The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-06-21
;TTO FOX'S CRIMES.
80 Nan Who Robbed Post
cAIce Boxes.
= ! oeeEMsEs IN CALIFORNIA
~s,.e Tears - sAe Reasssa.
MISREPRESENTATION nsshvts sss-
~.A - oevea Yeess-SSsee.

@A,.e 1ssss - sAe Psssssa.
..~--ces>sesssfss msshvts sss-
es1 - sevss Tssss-Sssss
-. ~~sninsis Who pleaded guilty Of
-. $1,000 daring the present term Of
- rrsse6 stesss district court were yes-
a..4s, senesneed by Judge Hanfo-d.
~s..~ rsce David Mitchell, convicted Oh
sss.m seuusrsGne. sentenced 20 one ysar
= - United States peritsnssaxy: An
.tr.e and All Chong. Who pleaded guilty
j. Ian smuggling. twenty months ssen:
ssartes Seymour, same odsnss. one year.
asso eehulss, same ofense. fifteen months:
& f.xnA Neyers. alias Mortimer Fox. sno
a.esded guilty TO robb,ng the Seattle post
z 80. got thsee years as hard labor; Df. d.
aeshyip. convicted Of eountef;eis1ns,
x,s sensenced tor seven years
3 A each vas asked In turn why sentence
/ sAoa.d not be pronounced Against him
,s.s 10. mercy was interposed. seymour
s..,sd that he vas deep water sailor and
= A.a never before committed crime. He
a.d inst brought his family here from
u.s.s and long sentence would work .
L.rashsp on them. He was sorry for his
.r.rae cd prayed for lenisncy. Mitchell
AID schulsz we're also deep $50 mariners:
ssssse vesv their firss o6enses and they were
sorry. The Chinese had nothing 70 say II
asssssstsoa Of their ofsenses.
". /. Baes. - attorney for Meyer. nsds
4 lengthy plea 20 the court for mercy 10
tss client. He stated that he hsd bsen
xarking 1t various lswmiiis on the sound
B ADD hsd shipped h sailor from Port
b asAusbis 70 San Francisco and had worked
t3s .ssy By land back 70 Puget sound.
b lie had gone 70 Port Blaksiey in search OF
vass. bus had failed 20 obtain employ
r,ens there and elsewhere: that he Was
yssns. hungry and desperate; that he
vss no criminal. but that on going to the
pss.aiice ID mail letter. the opportunity
D. rob the box Of the MacDougali &
kuiawick Company presented itself 70
klm in an evil moment when he Was In
essperass condition. and he yielded 70 the
iagusse OF the moment. for which he vas
nas heartily sorry.
EniIs Attorney Basr was doubtless
heasss enough In making his eloquent
psss for the young man. u II fact that
sbs convict is one Of the most notorious
and persistent criminals on the Pacific
ssass. A. he pleaded guilty this fact was
oct brought ont in court, and others have
~. known IL because he has gone under
N alias throughout his last trouble. His
J kas name IL Mortimer Fox and he 10 the
Rlaa Of respectable and wsll-to-do
6sasly Of Berkeley. CAL, where he spent
lis aoyhood. He IL now bat 81 years Of
! ees. but his career Of crime commenced
! shen he vas but Is years old. In San Fran
dsee and other California towns he 10 known
Motto Fox. alias I. Cohn. alias J. n.
Myers. He WAS also known BY the last
tso aliases In this city. and it was the use
Il one Of them that aided Detective Rog-
- in capturing him. A. before stated.
v commenced his career OF crimo when
ssY 10 years old. 1t WAS in Ban Fran
ssse that he began the robbery Of hallway
k.ls boxes, securing many letters con-
hIDseg checks and drafts. Forging the
max. His boldness and youthful appear.
eess resulted In nearly svsry case In the
pesment Of the forged paper.
He usually pretended great ignorance
nd Indifference regarding the checks or
drsfss. stating that he was only the Office
ahy. He generally carried . sack Of coin
3 sae hand and . bunch OF checks or
lrsi:s In the other to create the impress
asn that he Was ont collecting. Another
tisk vas 10 ask for change as an excuse
D. having drafts cashed. This trick he
sasksd here several times. Such conduct
1 seala deceive the most careful bank
slsfgs After securing several hundred
dallars in this way he was arrested In
ls$. and upon conviction Was sentenced
- two years imprison ment in the house
4 et Correction.
lie failed - profit by the lesson. how
erss. and soon after his release complaints
began 10 reach the postal authorities that
hsllway letter boxes In San Francisco were
Again being robbed and banks victimixed
b. the paymen: OF forged checks and
dsasts.
The handiwork OF young Fox in that
vafk Was recognized by Detectives Bee
aa,I Harper. bat not until he had gathered
H. aisau. 81 $50 and left San Francisco. In
enc case Fox secured SEES from the Oak.
land Bank Of Savings on forged indorse-
nsents. The hank hrss refused payment
sithout Identification. bnt subsequently
paid the money whom the draft was pre-
ssntsd bearing the Endorsement of q we'll
Known citizen. which also proved to DO q
sasgery
Having made San Francisco too warm
saf comfort. young Fox came TO this city
sad robbed the boxes of the MacDoueail
sonthwick Company, Schwahacher
hses a. Co.. aud Dexter Horton & Co.
eankers. In the postofsicc. Out OF this
faaaery he cashed drafts amounting TO
saeat $50. Then he went TO Omaha and
opened cigar store and Vas making
aaaey when tho san Francisco officers To-
satssi him. An officer Was seat from Cali
hsasa with relnisiiion papers on
warrants charging him with forgery,
eas with his i!i-gotien gains he
seeeeded in making strong
dsssnss and would have escaped entirely
ksa IL not been tor the Federal authorities.
VIA took him 10 California. where he was
ind'cied BY the United States grand jury
ssa turned over 70 the custody OF United
ksssss Marshal Long. His parents &C.
ssEsa his release upon $1,000 ball. bat he
s1 a, once arrested for the Oakland
hrc-y. Last December he succeeded in
saving this charge dismissed upon some
eeanseallty and 81 once Jumped aix bonds
u TIE Federal case and came 10 this
e'f. The pos,ofiice box Of the Macpou-
nS souihwies Company must have had
sne fascination fer him, Tor IS soon ~ he
saved he robbed II again. cleaning up
ssoat &ls0 by this haul. lie then went 10
TN Hakesey, where he shipped as cabin
Wy 90 the bark Moioc. loaded with ium-
IA ha~ ys&-~ -.