The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-05-18
A BIG MAIL ROBBERY.
Thirty Thousand Dollars Taken on
the Streets Of New York,
ER0N A MAIL TRANSFER WAGON.
How Registered Bag Was Stolen BY
Bold rhIcyes--Their Work Inter-
ruptcd, Howeyer--A Robbery APP
parentIy Easy 70 Accomplish.

NV YoRx, May IA bag Of regis
tered mail was lost or stolen from one OF
the big transfer wagons in Fifth avenue
near Thirty,atth street, Friday night
The contents were valued at $4,000,
The postotlice authorities are not fully
satisfied that the bag was stolen from
the wagon. The superintendent OF the
mails, who investigated the loss and
finding OF the bag, made the following
report to the postmaster yesterday at
iernoon.
Policeman Brady, Of the Nineteenth
precinct police, was on duty in Fifth
avenue about $3.50 O'Clock last night
Near the corner OF Ihirty-tfth street he
saw q mail!hag lying in the street near
the curb. II was one OF the large pags
used for registered matter and weighed
with contents, 225 pounds. He GlcEed
il and then stopped down and lifted u
ON end. He was examining it when
man came from he don't know where,
and told him he had seen manlilt the
bag from the tail end OF mail wagon
Tho man carried the bag from the wag,,
con to the curb, and then dropped u
and ran toward Madison avenue. lie
also told the policeman that that there
was a cab following the mail wagon,
but he could not connect the man VINO
took the bag with the cab. That was aH
he knew about It
TIE poIIcEMAN WAS APPARENTLY DA2ED.
He did not inquire the mans name
or where he lived, and he did not de-
tain him. The policeman took the bag
to the police station in a wagon. The
bar was not missed by the driver OF the
wagon until he reached his destination,
the Forty.sccond street depot Then
the back door Of the wagon was found
to be unlocked. They were locked by
the driver in the presence OF witnesses
before the wagon left the postoaice.
Policeman Brady said the Superin-
tendent Ind told him that the bags
contents we're worth $4,000. The man
who saidhe had seen the bag stolen tod
lim~the cab was within very few feet
Of the mail wagon, but he did not know
whether the thief got out OF the cab or
not.
stole the. bag from the wagon will ever
be caught. The police have no descrip..
ton Of him, and there is no way oil
tracing him. Assistant Postmaster Gay
lord, one Of the men who is not certain
that the story told to the policeman is
true, said to-day he thought it possible
that when the wagon struck the grade
at Thirty.fifth street the tail end being
lower thin the front end, the bag rolled
against the door with farce enough'to'
open the spring lock and then rolled out
on the street.
PROBABLY WELL LAID PLOT.
This could hardly be. The lock in
the door would almost certainly break
before It would spring, It was not
broken when it was examined at the
Forty-second street station, and 1t was
surely locked when the wagon LETT the
postoilice. 1t seems probable that there
was plot to rob the wagon by men
who knew that$it contained the bag OF
registered letters. There were probably
two persons, and there may be more IN
tereStett IN ~, perhaps su!AS VI tilHAi ~
the cab. g The man who pulled the bag
out OF the wagon probably had q key to
the lock on the door. II the bag had
dropped out of the wagon accidentally
the driver of the cab would surely have
called to the driver OF the wagon inforn-
ing him Of the loss.
Very likely the thieves intended to
lift the bag into the cab and get off with
it, but they were not quick 'ei1Sds!a
about it and were frightened off Possl-
bly, they saw Policeman Brady coming,
\ and the bag was too heavy to be han
dled easily or quickly. II it should oc.
Eur to the Police Commissioners that
Policeman Brady's informant may have
bSen the man who pulled the bag ont OF
the wagon, brdu:,, Will have q chanGs'ta
explain why he didn't detain bun:
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