The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1901-10-24
POSTOFFICE LOOTED
Robbers Secure Over S74,lO) n
Stamps in Windy City.
A SUCCESSFUL TUNNELING ACT
Days of Patient Toll Brought Rich
Success to Thieves-Vast For
tune in One Vault Was For.
tunately Overlooked.

A sensational robbery, which net
ted the perpetrators s74,610 in stamps,
was discovered in Chicago Monday
morning when the wholesale stamp de-
partment of the postoffice was opened
for business.
A rapid investigation developed the
fact that the burglars had crawled un-
der the flooring for about 800 feet.
bored a hole in the bottom Of the vault,
secured the stamps and escaped, carry
ing their booty in wagon.
The work of forcing an entrance to
the vault had evidently been going
forward with the greatest patience for
many days. 1t is believed, however.
that the intention of the thieves had
been to enter the cashiers vault, in
which there was $4,000 in money and
stamps valued at hundreds Of thou
sands of dollars. The bottom OF the
vault is of steel, half an inch thick. In
this ninety finch holes were bored
until a space lS inches square, just
enough to allow the entrance OF a
mans body, had been so weakened
that it was possible to take out the
whole plate with little difficulty. A
dry goods box stood over the hole thus
; made and concealed the work OF the
robbers while it was in progress. When
discovered Monday the finger marks
of one of the burglars was still dis
cernible on the dust Of the box, which
he had pushed to one side.
So carefully had the job been plan
ned that men working in other parts
of the building had not the slightest
inkling of the daring robbery worked
almost under their noses.
The robbers drove up to the south
east corner Of the postoflice building
in a wagon, the tracks Of which could
be seen plainly Monday. The build
ing is temporary affair, anu the men
had only to open little door to admit
themselves under the flooring 10
reach the vault it was necessary TO
crawl about 300 feet over odds anc
ends of boards which Uttered the way.
The route evidently had been carefully
studied, for a detective who went un-
der the place without knowledge was
nearly overcome by foul odors before
assistance could reach him.
: Having secured their plunder, the
robbers loaded it into the wagon.
drove across a vacant lot and turned
into Wabash avenue in front of the art
building.
OF the s74,61O in stamps taken, 81
TIP were in postage due" stamps and
s2,0e0 In special delivery stamps. Sc
the convertible stamps amounted to
sS7,s2s, but of these $4,s2S were Pan
American stamps of and 10 cents de-
nominations.
F. o. spalding, chief clerk OF the
wholesale stamp department, discoV-
cred the rouoery when he opened the
vault at 1850 o'clock. The safe had
been locked, with its contents appa-
rently secure, at p. N. Saturday. Mr..
Spaldlng potlned PosIoHce 1nspeEIoi
Stuart, who hurried from mis- home and
Immediately began an investigation
assisted by his deputies and squad OF
detectives. After completing the
search Inspector Staurt said:
TT was the largest stamp robbery
ever committed in the history OF the
postal service in this country. To get
to the Vault the men dug through the
brick foundation wall, and 100 feet or
so further on they encountered an.
other wall, and this also they dug
through. On the way they met with a
number Of pipes, and as the floor IS
but two feet and in some places 3 feet
above the ground, they tunneled under
the pipes. Their whole course IS PLAIN
" marked in this way.