New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-24
THIEF AND FORGER CAUGHT
THE LEADER OF GANG WHICH HAS
ROBBED LETTER-BOXES.
RICHARD O. DAVIS. WITH SING SING RECoho'
Is NOW UNDER ARREST FOR EXTENSIVE

RICHARD O. DAVIS WITH A sING SING RECORD
&c NOW UNDER ARREST FOR EXTENSIVE
OPERATIONS IN HALF DOZEN CITIES
The New-York Postofice Inspectors were ousy
congratulating themselves yesterday over the capt
IRE Of Pichar5 O Davis one Of the most no
torIous forgers IN the country. and a man VINO
for some time has been giving detectives and POST
Office Inspectors in many OF the principal '''c'
Of the West an exceedingly lively lot OF trouoie'
Davis was arrested yesterday morning, IN twenty
third-st near Ninth-ave Inspector j. E. Jacobs.
OF the New-York Postofice: George G. Holden OF
the Cincinnati Division. and Seymour Boutel' Oh
Pinkerton's Agency. representing the American
Bankers Association, were the men VINO were sue
cessful In trapping the man. He VIII be taken iin-
.nediately TO Toledo for trial
In the last six months there has been gang OF
street letter-box thieves and forgers operating al
various important points Letter-boxes were
opened checks distracted from the maiIs'
the names OF the payee and amounts were altered
and the checks were presented for payment "' '"e
banks on which they were drawn. IN the couise
Of its operations this gang made victims OF several
members of the American Bankers Assoc'a'io''
and the cases were brought before Pinkerton
National Detective Agency which requested
10 co-operate with the Inspectors OF the fostoInce
in bringing about the arrest OF the thleVes ana
forgers.
The first investigation disclosed the fact that the
gang was supplied with letter-box keys More
over. one of them had a mai-carrier's suit Their
plan Of operating was to have the man VINO acteo
the mart ~ The leter-carrier visit the eter-boxes
IN the business portion OF city Just ahead of the
reeular carrier All the letters thus taken from
the box were taken 10 room where they were
opened I'd all checks removed After the checks
had been altered then began the work OF the man
who wa. assigned TO present them at the bank
The first heard of the gang was on August %
last when they swndled a hank in Milwaukee on
q raised check for $40. From that time up 10 the
present they have conducted their scheme In Kan
sas City. Detroit. Cleveland, Toledo Minneapolis
and Milwaukee and complaints of crooked work
were heard from Buffalo az late as December 20
The first step in the arrest Of Davis began when
his photograph was Identified at several OF me
banks as the man who had presented the checks.
On this inforrna ZION and Identification Davis was
indicted in Toledo on the charge OF roobins the
United States mails, and also for forgery. Inc
American Bankers Association then authorizeh
the Pinkerton Agency TO spare no expense or labor
in finding and arresting Davis and the members
of his gang
II has been roughly estimat ted tina, these thieves
obtained since last August more than *"V from
the banks OF the West In many cases banks re-
fused TO cash checks because OF the notice or warn
ing sent out by the Pinkerton Agency.
Davis was arrested in 1883 for forseres committed
In Cincinnati He pleaded guilty TO the charge OF
forging q check for $500 drawn on Harris Co.
and which was passed on Howes q Co.. New-forK
He sentenced TO six years IN Sing sing from
which place he released February q, 1883 DAVIS
Was again arrested in New-York in 1884 the
charge OF swindns Cincinnati firm on forged
check for 81 500. He released on 5000 bail He
Where whe 5000 wa. Obtained He escaped from this
charge by his confederate confessing that Davis
received a sentence Of ten years, while Davis, al
though known TO be the principal. was discharged