Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-11-10
MAIL BOX ROBBERS.
Capture Of the Gang That Have been sessl-
ing Valuable Letters.

Capture Of the Gang That Have Been ee,sa-
ing Valuable Letters.
About the middle Of September many COM
plants were made by business men OF thefSs Of
valuable letters. The Post Office Department
was informed and it was discovered that mail
boxes in different portions of the city had been
robbed. Efforts were made TO detect che
thieves, but without success
The policy Of absolute silence on the sub,ect
was tried and for u month nothing was dis
covered On October 10 The STAR published
full account Of the various thefts. MANY Of
the stolen letters contained checks. which we're
presented at the banks and in q number Of cases
were paid
THE GANG CAUGHT.
II is now learned that the men who had bean
perpetrating these mail box robberies have been
caught through the work Of the post Office in
spectors The members Of the gang under ar
rest are Charles Hubbard, alias Charles DiA-
mond; j. X. Stratton, L. c. Boulan, alias Il.
cayton, and Henry Armstrong, alias .'sheeney"
Armstrong.
The gang began operations in August. 1890.
IN Washington, and also operated in 81. Louis.
Chicago, ST. Paul, Cleveland. Cincinnati. Pitt.-
burg, Louisville, Nashville, Denver, Atlanta
New Orleans and other cities. The ins pectors
found that the gang would raid a number Of
boxes IN a city. then jump TO another CITY, and
after while would return and make another
raid.
Chief Inspector E. G. Rathbone Of the poss
Office commenced working on the case last
February. He called to his assistance Inspec-
tors j. Jacobs OF New York city, A. NJ. sproes-
ser Of Washington, Paul A. Williams OF ST.
Louis and A X. Holmes Of the Cincinnati di-
vision When Gen. Rathbone was made fourth
assistant he handed the matter over 20 Iuspec-
tor NJ. ID. Wheeler, and the search was con-
tinued under his direction.
ON THEIR TRACK.
Inspector Jacobs got close on the heels of
the gang at Denver. He followed them 10
Dallas and from there to Atlanta whils
Jacobs was watching them Armstrong left for
New York city. Fearing that he would loss
tn others Jacobs had Stratton, Hubbard and
Boulan arrested. Armstrong was arrested In
New York city on Saturday and remained m
when he was handed over 20 an ofRcer who
started with him for St. Louis where they
have a strong case against Armstrong, STRAIT
ton and Hubbard Stratton and Hubbard are
been taken to Nashville, where they have .
good case against him.
THE canes nEraopsL
Their method was TO first obtain q mail box
paddock by saving one Oh; then they would
get key TO ct it. and - all the locks ere siiks
they would thus be enabled 10 oman asv hox
they chose. One Of the gang, dressed in TIE
letter carriers uniform, would 70 70 ths box.s
situated in the business csntsrs and sbssroct
the contents
They would open the letters by PLACING =
piece OF blotting paper, dipped In hot water.
across the back Of the letter, softeuing ths eum
20 that II was an easy matter 10 open the letter.
without injuring the envelope In the lssst
This precautaon was taken % that II The letser
opened contained nothing Of value Shey could
RENAL il without exciting any Suspicion that is
had been tempered with. n the letter. eon-
tanned checks their method was 20 ere. bv
means Of acids. the name Of the person %
whom IL vas made payable and insert .psvable
70 bearer" instead. This was done in tbs citv
in the case Of check made payable 70 he
The words the order Of" had bean drawn
through With pen and an addition made e
the end, 90 that they read, or one Of them did
at any rate. pay 20 Maurice Joyce or bsarsr."
The words 'sor bearer" had been sdded IN au
almost perfect imitation Of ths former writing,
and then 10 make the entire AFFAIR stan more
honogeneous the entire written part Of TIE
check with the exception Of ths sienasura. hed
been gone over with India ink