The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-06-03
IS The MYSTERY Solved?
Men Who Robbed Scranton POstOfficc
Said to BE in Custody.
WE'RE CORRALLED IN NEW YORK
They Arc Gang of Professional Crooks,
and Arc Accused OF Two Other
Postofficc and Ono Bank
Robbery.

| On Aug 3, 1894, the vault In the post
Office in this city was forced open and
$1,000 In stamps removed. 1t was not
until the next day that the postoflice
officials became aware that the stamps
were missing and the department at
Washington wasatpnce notified. Inspec-
tors were hurried to this city by the de-
partment to investigate the nature of
the robbery and try and discover the
persons who committed 1t.
1t was at first suspected that some
one connected with the local Office was
guilty for everything pertaining ITO the
| job showed that those who executed
| 1t had exact knowledge as to the "lay'
of the building and the manner in
which the business connected with 1t
was carried on.
For weeks employees We're carefully
shadowcd, as soon as one inspector be-
came known another being assigned to
take his place but no headway was
made in unravelling the mystery.
Similar Robbery at lohokcp.
On Dec. 3, the postofllce at Hoboken,
N. j., was rined of stamps amounting
to $G566 in exactly the same manner
as the Scranton office. This confirmed
the theory of many of the inspectors
that the Scranton robbery was the
work of professionals. Several small
robberies in points widely removed fol-
lowed the HObol<en robbery, and on
April 3 came the robbery of the SPRING
field, ILL.,, postofilce of $500 worth of
stamps
l,A t,,e, 1,n1
been hard at work. and Friday In New
York they succeeded in arresting Jo-
seph Killoran, Charlse Allen, John
Moore and Harry Russell after a long
and exciting chase.
These men We're arraigned before
United States Commissioners Shields.
in New York. on Saturday, and were
held in $1,000 bail each for their APP
pearance at further hearing today.
Yesterdays New York Herald said of
the men:
Suspected of Bank Robhcrics Also.
although these men are charged
with the extensive robberies of post
offices in Hoboken, N. j.; Scranton, Pa,
and Springfield, ILL.,, and are suspected
of having been concerned in a so 1000
bank robbery in Plainfield, N. J., re-
Gently, 1t is believed that charges even
more sensational will be made when
they are arraigned before Commission
er Shields tomorrow afternoon. The
postoflice inspectors have promised to
have their witnesses ready then.
From a remark made by Moore,
when he was examined yesterday, it is
thought that other big robberies have
been discovered or that the inspectors
have discovered, "a postofTice official
who assisted the thieves in getting rid
or the immense amount of stamps
which they secured.
THE robberies in Hoboken, Scranton
and Springfield bore evidence of the
same handiwork. Federal detectives
have said that there were only twelve
men in the country who could have
done the work. They have four prison.
ers now, and I was told yesterday on
good authority that they were on the
trail of at least three other men, who
are believed to have been the chief
villains in the plot and whose capture
would prove of even greater Importance
than that of the men now in custody.
Think They Have Broken Up the Gang.
THE postofllce inspectors are satisfied
that they have broken up one of the
most daring gangs of robbers that
ever operated.
The crime for which Moore was sent
to Sing Sing was "a burglary, for which
he received a sentence of seventeen
years and six months. This, together
with the fact that the postofTice robbers
are believed to be bank 'sneaks' who
have turned their attention to stamp
robberies, led the detectives to suspect
the prisoners of the Plainfield bank
burglary.
Moore was pardoned after serving
seven years of his sentence, and was re-
leased on April 1 of this year The
most recent of the postofiice robberes
yet made public was that in Springfield,
ILL.,, on April 3, and Moore, when arrest
ed on Friday promptly asserted that
his presence in Sing Sing established an
alibi. This story was investigated and
1t was found that Moore really was in
prison when the Hoboken robbery oc-
CURED.
What Puzzles Inspectors.
What has puzzled the inspectors
most Is how the men. who stole S22. 900
worth of stamps, contrived to get rid of
their booty. To peddle them even in
small lots must have excited suspicion
before long. They must have had an
agent, who knew something about the
details of the postofiice system, the in
spectors think"