Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1895-09-05
ROBBERY OF TIE MAILS
HOW UNCLE SAM IS VICTIMIzED
BY PoSToFFICE BURGLARS.
The Department Using Every Effort
10 check the Losses-The Case of
Eubc BURROWS Recalled

annually arrested for trying
" IN some way or other to pill
Ter from the mails, and on
toe average more than two postoflices
are robbed every day, year in and
year out. Last year there was an in =
crease OF thirty-iive per cent. in post,
Office burglaries, there being 426 more
such crimes during that time than in
the year preceding. and within the
past ten years there has been an in
crease OF 247 per cent. in postal rob
berries. The indications are that the
present year will break the record,
and that it will show more burglarles
than any in our history.
The robbing of postoiiices is now re.
duced to science. 1t is known that
there are III the country class Of pro-
fessional burglars who devote them
selves to robbing postoffices. They
are experts in their line, and their
stealings equal fortunes. They have
their fences, through whom they get
rid OF the stamps they steal, ani
everything connected with them seems
to be Systematically organized. They
operate in all parts of the country,
though the headquarters of one OF the
biggest gangs seems to be in New
York. During the past two or three
years they have become bolder than
ever. The Postoffice Department has
for some time known of their exis-
tence, and the inspectors are working
night and day to wipe them out. Two
years ago the matter was taken up by
Congress, and an appropriation Of
$40, 600 was made to be used by the
Postoflice Department in the shape of
rewards for the arrest aud detection
OF such robbers. Last year this ap-
propiation was increased to $4,000,
and the result is that the department.
now has standing rewards for noted
postal burglars.
M. ID. Wheeler is tho Chief Postof.
flee Inspector. The inspectors may be
called Uncle Sans postal detectives.
There are about one hundred of them,
and they are scattered all over the
country. They have charge of all
crimes connected with the postolfice,
and may be ordered by the Postmaster
General to go to any part of the coun-
try at a moments notice. A number
OF them are on duty along the line
between the United States and Can.
ada, and they are espe ,ially busy now
In keeping track of the robberies in
the Western States and Territories.
Every day or 50 thero Is telegram
from Oklahoma aud the Indian Terri.
tory asking for the detection of some
new postollice crime. The inspectors
are under the charge of Mr.. NJ. d.
Wheeler, who directs them from the
Postotlice Department.
All complaints are classified. Those
which relate to the registered mail are
marked "a" Those which refer to
the ordinary mail go into division
"B. All charges against postmasters
and postal employees and the improper
use of the mails are assigned to
another division, marked &c" The
'D' cases are those which relate to
the robberies of postoffices, and the
"F" cases are complaints as to the
foreign mail. There are daring crimes
connected with all these cases. The
registered mail is said to carry about
two hundred million dollars year 1t
handles about fifty million letters and
packages annually, and last year it
was alleged that over twenty five hun
dred OF these were opened and their
contents stolen. There were several
thousand other cases, somc of which
embraced the entire loss of the letter
or package. OF the cases investigated.
1T was found that losses actually oc-
CURED in only about eighteen huu-
dred instances, and that in half of these
the money was recovered by the in
spectors. AS to the annual ordinary
mail it is impossible to estimate its
value. AT the rate of twenty five cents
per letter it would be worth $500, OO0,-
600. Complaints in this division
amounted last year to about fifty
seven thousand, and the loss was com
paratively small. The chief increase
IN crime has been in postollice bur
glaries, and connected with them the
numerous defalcations Ill the Terri
tories of the West.
The men who rob Uncle Sans post
offices are among the most dangerous
of our criminal classes. They are
usually men of more than ordinary
intelligence, and they seem to bs
adopts in the art of getting ont OF
Uncle Sam's jails. There is a man now
in the penitentiary at Joliet, Ill.,, VIII,
held up five men and succeeded in
making his escape after ho had
been arrested by tho postal in
spectors. This mans name is Lo Roy
Harris. He was formerly in the employ
of the New York PostolIice. About
year ago he got possession of some
money order and postal note blanks of
Connecticut postotlice. With these,
by means of forgery, lie succeeded IN
obtaining about $1,000 from the post,
office funds. He sent his bogus money
orders all over the country. The in
spectors soon discovered this fraud,
and within six weeks after the theft OF
the blanks they had arrested him. He