St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-08-15
Long : Fingered Chieagoans
Who Robbed Letter Boxes i.
by Wholesale.
Their Detection Explains Why
Letters Looked For
Never Came.
A Kentucky Despsrado Adds
Dual Murder to His
Other Crimes.
Judge Lynch Metes Out Sum-
mary Justice to a Negro
Brute.

CHICAGO, Aug. IA system of
wholesale letter box robbery extending
over period of two years, involving
the theft of thousands of letters, in
Guiding Enclosures of drafts, checks and
postoflce orders, aggregating an un-
known amount, though known to ex-
ceed 100000 and explaining in part
the numerous complaints made against
the Chicago postal service, has been
discovered by the police. and the United
States postotfice inspectors. Frederick
Won Obercampf and Thomas j. Mack
are in custody. More arrests are likely
to follow. Won Obercampf claims to be
the member of noble German family
OF Berlin, and Mack is carpenter. and
native of the United States. The dis
covery of
THESE GIGANTIC PILFERINGs
of letter boxes came about in curious
and thoroughly unexpected manner.
Won Obercampf was indebted to his
landlady and in payment, rendered her
check which she accepted and re-
turned him difference of about $50
: in cash. The check turned out to
have been forged and she placed
the matter in the hands of the
police, who located the man in room
on North Market street. In searching
this room the officers were astonished
to find trunk filled to the top with let
tiers. They had all been opened and
bore no postmark, and each had had
the stamp removed. 1t was then as
certained that Won Oberkampf occu-
pied still another room, and when this
was searched, another trunk, full of let
tiers, all in the precise position described
above, were found. At another room
i'll hotel were found valise
packed with broken mail matter, and a
bunch OF keys. One of the keys was
one which opened railway mail pouches
and another was No. 16S. and
WOULD OPEN ANY LETTER BOX
in Chicago. All the captured mail mat
ter was taken to the office OF the post
office inspector. The envelopes con-
tanned all sorts of queer things usually
sent through the mails. from dry goods
samples and bits of jewelry to writing
pads and numerous photographs.
But that which showed the magnitude
of the depredations was the pres
ence of piles of insurance policies,
trust deeds, drafts, checks and money
orders and promlssory notes. These
represented in the aggregate nearly
100000. The largest check was one for
$4,000, drawn by wholesale grocery
house of Chicago on the Continental
National bank. Numerous other drafts
ranging in figures from $500 to
$1,000 and scores drawn for $500 each
were found. Won Oberkampf was ar
rested Saturday, and confessed his
guilt Monday. The postoffice authori-
ties are now investigating how the
postal keys came into his possession,
and it is claimed that further arrests
will surely follow, it being supposed
that some letter carrier, anticipating
the loss of his position, had
DUPLICATE OF HIS KEY MADE,
and that he gave it to Won Oberkampf,
sharing with him the proceeds. To-day
both men were before Commissioner
Hoyne. Mack waived a preliminary ex-
animation, and was held to the federal
grand jury under $1,000 bail. Won
Oberkampf's case was continued until
Tuesday in bonds of the same amount.
Both are now In Jail.