The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1892-11-24
CONFESSED HIS CRIME
John ]. Gafrity, an EX.Aail Clerk, In
tho GoVernment's Grasp.
INSPECTOR WATKINS WORK
Thousands of Dollars Worth Of
Property Taken From the
MaIls-How the Thief
Planned.

L
BUTTE, Nov. @-Postofiice Inspector |
watkins was In the city to-day and with |
the assistance Of Deputy United States
Marshal Gallagher ferreted out another |
mail robbery case. and tho deputy mar
shai this evening made one OF tho most
important arrests mado since tho thief,
Patterson, was caught about year ago.
Tho man arrested tonight is John ..
1arrity. an ex'railroad man AGENT VINO
was nrst pulled a lew days ago on n minor
chargc preferred ny man named Mor~
gan OF South Butte. That case is now
pending before the United States conn
mlssioners and Garri'y was out on . S.Vo
bond. Ihe only thing that came out of
Il was To direct tho Inspectors attention
to Garrity In the hope that he may iind
some clue that would assist him in un-
earthing number OF recent mail rob-
berries that had been reported TO HIM.
Since suspicion has been directed to
Garrity an officer has been shadowing him
and to-day, with the inspector, his room In
South Butte was searched and conclusive
evidence found against him that he was
the man wanted. Among the articles
found, the loss oil which had been reported
TO the inspector, were telescope, electric
belts, case Of razors, letters In largo
numbers, small parcels OF clothing, jew
elry, mail pouch lock and numerous other
articles. As soon as Garrity was arrested
he weakened and made n fu'i confession
of his robbcries, and his story shows INN
to have been almost as slick as the thief
Patterson.
Garrity Is an intelligent looking man,
about 's years old. For some time ana up
the a. nd nf last he run.
ming as an express messenger on the
Northern Pacific between st. Paul and
Bismarck, but Tor some reason lost his
job and came to South Butte, where he
hung around doing little or nothin. until
the first part of April when the Northern
Pacific put on its summer train service
on its main line by the way OF Butte. He
then secured Job on that line as baggage
man. There Is no mail clerk on that run
and the postal department conducts what
Is known as tho pouch service over
that route, that Is the baggage
man receives the mail pouches
and takes care OF them without
having anything to do with the handling
OF the mail itself. Garrity had made Just
two runs when no conceived the idea
OF robbing the mail and argued with HIM
self that IL he could only get into the
pouches he could help himself as he de-
sired and no one would be tho wiser, as
suspicion would not bc directed toward
himself, as IT was known he had no key.
Every key In the United States mail SER
vice is numbered ana recorded In WASH
ington. Sd that it's whereabouts is always
known. Garrity knew this and recognised
the difficulty OF getting Key TO ut tho
pouch locks. However, he hit upon a
brilliant plan, which no carried out.
He visited Butte iocksmith, with whom
hc was acquainted, and represented
himself rs beng "a mail clerk, and told a
pitiful tale about having lost his Key, ana
said that IL he would report his loss to tho
department he would lose his job. He
therefore begged the locksmith To make
him key as personal favor and net OF
charity. The locksmith was taken IN aud
consented. Clarity made draft of tho
key wanted and the latter also stole "a lock
from an empty pouch, which he brought
TO the locksmith to III the new Key with.
The key was finished about the last week
in April ana Garrity went 10 work reiies-
ing mail pouches, ana continued dong
mt which time his tram was dis
continued. According to his own
confession lie stole many thousands of
dollars worth In that time. He stole every
thing worth carrying oil. He stole jew
| clry and womcn's undcrgarments. OF
which he made presents To his women
friends in South Butte. To that he also
COnIekksHl.