The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-09-19
DETAILS OF THE ROBBERY.
Third Officer Kynaston Tells How
the Britannia Mails Were Rifled.

The details of the systematic robbery
of the mails on the White Star liner
Britannia have at last been told by Third
Officer Kynaston, whose confession Of
the plot in England has just reached
this country. Kynaston was arrested In
Jersey City while trying to cash some
stolen bond coupons, and it was his cap
ture that by chance led TO the discovery
of the carefully planned system of rob-
berry. For a time he denied all knowledge
of it, but at length told everything. his
story resulting in Chief Officer Jago being
held for trial.
The scheme of robbery originated
with Chief Officer Jago." said Kynaston
in his confession. ''One day when we
were nearing Queenstown he came to
me and proposed that we get one OF the
mail bags out of the mail room. ! hesi-
tated and he produced three keys, which
he said would open the doors. Then, to
encourage me, he said that he had been
taking mail for long time. but that it
was more than he could manage alone.
The result was that after midnight
he kept the stewards on watch away
from the mail-room, and I went down,
secured a bag of mail and hid it in the
baggage-room. Jago carried the bag to
his room and opened it and examined the
letters. Then he got angry and said the
bag had picked out was no good. He
said there was no money in the letters
and 1 should have taken a bag with reg
istered parcels 1 told him 1 did not
know the difference between the bags,
and he said he would show me.
Tar
an excuse for opening the hatch in the
that TO the mail-room and chose three
bags. Thes placed so we could easily
get them again. After time I took
Mr.. Jago's clothes bag and went for the
mail bags. took them to his room. but
a steward named Galway saw me as
I did so. I told Jago, and he said it
made no difference, as galway had done
the same thing before. A steward named
Milligan also saw me. but we told him
we We're smuggling some stuff and
would give him a share.
''Jago opened the letters. He would not
let me touch them as he said I was cltim-
sy. I went to his room and he showed
me forty coupons which, he said. were as
good as bank notes. He also produced .
box full of diamonds.
Il begged him not to touch them and
he said he would not, as they were dam
gerous. Later he showed me a roll OF
money which he said amounted to 81, 400.
After taking the money from the en-
velope he replaced it with an old London
paper, and lsealed the package. I then
changed the address on the envelope SO
as to cause delay before the robbery was
discovered.
My share OF the stuff was s515 in
money and twenty coupons for SO each.
Galway told me that Mr. Jago gave him
$500
when we reached New York Jago went
ashore. A little while later a telegram
came from him saying Search white
pants pockets and keep what you find
for me- We searched all the clothing in
his room and found four big diamonds.
Then L knew he had not kept his word
about putting back the diamonds.
Il went to look fer Jagos When
found him he said not to talk with him
then. He told me he had cashed his
coupons at a bank Before had chance
to speak to him again 1 was arrested
while trying to cash those he had given