Evening journal., 1901-03-30
MAIL ROBBING
THEIR SPECIALITY
Two Clever SWindIerS Cap
turCd at Last
Broke Open Mail Boxers and Sue
cceded in CaShing Cheeks Taken
From Stolen Letters

Cincinnati, March SO.-A man gi-lne
his name as John X. Han, who was
arrested in Omaha on Wednesday as
a suspicious character. was yesterday
identified as Prentice TillcT, who is
alleged to be the author of host OF
crimes against the government, and
for whose arrest a number Of rsyards
have been offered. said to aggregate
several thousand dollars. His pal,
whose name is Fisher. was arrested
Monday at Hastings, Neb., giving his
name as Grant Hall has confessed 10
the Omaha chief of police that on
March Grant and he robbed the post
Office at Cincinnati of draft for 5000,
Tiller is known 20 the police through
out the country and is said to have
operated I'm many cities Of the south.
The arrest of Hall, or Tillor, was made
on information from Hastings.
Postoftice Inspector Humes last night
stated that +. Prentice Tiller and his
alleged partner, Fisher, or II. G. Grant,
as he was known here. are wanted in
this city for a number OF jobs. Last
October two mail boxes wore broken
OF the letters contained checks The
day following the theft four checks
were presented at local banks and
cashed. Where the checks read "to
order" a line was run through and the
words TO bearer" substituted. The
entire body of the check was traced so
that the ink would be all the same.
They next appeared at Fort Wayne,
Ind, where they robbed several boxes,
but when attempting to pass n check
( they became suspicious and jumped 10
Richmond, Ind. where they succeeded
In getting rid OF the checks. They were
next heard OF IN th- east.
They returned TO this city on Iarch
8 last and again robbed the same mai
! boxes and conhscated the letters there
| in. Some of these letters also con.
tainsd checks, and an attempt wa
4 made 20 cash one Of the checks IL
| Newport Ky, hat without succcss, an,
the mon escaped before the police ar
( rived. Another attCmpt was da &
get n local hanl; to cash ore Of th.
checks through q messenger bog, bu
again the thieves escaped.
II their last raid they secured let
ter directed TO the Lenk Wire com.
pany. Of Toledo, o.. in which tn,
| Turner-Looker company complained
about the shipment Of wine. The
thieves took this letter and added c
postscript saying that Mr. Pattison, Q
member Of the firm. would call, anC
asked 70 snow him all courtesics Tn,
so-called Mr.. pattison then dropped Of
at Piqua and presented a check foi
/ which he obtained a deposit check foi
/ Sil7 He then went TO Tolcdo and lef
again without paying his hotel bin.
Another check stolen was one foi
/ $1,000 given by the Weir Frog company
TO the Leitheg Moore Lumber company
of Louisiana A message was receive,
| Wednesday at tho First National haal
! from Hasting, Ncb.. asking If thai
chock was good. Word was sent bacl
10 arrest the man, and later a tole
! gram was received stating that Gran
was under arrest. ard when searched
a certificate Of deposit fer SAT- on tn
Piqua bank WAS found on him. In tha
| manner the men were connected.
Tiller has a record Of crime extend
ing back nearly 20 years, but he il
best remembered for his FIRST theft
where. by a bold and daring stroke. h,
stole moro than 100000 of the fuad.
Of the st. Louis branch of the Pacific
Express company. He was captured by
a mere chance, but not before he hat
made away with $4,000 Of the money