9
THE CHICAGO BANKER
July 3, 1909]
Capital, $2,000,000 Surplus, $2,000,000
DEPOSITS, $33,000,000
We solicit accounts of banks and bankers and offer them our complete facilities for the handling of their out-of-town items
G. W. GALBREATH, Cashier R. S. HAWES, Asst. Cashier J. P. FARRELL, Asst. Cashier
W. B. WELLS, Vice-President D’A. P. COOKE, Asst. Cashier
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C. H. HUTTIG, President J, R. COOKE, Asst. Cashier H. HAILL, Asst. Cashier
jEattonal Bank of Commcrcr in Jieto fork
iô prepared to transact all fnanrtjes of bomestic anb foreign banking. Accounts are Solicite¡) from banks, bankers, firms, corporations anb inbibibuals, toko map rein upon courteous consiberation anb tfje berp best terms tkat are consistent toitij goob business metkobs. CorreSponbence is inbiteb. Capital, Surplus anb Unbibibeb profits ober
$40,000,000.00	_________________
Burglars in the Northwest
and watches the bank to see that everything goes on as usual, and if there has been any apparent deviation from the general custom as outlined by the locater, he is apt to become suspicious and the attack is postponed. If conditions appear as usual, this man meets the others when they enter the town and they proceed at once to business. The section house is first visited, if there happens to be one near at hand, and the car taken out and made ready for immediate use. If there is not a section house near, they steal a wagon and team of horses in which to make their “getaway,” as it is called. The blacksmith shop and hardware store are next entered, from which they procure the few tools necessary for their work and firearms for defense, all of which are thrown away as soon as they leave the town. These details completed, the bank is entered by one or two men who are known as “inside men,” and the others station themselves _ as guards around the bank. It is not at all difficult to understand that with such complete preparation, the short time necessary to accomplish the work and the fact that the explosion of nitro-glycerine does not make a report which can be heard any great distance, these yeggmen usually succeed in getting away without disclosing their identity.
I took up the secretarial work of the Minnesota Bankers Association on the first of April, 1908, and during that month three banks were burglarized in Minnesota, with a resulting loss (Continued on page 22)
CAPITAL & SURPLUS
$1,000,000
Pays a rate of interest consistent with good banking
C. R. Frost tells the Wisconsin bankers the details of the work being done by the Interstate Protective Association.
the gang. Undoubtedly it is owing to these two facts that this class of crime has increased in so remarkable a manner.
A brief statement as to the manner in which these latter days yeggs operate may be interesting, and will undoubtedly lead to a better understanding of the many difficulties in the way of the investigation of a bank burglary. Each gang or mob, as it is called, consists generally of from three to five men and a locater, or “gay cat,” as he is generally designated, whose business it is to attend to all the detail work prior to a burglary. So thorough is the work of the “gay cat” that he is always able to give the members of his gang accurate information concerning the bank, the character of its safe, any peculiarities about the town, and all the roads leading into and out of it. He generally succeeds, as well, in learning just how much money is carried in the safe of the bank. These locaters, who are always very young men or cripples, generally go into a town, apparently in search of work, and hang around for a week or two, mixing freely with the citizens, and making many inquiries which are at the time unnoticed. They also ascertain whether there is a blacksmith shop in the town, and whether or not a hand-car is available in its immediate vicinity. After the gang has been thoroughly coached by the locater, they proceed to the town nearest that where the bank is to be burglarized. With the exception of one man, they remain in this town until late on the night of the burglary and then walk to the objective point, generally unnoticed. The other man goes to the town where the burglary is to take place earlier in the evening
Fi^htin¿ Bank
When your secretary honored me several months ago with an invitation to address your convention, it was suggested that my subject be the work and purposes of the ■Interstate Protective Association. I was very glad, indeed, to take this as my subject, because I think it is one in connection with which every banker in the state of Wisconsin should have a deep interest.
The work of this new bankers association thus far has been confined altogether to the proposition of obtaining greater efficiency in the matter of preventing bank burglaries, and also in capturing and convicting yeggmen after the commission of such crimes. It is hoped, however, later to extend the scope of the work so as to include, ultimately, several other important and useful features.
During the past eight or ten years,_ the methods used by bank burglars in “cracking” safes, have been very materially changed, with the result that now an up-to-date gang of yeggmen does not require to exceed half or three-quarters of an hour to enter a good safe, take the money and get out of town. When the old methods were in vogue, a much greater amount of time was needed for drilling, etc., and a much larger number of men for use as guards. Thus it will be seen that with the adoption of these new methods, the work has become less hazardous because of the much decreased danger of detection; and fewer men being required for the work, there is also a much greater profit to individual members of
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