Bridgeton pioneer. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919, 1893-02-09
LETTER BOX THEFT.
He rs Landed Safely In Jail After
He Makes Confession to the
Authorities.

| Aho I1OGHEh eXUra issued aG ~
gave the only information on Satur.
day to the public, of the capture of the
yovng man who robbed the letter
boxes.
The NeaOs with its alleged ''four
O'Clock edition" failed to catch on, and
as usual its readers must wait "a or In
this case 48 hours for the real news.
Postmaster Hewitt has rested quietly
secure In the belief that the robber
would be caught, ever since the Pro-
EEER informed him of the fact that a
check from one of the boxes, had been
seen in the hands of young man.
He received word early in the week
that detective would be here on Sat-
urday, and of course was not surprised
when Henry D. Parnham, of the Post
Office department., arrived at the Post
Office about ten o'clock Saturday
morning.
The detective was made acquainted
with the clue given by the paper, and
in company with the Postmaster, visit
ed the Cumberland Glassworks, and
secured an interview with the young
man Newmaster, who had seen the
check, and he promptly said that he
had been shown the check the'previous
Saturday night at Broad street hall,
by young man named George Moss
brook. The young fellow claimed to
have found it. Newmaster said that
Mossbrook could be found on a boat
near Broad street bridge, belonging to
Amos Penn.
The detective and Postmaster made
a search for Mossbrooks without avail,
and then Constable Ayars was brought
into the case, and In less than twenty
minutes he had located the young
man on Mulberry street, and he was
in custody.
At the Mayors Office Mossbrook
was searched. Nothing could be found
upon him at all. He stoutly denied
having any knowlege of the crime,
and remained obdurate for a long
time. Finally he admitted having
shown the check to Newmaster, but
declared he found 1t. Finally he be-
gan crying, and being pressed with
questions, and assured that the best
way for him to obtain, mercy was
true story, he consented to tell his
story to one person. The detective
started with him to a rear room of the
Office, and Postmaster. Hewitt followed.
AS soon as he began telling his story,
Detective Parnham called the Mayor,
and then it was full confession was
made.
Mossbrook, stoutly declared he was
alone, although at the time, he was
not believed. He said that he took a
marlinspike from Penn's boat-a
sharp end steel instrument. used in
splicing rope, and at two o'clock Fri
day morning tackled the first box. He
found little difficulty in breaking the
hasp of the lock, and he continued the
work until nine boxes were broken
and he had secured, he said, about
one hundred letters. These he took
with him to Penn's boat, and it was
then four O'Clock in the morning. He
waited until. daylight when he tore
open the envelopes and finding no
money. threw them all in the fire,
burning them up. The check which
led to the discovery of the criminal,
he kept. This was the only check, he
said, he found; while on his way to
jail he admitted to Constable Ayars,
that there were two checks, both of
which he afterwards destroyed.
He was closely examined as to being
In company with some one, but he
continued to declare that he was as.
sisted by no one. A formal complaint
was then made, and Mayor Dubois
committed Mossbrook to the County
Jail, for hearing before United States
Commissioners James M. Cassidy, of
Camden.
At the all Mossbrook became quite
detected, and tears were in his dyes.
He refused to talk concerning the rob-
berry at all. He said his age was 20
years, and that he could not read or
write. The young man Is. an unfor.
tunate fellow. He is son of the late
Andrew Mossbrook, and since his fa-
theirs death has no home. He is NOT
considered more than half witted, and
has become little more than a vagrant.
On Friday last he was on Penn's boat
with gang of young fellows, enjoy
ing free coup dinner. Penn cleared
out the crowd. and looked the boat
up.
Monday morning he told PIONEER
reporter that there were two checks In
the letters he secured, and he gave it
to young man who burned it up.