The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-01-19
EXPRESS THIEVES SCARED
The Adams Company Intends to Ar
rest Several Dishonest Employees.
Its Lawyer Has Prepared In
dictments Against New York
Clerks and Drivers.

New YORK. Jan. I9.- Dishonest employees
OF the Adams Express Company are quak-
ing ia their shoes. SoIneforty men have beeI
or win Toe arrested for peculation. The
company makes 1t point not to cause an
arerst until ii has positive evidence.
So declares Lawyer Abraham Levy, who
attends 10 tie criminal business OF the con
cern. He said yesterday that lie had pre-
p9red eight indictments against drivers
| hplpers, clerks and Others, and that there
vas = clear case against ga ch Of them. one
of the Indicted men, he said, was the son OF
a rich and respected citizen. lie was EN-
| ployed as a clerk in the office, and ap-
propriated $50 received from {. .. ID.
package, thtee months ago. Within the la st
six months Mr. Levy has prosecuted about
thirty others.
When asked how robberies were 80 long
undeiected. Mr. Levy said;
1t is usually the fault OF the public. In
this case the consignor, who was charged
with the $50 when IT was credited on
tire company's books, did not complain for
more than a month. although he had sent
the package e. Q. 10, and il should not
have Deeu delivered without the money.
A : a lH1ll-a Ol idtlr II was Lbi-
he did not know it
The total amount taken in the few
month covered 10y the forty cases under
consideration will reach something over
$4,000. A certain percentage of loss is
figured on Toy the companies. Sneak thieves
are responsible Tor part OF IT, but the com
panieS are able to fasten the thefts on
some OF their own employees when they set
vigorously to work. Money packages are
short, not vii outstanding that they are sealed.
The simple explanation is tina the money
Is not put INTO them. Returns of money col
leCted by drivers are short, and the Of
fender is brought up with a round turn.
Sometimes, but rarely, a package disap-
pears altogether. As this species of inert
involves selling the articles or Keeping in
eliminating evidence in the possession Of
the thief, il is not often committed by en-
ployes, although cases OF this kind come up
occasionally.
MT. Levy says that the Adams Ex.ress
Company will not cease its prosecutions
till IL has given it's employees a guu,i lesson.
although it does not hope to stop it alto
getheT. That is regarded as virtually i'm
possible, he says.
n iiEh DllitioAA VI tue <iudiis Express
Company was disposed to pooh POOH the
whole affair. He said:
"OUr men get the habit OF handling val
uable packages-money as well as goods
and they regard their work much as il |
they were dealing in coal. They do not |
steal, as a general rule, because they do |
not think about il. They are more con- |
cerned over getting through their work 4
than anything else. In the holiday rush |
we had a great deal OF extra help, and if 1
there has been stealing, it is most likely /
charCeable 10 those temporary employees.
'sfJst of our men in New York have been
in the service OF the company for years
They are OF tried honesty, and have the
of the company. In any case,
the public is always protected. The COM
pany always makes good anything lost.
We may have had 10 pa $4,000 in the last
month or two for lost packages, but that
sum represents several months, and in |
many cases we recovered the money from |
-he persons who had stolen or lost the
property through carelesSneSS. The stand
ara OF honesty among our people is high,
and we intend TO keep it So"