Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-01-20
j. s. MAIL STOLEN.
THIEVES BREAK OPEN SEVEN LETTER BOXES
IN THE EAST END.
The Letters Extracted, and Rifsd Of Their Con-
tents-Some Of Them Are Thrown Away,
and Returned TO the Office.

Quite daring robbery took place in
the East End some time Monday night
a number Of the Government mail boxes
being broken into. and their contents
extracted and rifed. There is no clue
whatever to the thieves.
The boxes which were robbed were
located at Sixteenth and Jacob streets,
Seventeenth and Wood streets, Elgh-
teenth and Jacob streets, Eighteenth
and Eoff streets, Fourteenth and Nc
Cullough streets, Chapline street and
Alley u, and Fourteenth and Eoff
streets.
The robbery is supposed to have taken
place some time after midnight, yester-
day morning. All the locks on the
boxes were opened, evidently with a
key, and the locks were all carried off.
The boxes show no evidence Of having
been broken, or any heavy instrument
used to break the locks. Why the
thieves carried the locks away is amys-
terry, as the theft would probably not
have been discovered for several days if
this had not been done.
Yesterday morning two young men,
who were walking along Jacob street,
noticed a number Of letters and envel-
opes lying in the snow at the intersec-
ton of Alley Is. They picked up sew
eral of the letters, and wrapping them
in a newspaper, took them to the post
Office, where they were turned over TO
Postmaster Cowden. A letter carrier
was then sent out for the remaining
letters, which were brought to the
Office. The whole number OF pieces ag-
gregated thirty or thirtyfve.
Postmaster Cowden was busily engag-
ed in drying the letters over a heater
when REGISTER reporter called upon
him. He said he had no clue to the
thief or thieves, but thought they might
be members OF a gang who have been
operating in the East and in Chicago, and
several Of whom have lately been ar
rested. All Of the letters, whose desti-
nation could be ascertaiDed from their
contents, were sent away, but half of
them contained only the signature OF
the writer, and some not even that.
The Postmaster requests all persons
who placed letters in any of the boxes
which were robbed, after p. M, on
Monday, to come to his Office and re-
port, as that is the only way which the
extent Of the robbery can be learned.
The keys to the U. S. Mail boxes are
all alike, and Of peculiar pattern. The
Government furnishes one key to each
carrier, and one extra key to the Office.
1t is required that record be kept OF
all the keys, and new ones are not fur
nished unless the old ones are lost or
broken. The officials at Wash
ington were yesterday notified by
a telegram, of the robbery,
and Postmaster Cowden received re-
ply stating that new keys, and locks
were sent Immediately. A government
detective will probably be in the city in
a few days TO investigate the matter.
The key was probably secured by break
ing lock in some other city, and thus
learning the combination.
So far as could be learned by the
Postmaster, only one OF the letters con-
tanned money, a 50 bill, and he thought
the entire amount stolen would not be
more than SIS. The thieves selected the
boxes in the East End, probably because
the chances of detection were less, and
there was more likelihood Of finding
money in the letters deposited in that
section of the city. Business men
usually send drafts, checks and money
orders, which would be of no value to
the robbers, while persons who send
small sums aud live at a distance from
the postoffice usually send greenbacks.
The mail is usually very light from
those boxes, with the exception OF the
box at Sixteenth and Jacob streets.
1t is the opinion OF most persons that
the robbery was the work Of persons
living in this city, as it was done in a
manner showing the thieves were not
experts at the business. Had the boxes
been broken on Monday morning the
robbers would have made better haul,
as the mail would have been heavy,
many persons selecting Sunday after
moons and evenings for corresponding.