The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-26
BETRAYED BY A THREAD.
a POSTAL THIEF CAUGHT BT
MEANS OF 4 THIN CLUE.

HAD Larnway Not Uaed yellow Thread In sew-
ing Tn tho Mail nag $50 Had Looted. ne
Might he ~rrcc-Cnpture or tho Inrownky
Gang and other Port Omco Criminals.
WARRINGTON, Oct. 25.-Somo very interesting
stories about Post Office robbers enliven the
pages Of tho annual report OF Joseph l.. Bristow.
the Fourth Assistant PostmasterGcncral, which
was given to tho press today. The Post ofice
inspectors who are in charge OF Mr.. Brlstow's
office succeeding In breaking up several gangs
and In making some notable arrests. One OF tho
gangs had its headquarters Mt Hanover, knn.,
and operated in tho summer and fall OF 1896 in
the northern counties OF Kansas and the south
ern part of Nebraska. Tho members OF tho gang
robbed banks and post offices so frequently as
TO keep the people in n constant state OF excite
ment.
A detail from the inspectors force was d.
rcctcd to cooperate with an agent OF the Mis-
souri, Pacific Railroad Company and the State
authorities to find the robbers. The inspectors
found that twenty-five or thirty crooks would
assemble at Hanover at one time. Several were
arrested and all are now serving sentences.
Not u Post Office robbery was reported for
morths after these arrests in the territory in
which the gang operated, though these had
averaged previously two a week. Harry Lara
way, an employee of the Canadian Grand Trunk
Railway Company, caused tho inspectors n lot
OF trouble. He would rip open mail Bugs, ex-
tract letters, and then sow up the bags. The in
spectors could not find out at first whether the
dcpredations occurred in Canada or the United
States.
One day n Canadian bag which reached De.
troit was found to have been repaired with yell
low thread. This slender clue was followed dill.
gently. Postal clerks were tested and watched.
transfer clerks in Detroit and Chicago were kept
under close espionage. and mail bags were shad;,
owed. Suspicion was directed to Laraway, and
in his room was found some of the yellow
thread. Lnraway was watched and caught red
handed. lie was convicted.
a cause of the Illegal use of the mails is told
in Mr.. Burton's account of the suppression Of
the Yarowsky gang. which consisted OF n dozen
Poles. who had conducted a big swindling bust
ness in western Pennsylvania since 1889. Ono
town. He would pay cash at first for small
orders of goods. and. by making false reports to
commercial agencies. would succeed in obtain
ing a satisfactory business rating as a basis of
future operations. Orders for boots and shoes.
wagons, spices. pianos, refrigerators, type
writers, and safes. and other things. were filled
by the victims OF the gang. When tho goods
arrived at the station they would be reshipped
to some unimportant station. carried 10 a
Btorehouse in n mountain retreat near Shenan-
doah, Pa. and eventually would be disposed OF
through the medium Of the Polish Jew pcddler.
Much Of the convicting evidence which car
ried these swindlers to tho penitentiary was So
cured by a Philadelphia inspector on a mid
night trip. when he cautiously followed q load
of the plumber to its hiding place in the noun
tains.
During the fiscal year 1897 tho number of
Post Offices established was 1,60l. the number
discontinued 939, names and sites changed
tiers upon removal 5.115. upon resignation
T,299, and upon death 722. A table 10 given
showing that the number OF Post Offices in the
United States have increased from rs in 1890
To Il Oo2 in 1897.