1912. Page 4. --- Steel Walls of Vault Yielded to Blow Lamp When Cracksmen Visited Bank of Vancouver at Collingwood. ---- MANY HOURS' WORK BROUGHT NO REWARD ---- With Fingerprint Clues Police Are Confident of Effecting Burglars' Capture. ---- In the early morning hours yesterday a pair of expert cracksmen broke into the branch of the Bank of Vancouver at East Collingwood and after melting away the outer casing of the big steel safe by means of a hydrogen torch, were finally forced to give up and depart unrequited on account of the faultless construction of the heavy chrome steel cash box which defied the best efforts of torch or drill.

The would-be burglars left few clues to their identity, save for some finger prints upon the polished surface of the safe and a few small tools scattered about the scene of operations. Constables Lee, Rawden and Rigor of the South Vancouver police force have taken the case in hand and state confidently that they will apprehend the robbers.

Melted the Safe. Entrance to the bank was gained through a storehouse in the rear of the building. The robbers had evidently planned their nefarious work very carefully beforehand. They sawed through the partition at the back of the safe, removing a section of the wall about eighteen by ten inches. As the big steel box was only an inch or so from the opening the light caused by their operations was entirely masked from anyone passing by on the street.

With the aid of the hydro-gasoline torch the cracksmen cut through one layer of steel, removed a layer of asbestos which is provided in all fireproof safes, cut through the second lining, removed another pad of asbestos and commenced operations on the cash box.

The robbers evidently expended considerable effort upon the chrome steel before they came to the conclusion that with the means at their disposal it was impossible to reach the money, for, unlike the outer covering of the safe, chrome steel contains no carbon and is therefore impervious to disintegration except under the most intense heat.

Only $500 on Hand. It was not until seven o'clock that the attempted burglary was discovered. The janitor on his morning rounds found evidences of the surreptitious visit and without delay he notified the police and the local manager. Subsequently the head office in Vancouver was notified and Bank Inspector Dallas and an expert employed by the bank paid a visit to the scene.

In conversation with a representative of The Sun yesterday afternoon Mr. L. W. Shatford, general manager of the Bank of Vancouver, stated that only a very small amount of money was in the safe at the time, not more than five hundred dollars altogether. This was on account of the fact that he had issued instructions to all branch managers to transfer their cash, with the exception of a very small portion, to the head office before closing time.

“We’re Lucky, Boasts Clerk,” Windsor Star. March 13, 1939. Page 03. ---- Says Damage Avoided by Yeggs’ Discovery of Combination --- LaSalle Robbery --- Professionals get Only $30 in Town Hall Burglary ---- Burglars who looted the safe at the LaSalle town hall early today did all the work of professional bank robbers and netted on;y $50. An oxyacetylene torch, believed to be one stolen from a Windsor construction company last week, was used to knife through the former bank vault and cast-steel strong box. Printed Instructions Experienced cracksmen committed the robbery, police are confident. The thieves used printed instructions discovered in the vault to complete opening the safe within. The burglars chose an ideal time for their attempt. Residents of LaSalle had been without electricity all day Sunday and went to bed by candlelight. The front door of the town hall, until two years ago the Vank of Montreal at Lasalle, was broken open. The heavy outer door of the bank vault was cut through like butter, and the blow torch was then turned n the safe. A small hole had been cut through its cast-steel door when the thieves discovered the combination instructions and open the safe without further damage.

Inside the safe was the cash box, in a compartment guarded by three combination locks so simple that the thieves apparently had no trouble solving them even without further printed instructions. The three inner locks had been made easy to open for the convenience of the office staff, for it was thought the safe was impregnable. The thieves took $50, overlooking $1. ‘We’re Lucky’ Besides the cash, a pistol and ammunition was taken from within the vault. The thieves also took along with them the printed instructions for opening the safe which had proved so helpful. They apparently left by a rear door and all blinds in the office were pulled down. ‘We’re lucky they did find the instructions, so they didn’t further damage the safe.’ Paul A. Monforton, LaSalle clerk-treasurer, commented. He explained that he had last been in the office at 4.30 o’clock Sunday afternoon, and revealed that larger sum had been in the safe the previous day. ‘If I ever see that pistol again, I’ll recognize it.’ the clerk-treasurer remarked. ‘It had a kink in it.’