The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-05-23
ROBBERY OF MAIL BOXES
How New York Gang Did Thriving
Business.
Washington Letter in Philadelphia
Times.)


The capture last week of several mem
bers of gang of mail-box robbers who
have been operating in New York and
other cities on an extensive scale, is
likely to put check on a criminal in
dustry which for long time past has
been great annoyance to the postal au-
thorities. They have found it very diff
Gu 1t to run down sue thieves, who work
in gangs and cover up their tracks with
remarkable oleverness. The receptacles
fer letters on street corners are practical
ly at their mercy, no efficient method
having been found for guarding them. 1t
is always easy to break tho paddock or
wrench it off, and the idea of having
nurglar-proof fastenings was given up
long ago as hopeless Locks costing as
much as IS each have been tried, but
they afforded no better protection than
the simple ones now ID use, which come
at about 40 cents apiece wholesale. If q
man Wants to violate o. post box, there
is no Way TO prevent him; as last re-
sort he can take An ak and smash it.
Such clumsy methods rs these, how
ever, are esohewed by the acoo mplished
professional robber. He knows how to
steal any quantity of letters with COM
paratively little risk to himself. Such q
man was taken into custody not long,
ago. who did business In New York.
He had a regular carriers uniform and
possessed key that would open any and
all OF the mail boxes i 4 the metropolis
You see, ali of the boxes in any given
city have looks just alike, and may be
opened by one key. This arrangement
seems unfortunate but it cannot be
helped, because carrier may have 100
or more boxes to attend to, and il is out
OF the question for him to have partic-
ul9r key for each receptacle.
The robber finds no trouble in securing
a key. He may bride carrier to let
MIN have copy of his: but it is much
sion of the look. Plenty of criminals
are skilled locksmiths. Once provided
with key, the thief can help himself.
He may even risk it in broad daylight;
for If questioned by citizen he can re-
ply coolly that he is a subsuitute on the
route. But citizens can hardly be ex-
pected to be. well acquainted with the
tually on the force do not know all of
their fellow employees. Only a moment
Is required for emptying box, and the
robber departs with the plumber, which
he may examine at leisure. OF course
he takes his chances as to finding valu-
ables in the letters.
1t is just here that trick most i'm
portant to the success of the business is
employed. The New York thief above
referred to, for example, was aocust omed
to abstract the letters and packages in
quantities. He rented a room conve-
niently near the temporary field of his
operations, and thither he took the plum
der. He opened the letters by steaming
them, removing this money and checks
from those which contained them. Then
he resealed the letters, using for the pur-
pose a special kind of fine white muoilage
SO that nobody could tell that they had
been tempered with. Finally he re-
mailed them. Of course no one found
any reason to complain save those whose
letters reached them without the checks
and money which they were suppose to
contain.
1t was on this system that the newly
captured gang was accustomed to work.
1t comprised seven men, with headquart-
ers In New York. At headquarters was
the "penman," or 'scratcher, - as be is
called in thieves parlance, who attended
to the forgery end Of the business His
part was to raise checks, forge indorse-
mentS and attend to other criminal de.
tails of the sort. For obvious reasons,
not every check stolen could be cashed,
but the skill exhibited in turning such
paper into money was quite surprising.
The members of the gang were scattered
about In different cities-one in Chicago,
another in Cincinnati, and so on. Thus
stolen draft could be forwarded to the
CITY of its destination and negotiated
there. The supplying of necessary sigma
lures was trife.
When firm or individual did not find
money or check that was supposed to
be inolOsed in letter, the usual infer
ence was that the writer had forgotten
it. Then would ensue correspondence
on the subject between the address
and the writer. The latter would insist
that he had made the Enclosure, and the
dispute would last for weeks before the
matter was referred to the postoffice de-
partment. Meanwhile the swindlers had
plenty Of time to cover up their tracks,
and to catch them was almost out of the
question. This sort of work is still be
ing carried on, Notwithstanding all eff
forts of the authorities to prevent 1t.
The industry is SO profitable as to have
attracted the attention of many accom-
plished thieves.