New-York tribune., 1891-05-17
WAS THE MAIL ROBBED?
a BAG OF LETTERS FOUND IN THE GUTTER.
SOME DOUBT AS TO WHETHER 1T WAS DUE TO


ACCIDENT OR THIEVES.
A pouch Of valuable registered mail was found In
fffthave. by policeman on Friday night. and de-
teeaves trying to find out whether 1t fell from
the wagon by accident or was dropped by daring
thieves. Policeman Brady, of the Nineteenth Pre-
enct ct about 80 O'Clock saw bic bundle lying in
the gutter IN Ffthave., Thirty ffthst He tried
70 shove II with his foot but found that II heavy
closer examination revealed to him that the bundle
was mail pouch, containing letters weighing nearly
c20 pounds While he looking at the pouch, a
man with light mustaehe came up and said that he
had seen man take the bag from mailwagon, drop
81 in the gutter and run away.
The policeman allowed the man to go without ques-
doning him further, and sent word to the postal au-
thorties. The pouch taken 10 the Grand Central
Station and sent TO Chicago on the o2 train. for
which II was intended.
The bag had been dropped or taken from wagon No.
Ill, which left the Postoce for the Grand Central
Station shortly before O'Clock with thirty pouches
OF registered mall The wagon, which is one Of the
largest kind used in the service locked at the
PoStoce In the presence oil William Holder, chief dis
pstcher; William Keeer. the driver. and Of the Rail-
way Mail Service clerk Collins. who sat beside the
driver the trip uptown Neither Keeler nor Collins
knew anything about the loss OF the pouch until they
reached the Grand Central Station and found the doors
Of the wagon unlocked. Then they gave alarm to
the police.
The wagon has an ordinary tall gate, opening down.
ward, and two doors which open outward. heavy
iron bar extending from the top to the bottom Of the
wagon, holds the doors and gate in place when
the key has been turned in the lock. The
wagon is massive and strongly built. Assistant
Postmaster James Gaylor said yesterday that one
theory was that the lock old and worn, and the
heavy pouch forced open the lock as the wagon was
going up the steep Murray Hill grade. Yesterday there
was no sign on the wagon to show that it had been
tampered with in any way. If robbers opened the
doors. they had duplicate key. Only the tailgate
open when the wagon reached the railway station
and the other pouches too tightly wedged in to
tau out
II is, Of course, possible that thieves planned bold
robbery. This theory is the less probable be-
cause several letterbOxes have been opened within
the few weeks. In these cases, the thieves evi
deny had duplicate keys and IL Is believed that
former emplOye of the postal Service. who is familiar
with the business, the thief. 1t would not have
been difficult to make duplicate key b. the wagon
The fact that the pouch taken o. lost from
wagon containing registered mail, which is the most
valuable, S'so indicates that if there thief lie
knew a good deal about the postal service. Police
man Brady's informant also told of cab that fol
lowing the mail wagon II may be that the thief. If
such there had planned to throw the pouch into
she vehicle and drive away with it.
A. B. Maze, Superintendent Of Mails, and postoffce
inspectors at work the together with
Of Inspector Byrness men.