Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1888-08-22
MAIL ROBBERY AT CHICAGO.
Two Thieves Who Have Stolen Over a
Million Dollars Arrested.

MILLION DOLLARS arrested
A dispatch of the 14th from Chicago
says Natty 30-year-old Frederick
Oberkampf, who speaks English,
French, German and Italian, and his
equally stylish but less accomplished
companion, Thomas Mack, are under
arrest in this city for robbing the mail
boxes about town of checks, drafts,
money orders and insurance policies of
face value of 81 100000.
| For the past two years letters contain
ing dra is, money orders, checks and
other cash equivalents mailed about
town have been mysteriously lost. NJ
merous expedients have been tried by
government officials to trace the source
of stupendous and systematic pilfering.
New locks and keys have during that
| time been substituted for the street mail
boxes and mail bags, but the robberies
continued without cessation. Business
men grew furious over frequent disap-
pearances of large checks, and blamed
] the postal officials for negligence or in
capacity.
Oberkampf came to Chicago from his
home in Berlin, Germany, in 1886
,, Fourteen months ago he applied for
board at Herman Kuegel's house, at 1870
North Market Street. Here lie re-
NAMED for over year, when he went
to board with Mrs. Christine Dohrn, at
119 East Erie Street. The young man
was mysterious in his movements. He
came home at night with his pockets
bullying with letters which he said he
received as secretary of a wholesale
drug house. On August 4, in payment
of $25 board bill, Oberkampf handed
Mrs. Dohrn a check for SOL, payable TO
a national bank in Omaha and signed by
J. L. Clarkson, Chicago. She gave him
$26 in change. The check was indorsed
"Pay to Fred Oberkampf" and signed j.
own Endorsement, ''Pay to Mrs. Dohrn,"
with his signature. Mrs. Dohrn in
dorsed the paper to her husband, who,
on presenting it at the banks, was told
that the Clarkson signature was forg-
cry. Oherkampf had in the meantime
disappeared. Mrs. Dohrn then received
a letter from Oberkampf postmarked
Indianapolis, requesting her not to pre-
sent the check at the bank; that he
wished her to hold it for him and he
would pay her cash for the board bill.
Becoming tired of waiting for him on
last Thursday Mrs. Dohrn swore out a
warrant for Oberkampfs arrest before
Justice Kersten.
A search of Oberkampf's trrnk, which
he had left at Mrs. Dohrn's house, re-
suited in the discovery of thousands of
mutilated envelopes containing checks,
drafts and other valuable papers, which
had evidently been stolen before reach
ing the post-office.
The officers then began to make al
rangements to catch Oberkampf, whom
they had reason to believe was some
where in the city. Last Friday they in
tercepted letter which was addressed
to Miss Kuegel 1t was from Oberkampf,
and proved to be an appeal from the
writer to the young woman to meet him
at Washington and Market Streets at
O'Clock the following afternoon. Officers
Moore and Martin were detailed to
make the arrest. At the hour named a
dapper looking young man walked out
near the curb on the north side of Wash
ington Street, near Market, and looked
about as though he anticipated some
body. 1t was Oberkampf. The officers
walked up behind the man and placed
him under arrest. He made no resist
ance.
After staying while in custody and
being Systematically pumped by the
officers, Oberkampf made a confession
duplicating Thomas Mack, who was
found by the police at the boarding
house of Mrs. Gokey, on Cottage Grove
Avenue, and placed. under arrest. An
immense quantity OF plumber was also
found in his room.
All the captured mail matter was
taken to Col. Kidder's and was there
spread out in a strange medley, There
were stamps, writing-pads, bangles,
bits of jewelry and novelties of all sorts.
There were heaps of photographs,
pieces of dry goods and handerchiefs.
There were piles of trust deeds, mort
gage insurance policies, drafts, checks,
money orders, promissory notes.
There was draft for So, 465
drawn by Marshall & Ilsley in
favor of the American Exchange Ma
tional Bank. There was one for $4,000
drawn on the Continental National
Bank in favor of Sprague, Warner & Co.
There was another draft for 81 900 on
the First National Bank in favor of Gil
martin & Doyle. There were others for
$500, So, 800 $1,000, and another for
81 900 and scores for sums Of So up to
$500. There were checks likewise for
large and small amounts. The whole
number of letters were roughly esti-
mated at $500.
OF course it IS wholly impossible to
estimate the amount OF money stolen
by the thieves. There is not much cash
sent in letters, proportionate to the
number sent, but in SO large quantity
of mail the cash must have been a good
deal. There were no postmarks upon
any of the letters, The appearance
the envelopes except for the absence of
stamps were just as they left the hands
of the sender. The mail thus rihed had
never been in the hands Of the postal
authorities, and therefore it must have
been stolen from the mail boxes at the
street corners.
A MARTYR TO FRIENDSHIP.