Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-08-11
ROBBING THE MAILS.
La Crosse Chronicle

On Sunday evening last, as has been
reported in these columns, Mail Agent T..
A. Jackson placed some registered letters
in drawer in the postal car at the Vine
street depot, and, on Monday morning,
when he started on his run to MinneapO-
lis. number of the letters were missing.
The case was as soon as possible placed
in the hands of Chief of Police Frank
Hatch, who as usual, lost no time getting
hold of the threads which have led to the
successful unraveling of the matter, and
the arrest of Mail Agent Edward Keeler,
charged with being the party who perpe-
trated the theft. Chief Hatch got on the
track of Keeler, and traced his course on
Sunday night from place to place, max
ing injuries and noting carefully every
move he made until he was satisfied he
had struck the sight trail. He examined
a privy back of Miller's saloon, one of
the places Keller visited on Sunday night
in question, and was rewarded by finding
portions of letters, packages, envelopes,
and other scraps of paper, partially burn
ed, which could be identified as parts of
the missing registers. Following up this
trail, he visited Hokah and Lanesboro,
two points within reach, from which two
of the lost packages had been sent, and
found that they were remittances from
the post Office at these points, and as it is
the custom for postmasters to keep re-
gister of the number of each bill sent in
remittances, he obtained from these Off
GERS a duplicate record of each bill in the
two packages. The package from Hokah
contained $50, and the one from Lanes
boro $25, and both were directed to the
postmaster at st. Paul. Chief Hatch has
already found some of these bills answer
ing to the numbers and descriptions,
which had been paid out by Keeler. This
made the chain of evidence complete.
Keller had gone west over the southern
Minnesota road Monday on his regular
trip, and was met at Lanesboro yesterday
on his return trip by Chief Hatch, who
who entered in the mail car at that point
and made the arrest. He found in the
car with Keller young man by the
name of George Gipple, and as Gipple
was with Keeler on Sunday night in this
city he also was put under temporary ar
rest but nothing has developed to con
meet him in any way with the robbery,
further than the circumstance of their
being together on the evening when the
robbery occurred They were both
brought to this city last evening and
Keeler was lodged in Jail. Gipple was
not held, Chief Hatch being satisfied that
he was innocent of any completely to the
crime. Gipple told Hatch that he was in
Miller's saloon with Keeler Sunday night
and while there Keller went to the privy
and was gone some minutes. This form
ed another link in the chain of evidence
surrounding the accused. Mr.. keelel
has many acquantainces in this city and
vicinity who will be grieved at his down
fall if the evidence sustains the charges
against him, and who will rejoice if he
can clear himself. He has wife and
two children residing in La Crescent, tc
whom his arrest for crime will be crush
ing blow. 1t is rumored that suspicious
have rested upon the Keeler heretofore
and government officers have placed him
under surveillance, but failed to make
any case.