The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-02-04
ANOTHER MAIL ROBBERY.
SEVEN POUCHES OF LETTERS srOLEN
FROM WAGONS on A FERRYBOAE

lt II Suspected that tho Main wsgen Rob.
berg OF Dec ~ on = Fennsyivaa's Ferry
boat asa TAis OF Tuesday Night on tho
Hesokea Ferry Were Committed by tho
Same band OF Organised Thieve.
Seven pouches OF nrst-class mail matter
were stolen from mail wagons on the Hoboken
ferryboat Orange on Tuesday evening under
circumstances which have led the Post once
authorities to suspect the existence OF an Or
Ranized gang OF mail thieves. The investiga-
tlons OF the inspectors have served to connect
the theft so far at least as methods are con-
cerned. with the robbery OF last December.
known to the Post once officials as the Hub
bard case. That also. it will be remembered.
is supposed to have been accomplished on u
ferryboat A mysterious express wagon was
one OF its features. An equally mysterious
express wagon Is one OF the features OF Tues
day nights robbery.
A little before z o'clock on Tuesday night
Two mail wagons. known as 80 and IS. left the
Post ONCE for the Hoboken Ferry at the foot
OF Barclay street. John ]. O'Keefe drove 80.
which was the smaller. and John Walker drove
55. Both are young men. scarcely more than
boys. but fully trusted by tho New York Trans
fer Company. which owns and drives the mail
wagons by u contract with the Post Office De-
spatcher John Barnes checked the contents OF
each wagon and locked the doors OF both with
his own key. Each driver had key In his
pocket also. The locks on the mail wagons.
except on those which carry registered matter.
are I'LL Of one pattern.
Tho two mail wagons we're almost the last
vehicles to drive aboard the ferryboat They
stood. one behind the other. Mt the tail OF the
boat There was no wagon behind them. but
o one-horse express wagon with green body
and red running gear. which followed them
Immediately. drove alongside 1t was also the
last wagon on its side Of the boat. 1t was
driven by two unknown men. Nobody puid
any attention to the express wagon or its occu-
pants. for many such wagons cross the ferry
daily. No one noticed to what company it be-
longed. or. indeed. whether any name was
painted on it.
The night was raw and humid. and the mail
drivers dismounted from their wagons and
went into the mems cabin. There is a rule Of
tho iost ONCE that employees in charge OF
mail shall never leave it unprotected. but this
appears to be generally disregarded by drivers
Of s y ns Nsw
aud not bound by Post Office rules. THE PMS
sengers crowded into the cabins. The boat,
men went forward. As far rs can be learned
there was no one outside on the tail OF the
boat. unless. as is suspected. the two men OF
ut Hopoken. lUkeefe droye TO the HcGoken
awunna and Western Railroad station No
O'Keeis reported to tho Hotoken Postmaster
a pouch VI local HoboSen mail containing
pers. But when he unlocked his wagon no
found only the bag Of newspaEers., he drove
hs the fy %e n0' Ms 3 in his
wagon at the railroad station and pulled cut
twsnty;one pouches OF letters tor cues on the
the 1O:45 express. which was about TO- leave.
Agent Thatcher. who received them. hastily
look ed them over and said:
There are some packages missing here
but can't step nov S SHriLy the no,l 70
New YORK 10 report the affair lhs train 54l vas
wired back that sY pouches had MT been de-
rs. Elmira, Waverley. ana Scranton respect
iyely The other tW wv were i1r buHhlf, 10 es
s"ns to asa
As soon as. the drivers reported the loss;
Chief lnspector Christopher e. James detailed 3
Shopp upon the case. They questioned tho
drivers closely and learned the facts detailed
the express wagon, That was discovered
Iron me the inspectors ;bsv
til. mail wagons. The express wagon was the
i was evident that tho robbers mus.
have had some sort OF . vehicle
filed. and could not have been carried of IN
observed in any other way. 1t appeared also
to be satisfactorily shown that the ~ robbery
wagons, left the Post Office with only time to
catch the. boat and they arrived at their dei-
NIT OF their having stopped anywhere after
leaving the boat.
On the evening Of Dec Maj Gerk Mnh
Railroad Station In charge Of u pouch OF regis
tered mail matter from Elmira,; This pouch
matter is always double locked. and s accom-.
tSe double po1eh put put on station truck With
other pouches and lowered down the elevator
to the ferry level where. he swore atterward;
he saw 1t placed in q mail wagon and locked
ma mail w nsEs % sn the fer!ySost HaPbara and
cabin. When the mail wagon was unlocked at
the Post Office the registered pouch was
tie shoss
Governors Island.
Did the same .persSors who stole the regis
s
Ths Ps ss Esase to I
e hsd ~ hEh g9 Ms s
would not have been possible. Perhaps 1t was
unpremeditated SO far as the registered pouch pouch
unregistered mail matter is transferred. how
ever. a premium Is put upon robbery. Nothing
is easier The gang r,x key hHniocks al
keys. and occasionally lose them. There are
many drivers. among whom it is easy to con
ceive that ono or two might be corrupted. 1t
is ., regular thing Tor drivers to go int? the
cabins Of ferryboats in bad weather. and the
same condition also drives other folks within.
aud leaves II clear field for the robbers. Under
open a mail wagon and safely transfer dozen
pouches to his own wagon In a few minutes.
The robbery could not be discovered until the
mail wagon reached its destination. which
would give ample time for the escape OF the
robbers.
question which Post ONCE officials would
not answer yesterday was to what extent the
New York Transfe Company Was responsible
for the loss The company 1t Is sail. claims
that 1t Is not required by its contract to keep
its drivers perpetually upon the wagons. The
drivers say that they were never. directed
not f. enter the cabins OF tsrryboats IN transit.
are not spspected Of completely. They worked
Many cases have come up within tho past
six months Of losses OF mail matter and
pouches through carelessness OF the contract
carriers Of mail between train and Post Office
in different towns With the jurisdiction Of
the Post Office officials whose headquarters