Western appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1885-18??, 1888-08-18
THEY STOLE THOUSANDS.

THEY STOLE THOUSANDS.
Gigantic Plundering of Letter-Boxes at
Chicago Disciosed-The Pilferers Under
Arrest and Much valua BILE Mail Matter
Recovered ~ Checks, Drafts, Etc, VAL
ued at Many Thousand Dollars Stolen.
A CHICAGO, Aug. 1.-two Of the most inn
portant arrests made in Chicago in long
time were those of Fred Oberkampf and
Thomas i. Mack, who are now in the coun-
ty jail About four weeks ago Oberkampf,
who is unmarried and 20 years of age,
rented q room from Mrs. Christina Dohrn
at 10 East Erie street. He is well edu-s
Gated, speaking several languages, and
dresses well. He represented himself
to be the assistant superintendent of
an insurance company Mrs Dohrn no.
ticed that every time her ledger came into
the house his pockets were stuffed full of
mail matter. This fact he explained by
saying that he attended to the correspond
ence Of the insurance company Ober-
kampf became indebted to Mrs Dohrn in
the sum Of $25 for rent, and on August 4
gave her check for $50, she returning to
him the change Mrs. Dohrn presented the
check to j. P. Clarkson, real-estate deal
er, on whom it was drawn, and the discov-
cry was made that it was a forgery.
On Thursday Mrs. Dohrn swore out a
warrant before Justice Kersten for the ar
rest of Oberkampf for forgery The war
rant was put in the hands Of Detective
Whalen, and on Saturday last at about 5
o'clock the officer arrested his man at the
corner of Franklin and Washington streets.
cd SO
effects left at Mrs. Dohn's There were
two grips y which contained large
amount of letters, packages, etc, evidently
stolen from the mails, as the stamps had
all been torn of and there were no post
marks. Several letters were found on the
prisoner and also two checks, one
for $1,000 and one for $s3. Whalen
informed inspector Kidder of his
find and together they re-examined the
grips" Inspector Kidder armed United
States Marshal butcher and Officers
Whalen and Ringer with warrant and
they went to work on the case, with the
result that they traced their man to the
Metropolitan Hotel, where he had lived
under the name of Fred Mallet. A 'sgrip'
containing papers, ETC., was found here
and postal mail key He had also board
ed with man named Kugel, at 100 Market
street, for fourteen months, and here the
officers found trunk full of mail matter,
consisting, as before, of letters,
checks, insurance policies, title deeds,
certificates of stock, drafts, gloves,
etc. The prisoner was taken to the Chi
cago avenue station. At first he denied
everything and told number of conflict
ing stories. However, he yesterday morn
ing confded to butcher the name of his
partner, and. also his whereabouts. The
officers, acting on the information given, ar
rested Thomas F. Mack In the latter's resi-
dence was found a bundle of papers which
proved to be checks, insurance policies,
trust deeds, title deeds, ETC. The prisoner
declared that he knew nothing about them
and that he was only taking care of them
for Oberkampf. He admitted finally that
Oberkampf had key with which he
opened the postal boxes on the streets,
and also that he had shared with him the
money obtained from Mrs. Dohrn.
Oberkampf admits having robbed the
mail boxes, and says he has only kept
a few of the letters and securities-that he
was in the habit of destroying them The
in checks, drafts, deeds, stock,
ETC., now in Inspector Kidder's room
about 81, O0O 900, the checks and
drafts alone amounting to over 500, 900.
Below are given the names of some of the
makers of the checks recovered by the
officers, together with the amounts:
Leopold Mayer Son, $1,000; Merchants s. L.
& T. Co. Bank, $4,000; Hollis & Duncan, S546.1O;
Merchants's T. & L. Co. Bank 81, 800; Chicago
National Bank, $784.18; Chicago First Ma
tional Bank $500; Chicago First Ma
tional Bank $4,000; State Savings Asso-
citation, sS96.74; First National Bank, $500;
TNircf Mo- iny n1 r ~P
the Union Bank OF London, e45O; F. G. Jung
bert, $5O5; Wagner Palace Car Co., S547S6;
Otis S. Farr, S3,4S1.57: Merchants Loan and
Trust Co., $4,000; Ellinger & Sons, 81, 1856
Marshall & Illsley. S9,465.53 First National
Bank, Chicago, $3.50; First National Bank,
Chicago, s527; Union Trust Co., s437. So; Park
National Bank, $500; S. D. Kimbark, $1,000
The prisoners were taken before Com
m ssioner Hoyne yesterday afternoon,
when Mack waived examination and Ober-
kampf's case was continued till Thursday.
Both were held in IS. 600, and being unable
to secure bail were remanded to jail
About Macks career nothing is yet
known, but Oberkampf belongs to good
family in Berlin, Germany. He has been
in this country nearly three years and has
never worked day here He has made
good living by pilfering the mails, using
the money he found in the letters and sell
ing the hostages stamps. The stamps which
be soaked off the envelopes he remucil-
aged and sold at a drug store on Indiana
Street.
There yet remains trunkful of letters
and securities which the authorities have
not had time to examine and which will
make the total amount of the robbery much
greater. All the property is now in pos
session of the Government and can not be
returned to the rightful owners until after
the trial Of the prisoners. A number of
letters found by the officers were mailed in
1885, showing that the thefts had been 60
ing on for about two years.
Postmaster Judd and Inspector Kidder
are jubilant over the capture, and point
out that many of the numerous complaints
against the postal service under their care
are now explained. Inspector Kidder says
this is by far the biggestmail robbery that
ever took place on the continent.
Mack declares he knew nothing about
Oberkampfs operations. He had been
asked by the latter to take care of pack
age for him, and through friendship did
so. This was the package found in his
room Oberkampf also says Mack is inno-
cent.
Harrison's Letter Is Written
New YORK, Aug. Is. - The Iribn,e's
Indianapolis special says General Harrison
has completed the preparation of his letter
Of acceptance, having written it during the
past four days. 1t will not be made public,
however, until he returns from his recrea-
tion trip, upon which he starts some time
next week. He will probably be absent
from the city about two weeks.
Blew Off His Hand.
NEW YORK, Aug. 15.-George W. Turner,
business manager Of the World, while
shooting snipe at Auvergne- by the Sea,
Long Island, blew off his left hand