Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1897-06-24
WENT TO CHINA IN a BOX
Clever Escape of a Chinese Postoffice
RObber.
[From San Francisco Examiner

Clever Escape of Chinese POstOmce
Robber.
from San Francisco Examiner.]
/ If Sam Yick will apply for it, he can
easily obtain from the postal authori-
ties diploma for being the subtlest
Celestial they have ever had to deal
with.
For weeks he robbed the mails with
out detection, for ten months he evad-
ed the active search that was made for
him. and finally he had himself boxed
up as freight, and right under the very
eyes of customs and postal officials
shipped abroad a Chinese steamship
and SO safely reached the Flowery
Kingdom, where the little matter of
forgery and robbing the United States
mails do not count against q mans so
cial standing or put him in jeopardy OF
San Quentin.
Sam Yick came to this country early
in life. He attended the public schools
of this city, and by the time he was
twenty years old was accounted one OF
the shrewdest and most capable of
young Chinese in Chinatown. He be-
came member of the well-known
butcher firm of Men, Yick u Co., and
was looked upon as rising young bus
mess man and one of the pillars OF his
tong.
In the early part of 1896 series OF
postofice robberies was committed
which baffied the keenest investiga-
tions of the postal inspectors. A post
office employee was suspected. but he
was able to clear himself, and the mys-
terry seemed insolvable. Letters con-
tanning drafts, money orders and cur
rency, directed to number of Chinese,
and even to one or two American firms,
were rified of their contents somewhere
after they reached the post office and
before they reached their destination.
Success made Sam Yick vain and boast
full, and he told friend of his misdeeds.
An attempt was made to arrest him on
the night of January II, 1895, but Yick
was warned just in time, and escaped
over the roofs with the officers in hot
pursuit. From the Investigations made
at the time, it was found that he had
| in some manner secured keys to the
postoffice boxes of the firms he robbed,
and with daring and audacity almost
| unparalleled, he took the mail from
the boxes, rified it of its valuables, and
converted these to his own use. Of
course. this made forgery necessary,
but Yick had not gone to school to no
purpose. He was an adept with the
pen. and initiated Chinese and English
chirography with skill. 1t is said that
| the net results of his felonies during
! the few weeks he was engaged in it
were at least 81 900.
When suddenly forced to leave his
bed to escape the officers, he made his
way to the interior of the State some
where, and remained concealed for
about ten months. At the end of that
time a friend made up his mind to go
TO Chiaas AID fissls aeonUiuetea . 80
with him. But he was so well know II.
and the postal authorities were SO ac-
tive in the search for him, that he did
not dare risk any ordinary disguises.
Even to attempt to get to San Fran
cisco was attended with danger. ln
this predicament he had himself boxed
up and shipped by rail to this city
| Here he was entered at the custom
house for export as freight, and put
abroad one OF the outgoing steamers.
i When safely out at sea his friend, who
was abroad as one of the passengers,
/ helped him to get out of his packing
Il case, and he made the rest of the trip
| in comfort. But just how his friend
managed to see that the box was kept
right side up with care while it was be
ing handled in the process of shipment
and was not slowed away in the lower
part of the hold with tons of freight Oh
top of him, is one of the mysteries thai
has not yet been cleared up. ltseems
/ however, that he did, for word has beer
received that he arrived safely on th'
other side, and is now drinking tea ant
eating birds nests with rice in Cantor
in the elegant leisure his $4,000 affords
him.
improvements on the Southern.
The Southern Railway Co. has pro