The morning news., 1891-11-21
EXPERT LETTER THIEVES
NEW YORK AND OTHER CITIES SUI.
FER6D AT THEIR HANDS.

FER6D AT THEIR HANDS.
Ii smbers Of Gang That Had a Let
ter Carriers Uniform and Collect
ed" From the Street Boxes they
Get $40, 900 on Raised Checks, and
thousands In Cash-Three Arrested
Ia Atlanta.
From the Neto York World
There is great rejoicing in the inspectors
department Of the postofice. After months
Of search the officers have run down the
bold gang of mail-box robbers, who have
operated in nearly all the prominent cities
in the country. All the members Of the
gang, it is believed, are now under arrest.
1t is the same gang that in May last began
operations in this city by breaking open a
le tier box at Fourteenth street and First
avenue and stealing its contents. The rob-
bsry, by its very boldness, put Postmast er
Van Cott on his guard. He sought the aid
OF Inspector Byrnes, who detailed a num-
Der of men to assist the postmaster. For
several DAYS every box in the city was
watched. Mr.. Van Cott in person guarding
one Of the downtown boxes at night. The
World printed an exclusive story of the
fact at the time. The prompt action of the
postoffice authorities alarmed the gang, and
they abandoned New York city as field
for operations.
The members OF the gang under arrest
are Charles Hubbard. alias Charles Dia-
mond; j. K. StratJon, T. G. Boulan, alias
L. Cayton, aud Henry Armstrong, alias
'Sheeney" Armstrong.
Gen. E. G.. Rathbone, chief Inspector of
the postofioe, commenced working on the
case last February. He called to his as
Il H. IL
A. M. Sproesser of Washington, Paul A.
Williams of st. Louis, and A. r. Holmes of
the Cincinnati division. The gang began
operations in August. 1890, in Washington,
aud also operated in st. Louis, Chicago, st.
Paul, Cleveland, Cincinnati Pittsburg,
Louisville, Nashville, Denver, Atlanta, New
Orleans and other cities. The inspectors
found that the gang would raid number
of boxes in a city, then jump to another
make another raid.
When Gen. Rathbone was made fourth
assistant he handed the matter over to In
spector NJ. d. Wheeler, and the search was
continued under his discretion.
Inspector Jacobs got close on the heels of
the gang at Denver. He followed them to
Dallas and from there to Atlanta. At Dal-
las he learned that they had left the train q,
intending to stay in the town, but the police
did not like their looks and ordered them
back on the train. They went on to At
lanta and put up at the Folsom house, occu-
pying one room. While Jacobs was watch
ing them Armstrong left for this city.
Fearing that he would lose the others,
Jacobs had Stratton, Hubbard and Boulan
arrested.
On one Of them they found sixtv-flve
letter box keys; on another, four bottles OF
ink-erasing acid; on another two boxes of
crayun colors and letter pouch kew and
several fine steel saws and eleven files
Of various sizes. They also found a COM
plete letter-carrier's uniform and a mail
bag Their method was to first obtain q
mail-box paddock by saving one off; then
they would get key to tit it, a1d, as all
the boxes are alike, they would be thus en-
abled to open any box they chose. One of
the gang, dressed in the letter-carriers uni
form, would go TO the boxes situated in the
business centers and abstract the contents.
They would open the letters by placing a
piece OF plotting paper, dipped in hot water
across the back of latter. softening the
gum. so that it was an easy matter to open
the letter without injurlng the envelope in
the least. This precaution was taken so
that il the letter contained nothing of
value, they could remail it without excit-
| ing any suspicion that it had been tam
pored with. Ii the letters contained checks
their method to erase. by means Of acids
the name of the person to whom it was
| made payable and insert payable to
bearer" Instead. As many checks are
tinted, so as to betray the use of acid, which
destroys the tinting, the gang had colored
crayons to retint in any color. 1t was
done SO skilfully that only close inspec-
lion would betray the fact.
After the arrest of the three in Atlanta
Inspector Jacobs had himself committed as a
counterfeiter and placed In a cell between
SCratton and Boulan, 50 as to overhear their
conversation. He heard them agree to say
nothing about being previously acquainted,
OF any or their plans. AS it was hoped to
catch Armstrong in this city, the fact Of
the arrest was kept secret.
Armstrong was arrested in this CITY on
Saturday and remained in Ludlow street
jail until yesterday afternoon, when he was
handed over to an officer who started with
him for st. Louis, where they have a strong
case against Armstrong, Ssratton and Hub
bard. Stratton and Hubbard are also on
their way to st. Louis. Boulan has been
taken to Nashville, where they have good
case against him.
Inspector Paul A. Williams has in his
possession SOS, 900 worth of checks stolen
from the mails in various cities. altered and
cashed by the banks, and it is believed that
thousands of dollars in cash have been stolen
from letters in the same wav. In some In
Stances the gang was not content with cash
ing the checks for their original amount
but raised them by the use of acids and col
oring crayons The inspectors had great
deal of trouble fn getting even a feir de-
scription of tue men from the various paw
ing tellers who cashe1 tae altered checks,
and have conceived correspoadlngly low
opinion of the intelligence of the average
bank teller. One check IN the pos
session OF Inspector Jacobs was drawn by
Lamprecht Bros. & Co., bankers, of CleVe-
laud, to the order of Theodore Roeble for
S435 Armstrong got it cashed. Another
check drawn on the Meridian Bank OF In
dianapolis for $23 81 wss raised to $.34 81.
Armstrong is 26 years old, and is said to
be the son of an old gambler in Nashville.
Hubbard is 4G years old. He was sent to
Sing Sing in 1885 for four years, from this
city. for highway robbery. His picture is
No. $40 in the Rogues' Gallery. Stratton is
40 years old, and Boulan As. Inspector
Jacobs thinks they have a criminal record
at Detroit, and he will look them up there
He discovered that one of the headquarters
of the gang was at the house Of Jennie Car
zero. in Louisville. A sachel sent by Hub
bard from New Orleans to Louisville was
captured by the inspectors. 1t contained "A
complete outfit of burglars tools, some jew
elry, and gold watch with the name Clar-
ence (. Steadman engraved on it.
Clarence e. 5teadman Of this city, COM
plaiued of the loss of gold watch some
time ago. This may be his.
1t appears that the same four were ar
rested in Cleveland as suspicious characters