The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-08-04
CAPTURED N SEATTLE
Postoflce Inspectors Wayland and
Clement Run Down a Living
ston Mail Robber.
Milt Wall Had Taken at Least
1880 From Registered
Packages.
A Burglar Enters Bank WILL
sons Room aud Is Caught Wcar-
ing Part of Hts Plumber.

A telegram from Postof1ce Inspectori
Wayland aud Clement at Seattle. to Chief
Inspector Bsdell here, yesterday. announce
the arrest by them of Milt Wall. o%olored,
on the charge of robbing the registered
mail packages in the Livingston postotlce.
He has confessed. The rohberies had been
going on for nearly q month and the
amount taken, willis not definitely known,
Is believed to be about 81, 500 and may bs
more. Wall was in the employ OF the rail-
road company at Livingston and his duties
were to carry the mail from the postotice
10 the depot and vice versa. Contrary 10
the rules in such cases he was allowed TO
enter the mailing room OF the postotlice. a
place where others than employees are not
SUPP osed 80 go. He had a key to tho
room aud often when there was an early
mail to be sent cut he had opportunities Of
being alone there. The mail pouches,
when made up for the train. are always
locked. The keys to the locks. however.
are hung or the rack whe,e the mail is
made up. In that way Wall had complete
access not only to the mailing room, but to
the inside of the mail pouches as we'll.
Since early in July something like ~tifty-six
registered letters mailed at Livingston have
been reported lost. and when all the re-
turns are in the number may be more. 1t
was noticed that Wall seemed to be we'll
supplied with money. He bought a gold
watch and il has since been Rscsrtained
that ne left 5000 IN cash with a colored wo-
man in Livingston. He trisd to get tho
railroad compan to issue him q
PASS to go west, but failing to get
It told the agent he didn't care, as
he had plents of money of his own. On
Saturday he left Livingston, and then IT
dawned ON Postmaster Swindlehurst that
Wall was probably the man who was respon-
sibie for the loss Of the many registered
letters. The pastofice inspectors were
notified and went to work on the case.
They ascertained at Livingston that Wall
had gotten his money from the woman and
bought a ticket to Helena. He did not
stop here long but kept on west; Inc In
. ectors followed on his trail and found he
had stopped in Seattle. Ths @ he sent a
dispatch TO the woman in Livingston, nsk-
ing her if shs would come to Seattle II he
sent her ticket. The woman took the tele-
gram to Postmaster Swldlshurst, who an
sweted it for her. This gave tho inspectors
the clue to Wallis whereabouts aad they
arrested him Yesterday in Seattle. In this
registe ed packages that were stolen
we're two from the banks at Livingston.
containing nearly $500 In mutilased cur
renew sent to Washington for redemption.
On Wall. when arrested, was found $176 In
mutilated currenov, which OF itself will be
sufficient TO convict him without his con-
fession. Some of the stolen packages con-
tanned iewelry, though it Is not known
whether or not any Of that was recovered.
Wall has started east in charge OF the in
spsctots. Chief Wheeler. of ths postofics
inspection department.. teleararhed from
Washington yesterday to Division Chief
Bedell, Congratulate Wayland and Glenn
ent on the seattle arrest"
The arrest of Wall ia q most Important
one and according TO his confession to the
inspectors, nobody but he was involved in
the robberies. The fact that he was in a
position TO open and rife the mail sacks
appears to have been thouRhtlessness or
carelessness on the part of tho deputy left
Wall had no business in the mailing room
of the postotfice. not being an employe of
the COVE nment. Though others are some
times allowed In that room when they have
business there, the fact that he had access
at any and all tinea by means of a key,
left him free to pursue his psculations un-
observed when shsrs were no employees
around. As many as half q dozsn regis
tered letters a Q known to have been taken
from a sack at one time. Wall will be held
at Helena until the United States grand
iu y and the United States court takes &C.
ton on his case. The punishment 70 his
otfense is q long term in the penitentia,y
md a fine equal TO the amount known to
have been stolen, less that recovered.