The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1874-01-29
NAIL ROBBERS.
An Organized Gang Operating in
Southern Kansas.
Arrest Of One of the Guilty Par
ties.
How tine Rogues Managed to In
tercept Drafts.
Details Of the Capture Of Lafay-
cite Reed by Major CrOweIl.

1 WIN iObpibk thS ShatS'
States mails of money and valuable letters
Reed was arrested on Monday night last, a
Wellington, near the southern boundary @
the State, and az the details of bis captur
are extremely interesting We give them ii
full for the benefit of our readers.
For some months past there has been cor
siderable complaint in Sumner and adjoin
ing counties OF the non-appearance Of letter
containing currency, bills OF exchange an,
drafts, forwarded from banks in the east II
parties living in the small and remote town
along the border.
On the 9th Of September draft for $50
issued by the First National Bank Of Balti
| more, was forwarded TO DIR. A. ID. +. Ewell
a resident of Chicaskia township, Kansas
Nothing was heard from it till about a weel
later, when the bank received the drai
enclosed in a letter written in a most misera
bic, cranred hand, which read as follows:
WICHITA, Sedgwick Co, Kansas.
October ), 1873.
| "Forward Immediately to my address ii
double envelope well sealed the amount o
\ enclosed certificate.
Address Rufus NJ. Hardy, Wichita, Sedg
wick County Kansas"
As the bank officials knew nothing of tn
party they Immediately informed Mr.. G. NJ
johnson the person who had purchased thu
draft and asked him il they should pay ovel
the money as sir. Exelfs name was proper
ly endorsed on the back OF the certificate
Mr.. johnson said lie did not be.
lieve his broiber-in-law Mr.. ESell) had
ever received the certificate a. he had heard
nothing from him ard asked the Bank tc
defer payment until he could write and ss
certain how matters stood. Not being salts.
fisd with his writing, and believing also tina,
something was wrong, the bank put the mat.
ter in charge of The postmaster at Baltimore,
and directed him to trace up the letter.
The following correspondence brought
about the truth Of the matter, and
confirmed The suspicious Of tie Bank otfi-
Gals
BALTIMORE. Nov. All, 1873.
To Postmaster al Chicaskis, Sumner Co.,
Kansas,
SIR: Ga the 9th OF September Mr.. c. NJ
johnson mailed at this Office a letter address,
ed to DR.. A. ID. F. Ewell, Chicsskia, Kan.
containing certified check of First Nation
al Bank Of Baltimore for 1885,. 90.
The check was returned 10 the bank from
Wichita, Kansas, by one Rufus Hardy with
letter requesting the bank to
forward the amount of check &c his address.
| have to request that you see DIR. Ewsll and
learn from him whether he received the
check and whether he disposed of the same.
respectfully, A. w. DENNIsoS,
M. Baltimore.
In reply TO :his letter the following an
swer was returned:
CHICAsKIA, Kan, Nov. II, 1873.
+. NJ. BALTIMORE, !Sr:-In reply TO
your inquiry would state that l have seen
DIR. A. ID. F. veil, who says be has not re-
ceived or dispos d of the draft in question.
Respectfully,
T. H. HARRINGTON,
Z. NJ. Chicaskia, Kan.
L; being very evident from this cores
pondence that the check had been distracted
from the mail before reaching Chicaskia, the
letters of Hardy and the Postmasters were
forwarded by The Department to Major
Crowell, Special Mail Agent for Kansas,
who Immediately set about ferreting out the
rascals who were playing such sharp game.
With only one letter in his possession as a
clue this was difficult job.
His first action was to send letter to
Wichita, addressed to RUFUS NJ. Hardy, and
then place himself in readiness to nab the
unsuspec,ing chap when he put in an ap-
pearance. But this did not work. Mr..
Hardy WAS sharp enough to keep away from
the Wichita postofiice. Crowell then made
another move. He went to Wellington,
which il at the terminus of the railroad, and
there he learned that man by the name of
Lafayette Reed had been assisting the post
master at that place for several months, but
had lately been discharged, ard was then
working with carpenter in the v'~iri'y. In
an inssant Crowell made up his mind that he
had at,last struck bis man. He made.inquiries
of the postmaster in relation to Reeds being
in the Office, and was informed
that he had nothing to do with the mail, ex.
ceeIt TO help distribute and forward it, but
as several valuable letters had been lost, he
was discharged on account of his gross care
lessnoss. Being satisfied that Reed
was the fictitious Hardy, Major Crowell
mex. set about getting such evidence
as would warrant his arrest. He found in
the office small scrap Of Reeds writing, the
style of which exactly corresponded with
that OF the letter forwarded 10 Baltimore
from Wichita. Letters from Reed 10 par
ties least were then intercepted and opened,
and from the information contained in these
my seriously worded epis!les the arrest was
made. From papers and letters found in
Reeds trunk after his arrest it appears that
he is but one of gang who have been car
rying On a systematic robbery of the mails
IN this and adjoining States. Upwards Of
. thousand dollars in currency and checks |
have been lost in the neighborhood of Wei |
lington the past six months. Reed is a very |
luie;, unassumipg kind Of a man. about So |
years of nge. Since his arrest he has beer |
very reticent, and refuses to make single |
explanation in relation to the parties with |
whom he is in correspondence. He was
aiken before Judge Lecomp;e yesterday, and
rs be asked for q continuance of his case
until the Oh of next month, was committed |
10 Jail withou. an examination.
Major Crowell says this case is the worst one
be has met with in his experience, as the
rascale have 90 effsciuaily covered up their
tracks as TO make detection almost impossi-
bic. He believes the gang to be numerous
and we'll organized, but hopes TO trace out /
their whereabouts and bring them to justice
A Chicago bank has been taken in to the
tune of $500 BY these same willy scamps.
But they have evidently reached the ED Of
their rope now that Crowell is after them.
He is one of the best detectives in the West,
GO ~