The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-29
HUNTERS OF CRIMINALS
INCIDENTS CONNECTED WITH WORK
OF POsToFFICE INSPECTORS.
Shreyvd Class of ssSleuths" who Are
Doing Much to Protect the Mails
from Thieves and SwindIers.

port or the fourth assistant postmaster gem
eral is that relating to the division of post
office inspectors and mail depredations. The
report says:
The duties of postoffice inspectors are
varied. An inspector should not only be
an expert accountant. but a man thorough
ly familiar with every branch of the postal
service in all of it's detail operations. Fire.
quently they are called upon 10 take charge
OF important postoffices in cases of detalca>
ton, and when the accounts are in a con-
fused and almost unintelligible condition.
The successful postoftice inspector must not
only have the qualifications referred to
above, but he must also be a detective of
superior skill, and that many of our in
spectors have such ability in a high degree
is demonstrated by numerous incidents in
the report in full
"A vault in the postoffice at a certain col
lege, located in the college library building.
was wrecked by explosives on the night of
April 6, 1897, and 81, 259 was stolen therefrom,
indicating the presence of the professional
burglar, for whose arrest liberal reward
was offered by the local authorities. But
the inspectors suspicion, based alone upon
the quantity of the explosives Dsed, as evil
derced by it's disastrous effects, led him TO
follow the theory that it was the work OF
novices, and in pursuit of this line of
thought a quiet investigation months later
developed that seventeen-year- old son or
the aged postmaster who was also secre-
tary of the college, and who was well
known for his own sterling honesty and In
tegriey, was indulging in expenditures Tar
beyond his means, such as the purchase
closing of the school he had been sending
numerous express packages to chum IN
distant city, whose association had also
brought him under suspicion. When con-
frOnted with these circumstances and fatty
accused, the boy strenuously denied an
knowledge of the crime, and successfully
wfthstood a sweating process OF two hours
duration jim manner hardly to have been
expected from one Of his years; but he i'm
mediately availed himself OF the oppor-
tunity to convey note of warning to his
partner (Which opportunity the inspector
Considerably afforded him by temporary
released and was neatly trapped by an In
Perception of his communication, which re-
suited in bringing the boys together and III
obtaining complete confession from eacn,
stolen money The robbery was planned
and executed by these two lads as follows.
The safe was unlocked by the postmaster
son, who knew the combination, ana VINO
withdrew the money after which the other
placed a stick of dynamite on the lock pc
hind the vault door, which he closed, hght-
ed the fuse and fled before the explosion
occurred, which gave the job professional
aspect, and which later was the cause OF
the arrest of two notorious safe blowers
by private detectives, who sought to con-
meet them with the burglary. This crime,
which destroyed the happiness OF TWO OF
the most respectable families in the state:
seems all the more strange on account or
the utter lack of actuatlng motive TO
prompt the deed, as the participants were
college associates, bearing good regulations
at home and abroad and who were fur
niShed with ample means for all their neeuS
by indulgent parents.
A NOTED GANG OF SWINDLERS.
1.-THE above refers to the robbery of a
postoffice, but the duties of an inspector are
not alone confined to this class of GRIM
inas. The purpose of the criminal may be
to swindle citizen in a mercantile transac-
ton or business enterprise, and If he uses
the mails in concentrating his design it
comes within the scope of the inspectors
duty to apprehend him in his purpose. This
is illustrated by the suppression of a band
of a dozen Polish Jews, known as the
'Yarowsky Gang, who had successfully
conducted a big swindling scheme in west
ern Pennsylvania since 1889 resulting In
very extensive losses to the WnoleSale Iner5
chants and manufacturers Of the North ana
East, by a Philadelphia inspector whose at
tention was attracted to these partieS Dy
their illegal employment OF the United
States mails in the transaction of a fraud
uIent business The carefully planned
methods and the systematic execution OF
the work of these keen raScals proved them
most elusive individuals. The leaders of
the gang were Charles, Harry and APE
Yarowsky and Charles Rubinsky, one OF
whom would, under an assumed name, open
a store in a small town, where he would at
first pay cash for small orders OF goods,
and by making false reports TO commercial
agencies would succeed in obtaining saIlS-
factory business rating as the basis of fu-
ture operations. Then would rolloW an on
saught upon the susceptible victims VINO
and shoes seemed to be their most desirable
articles of purchase, yet they Drancheu
out into wagons, spices, law BOOKS, pianos,
refrigerators, typeWriters and safes, ana,
in fact. neglected no industry which could
be successfully touched. When the goods
arrived at the depot they would be lmme-
diately reshipped, after obliterattng the
marks, to some unimportant station, and
there carried to storehouse in a mountain
retreat near Shenandoah, Pa, and would
be eventually disposed of through the me-
dunn OF the Polish Jew peddler. Dunning
letters were ignored, and personal visits
FROM creditors were useless. as the party In
whose name the business was being con-
Quoted could never be found. When close
ly pressed and safety demanded secluslon,
an instantaneous change OF base would oc-
cur the goods in stock would Re solo py
the sheriff under judgment confessed to a
friend, and the operator would seek greener
fields and fresher victims under another
name At Catawissa, Pa, the manager or
the business was known as Conrad Her
ring at Lykens as Bernard Wilson, at
Nanticoke as Charles Sherman. at Berwick
as Harry Miller, at Bloomsbury as John n.
Schmidt and at Danville as Bernard Wag-
ner. Much of the convicting evidence
which carried these swindlers to the pem-
tentiarv where Charles Rubinsky died was
secured by the inspector on midnight trip,
when cautiously following a load or the
plumber to it's hiding place In the noun
tains.
the most important enterprises IN winch
our inspectors participated during the year
was the breaking up and capturing of
hand of blrgIars and bank robbers who
had their Headquarters at Hanover, Kan.
During the summer and fall OF 1896 the IN
discriIninate robberies of postoficeS, depots
and banks in the northern counties OF Kan
sas and the southern section or Nebraska
were of such frequent occurrence as to keep
the law-abiding portion OF those com
munities in state or perpetual exclteln realt
and terror. 1t was plain that the region
was infested with an organized gang or
burglars A detail from the inspectors
force was directed TO cooperate with
sDecial agent of the Missouri Pacific Rail-
a united effort to locate the depredators
and place them behind the bars. Instruc-
tions were given to secure their apprehen-
sion if possible. and to assist In their pros
for which they could be held whether for
postofflce robbery or not. At Hanover,
kan. A. a. Baird, alias Big AL r.. u,
Fuller and Fred Whiting were arrested for
robbing a bank at Davenport, Neb., on
Nov. b.
''FuIier is an all-round crook: Baird,
whose real name is Connolly. served a
term in the Sioux Falls penitentiary under
the name of Arthur Inman, for the robbery
of the postoffice at Wentworth. S. D.,
while whiting. the captain of the gang.
is a saloon keeper and a fence at Han
over his dive being the easy resort and
haven of refuge for such characters as
Baird and Fuller Syracuse Slim Jimmie
criminals of record. 1t is stated that it
was not a very uncommon occurrence to
see from twenty-five to thirty crooks in
Hanover at one time. when it was their
Joe and Grand Island roundhouse and there
dispose of it by sale to certain citizens of
the village Jim Burns and st Louis Sam
were subsequently arrested for different
as one of the men who murdered Nick
wager late marshal at Table Rock NebI