Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-08-05
ROBBED THE NAILS.
A Chicago Carriers Long Ca
reer of Crime.
HIS VICTIM A GRANGE SUPPLY co.

Thousands of Dollars Stolen by Taking
Letters from the Mail Containing Or
ders Sent by Farmers with Postal Notes
to Pay for the Goods-A Long Search
for the Culprit Finally Rewarded by
His Capture-How 1t Was Done.
CHICAGO, Aug 5.-After robbing the
mails for over year, during which his
stealings must have amounted to several
thousand dollars, Carrier Henry E. Bar
low was arrested yesterday by Captain
Stuart. A year ago last month MoEtgomf
cry, Ward & Co. on Michigan avenue, dis
covered that orders sent them by out-of-
town purchasers, never reached their Of
fee. This firms business extends from
one end of the country to the other, and it
receives stacks of letters every day, the
majority of which contain money orders,
postal notes, checks, or drafts.
The Farmers are Interested.
When the firm was started some years
ago it was known as the Farmers Grange.
1t was run on the cooperative plan, and
in order to secure the benefit OF discounts
in buying goods the purchaser had to be a
member of the grange. Farmers who had
no knowledge of operating a scheme of
the kind We're put at the head of affairs,
and as a result it proved unsuccessful. 1t
was then that Mont gomery, Ward Il Co.
took the grunge in hand 1t is now the
largest supply agency in the west. When
the complaints began to come in to the
firm about year ago that orders accom-
panied by money We're never filed the
matter was laid before the Chicago post
Office authorities.
Hundreds of Letters Robb ed.
The losses grew until it was no uncom-
mon thing for the firm TO receive 30 let
tiers in a day asking why orders had not
been filled. Eight months ago Captain
Stewart went to work on the case and
since then he has devoted the greater part
of his time TO it. During this time com
plants similar to those made by Mont
gomery, Ward s. Co. We're received from
Lapp. Florsheim * Co. and the Chicago
Supply company.
Half Dozen states Complaining.
Captain Stuart worked steadily for two
months in irving to locate the thief, and
at the end of that time was as much in the
dark as ever. But the complaints in
creased. Men ard women wrote from
Texas, Maine. Pennsylvania, Kansas, Ore
they ordered We're never sent. In most
cases a money order or a postal note &C
compsnied the order.
How the Thief Was Detected.
At last Montgomery, Ward s. Co
wrote to thousands of their patrons in
structing them 10 take the number of =
postal notes which they enclosed in letters
when ordering goods. These numbers
were then sent TO the firm and il was in
this way the thief was at last detected. A
postal note may be cashed at any post
Office in the county and no questions will
be asked of the person who presents 1t.
Caught the Robber at Last.
After list of SEQ or so postal notes had
been obtained an investigation was made,
and it was concluded that the thief signed
his name to the receipts, when cashing the
notes, james A, Blotten," james E
Black, and James A. Rice and that he
cashed them in Chicago Captain Stu
art then took all of the clerks in the postal
note department into his confidence and
instructed them when any person signing
the names of Black, Rice or Blotten should
present note to detain him. When Bar
low next appeared he was nabbed