New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-04
FENCE FOR STOLEN STAMPS
c. F. MORsON ARRESTED AFTER AN
EXCITING STRUGGLE.

fDSiOrFltf INSPE-lOFs W a End III
-CoNFTssIoN OF CAPTURED
THIEVES LEADS TO
THE ARREST
After an exciting struggle In which revolvers
were drawn. Postoffcc Inspector George n
Waterbury Of Denver. COL yesterday afternoon
arrested Charles f. Morson in his saloon. n
West Third-st and Sea Rreeze-ave. Coney ISL
and. In the last year burglars have broker into
a number OF postof,ices In various parts Of the
country and have stolen postage stamps TO the
value 81 $3.50 Nine ~ these burglars have
so far been arrested. and three have confessed
duplicating Morson "a fence" ror the d.
posal Of their stolen wares MOrsOn. with one
Robert Burkhardt. was Indicted in Denver on
November a. on the specific charge Of receiving
stamps to the value Of s423 20 stolen from the
postofice at Florence Col. nearly a year and
a half ago. on July q 1895
Under the direction Of the Chief Postal In
sp~ctor Of the United States George 3 Hamlet
81 Washington. the placed in the hands
Of Inspector Waterbury. 81 Denver who has
had twenty-five YEAR, experience in running
down postofice thieves. In addition 10 the
burglary at Florence the po-toflces at Cripple
Creek Man,tou and Victoria Col. and South
Omaha, Net. had been robbed and in quest ~
the burglars Waterbury has travelled hundreds
Of miles. He first had under suspicion certain
". s. Hostetter and In June and July last ne
Iaced him from Denver 10 Washington. "a Mon
treal. 10 Ottawa to Port Arthur N Lake Of
the Woods and thence Far into the ~ilds ~ what
is known as the Rainy Lake district. whore h"
found Hostetter prospecting Tor gold. He
rested him on July * and took him back to
Denver by way OF Winnipeg
AGAIN on HIS TRAVELS
Subsequently Nr. Waterbury went n New
Mexico Wyoming and Colorado and arrested
George n Burton. William Werth. Frederick
Robinson and Oscar Dickens The two last
named and Hos,etter have made confessions.
duplicating many others beside Mor.on.
In his Investigations Inspector Waterbury
learned that a package of postage stamps was
shipped from Colorado City. and reached Nor
son Al Coney Island on July 20 1896. These
were tho stamps valued a. 1923 20 which the
inspector alleges were stolen from the Florence
Po.tofnce eleven days earlier They w-re
shipped by the wells-Fargo 90 Express. and
turned over In Brooklyn 10 tn. Long Island
Express On rho day after the receipt ~ the
stamps Norson drew his check On the Nassau
National Bank OF Brooklyn for 1919 payable to
w. r. HOStetcf. ana Fliller IL U tHc ldUNT ~
Colorado City This would - show Nor
sons profits on this one transaction To have been
slO4 90
There werp many others under suspicion.
however and no haste was made 70 apprehend
Morson ror fear tho others would be frightened
away Inspector Waterbury communicated
with John e. Ashs III. inspector In charg. IN
New-York and he detailed Inspectors Coleman
and Duryea Of New York. and Inspector J.
King Of baltimore TO aid Waterbury in running
down the thieves and their accornplces.
on February 4 last Inspector Waterbury
learned that a letter bearing a speclal-delivery
stamp had been written and mailed IN Morson
by Hostetter, Robinson and Dickens warning
Morson 70 beware Of the inspectors in New-York
Waterbury telegraphed 10 Inspector Ashe and
TO Superintendent William j. Carroll, then In
charge Of Station VI. at Coney Island. 70 make
a tracing OF the address and have the letter de-
livered 20 Morson personally. This was done by
Superintendent Carroll and. though the name
wa. spelled Morrison instead Of Morson. the
latter opened II in Carrolrs presence and
acknowledged It was for him. Still the postal
authorities were in no hurry to arrest Morson,
but simply kept him under surveillance.
WITH A BENCH WARRANT
Bearing q bench warrant signed by United
States District Judge Moses Hallock. Of Denver,
and with a certified copy o: Morsons ndict-
ment Inspector Waterbury arrived In New
York yesterday and with Inspectors Coleman.
Duryea and King went to Brooklyn. where they
laid their papers before United States Marshal
Henry l. Hayden. He detailed Deputy Marshal
Charles Koch 10 go with them 10 Coney Island
TO arrest Morson.
How the arrest was made is told by Inspector
Waterbury as follows:
When We got there. about 1870 o'clock. Ne
found the front door locked II Is little. one
story building. and am told it is a resort FOR
women. both white and black We went around
TO the side door and went up 10 the bar. saw
a full faced. stout man, about forty-hve years
old. in his shirt sleeves behind the bar. The only
other person in the place was young man OF
twenty or So who. I afterward learned. was
Morson's son Walter. asked the man behind
m. bsr 10 hi, name was Charles z. Morson and
he said IL was.
I'VE have a warrant here for your arrest
said.
II can't help that. he replied.
".You have been indicted out West said /.
81 can't help that said he.
We will have TO take you back TO Denver
I said next.
II asked him to let me see his checkbook and
he complied | found the date. July Il. 1896.
when he made the check TO w. 8 Hostetter. OF
Colorado City for 1919. and asked him what the
check was for Like a fash he grabbed the
hook from NV hands and hinging II 70 his son
he shouted Walter. get away with that-get
away quick" IA,
THE boy made dash for the BACK door with
the hook shouting for some one az he ran. |
started after him and Morson came after me.
Deputy Marshal Koch was quick, however. and
trimmed the boy I'D and while they rolled on the
Noor he nut the 'darbys' on him. Meanwhile q
crowd Of ruffans rushed in. l had heard that
Coney Island was q tough place and was ready
for them They didn't go FAR.
You drew your revolver
We'll. YOU needn't say so II did We are used
to that thing out West 1t was pretty hot.
though. for a few minutes and mad iittle roll
on the floor too with old man Morson. We
didn't arrest the boy. but we got the check
hook :"