The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-09-06
THE STAMP ROBBERY
4 PostOhice OEciaI Describes the
Pan-Amcricnn Theft

Speaking ~ the robbery at the Pan
American Exposition at Buffalo of part
of the United States exhibit Of postage
stamps, "a prominent official of the Post
office Department said this morning:
some timo between 10 O'Clock on
Wednesday night and q o'clock Thursday
morning four sheets of rare old postage
stamps valued at more than 5000 were
stolen from the PostotfiCe Department *
hibt in che Government Building at the
exposition. The thief, who has not been
caught, must have been a phiIateIist. for
the four sheets stolen are the most yaIua-
bic of the 500 sheets in the display. They
contained about 800 stamps of the earliest
varieties issued by the department
The stamp exhibit at the fair was the
finest ever pat together by the Govern
menc, and far exceeded in completeness
and value any private collection OF the
stamps of this country II was formed
especially for the exposition. and was re-
cTultsd 10 some extent from private col
lccroUs, whose owners were willing to
loan their treasure 10 the ICstoffice De-
pdTtmCut.
The stamps are displayed under glass
on swinging leaves. which are attached
20 iron columns The sheets of stamps
are locked in the leaves and the leaves
are fastened TO the columns by d safety
device.
The employees Of the Postofice Depart
ment exhibit work from a. m. to o p. m.
and none OF them was on duty when the
robbery was committed. The Government
Building is poIiced by guards from the
regular army service Four of them were
on duty at night Their names are known
and they are under close surveillance
When the employees returned To work the
morning after the robbery they found that
four Of the frames had been torn from
the columns.
The thief. according 10 every indiCa-
tiOn, worked with the utmost delibeTatiOn.
He first pricd of the patent locking
hinges Of three cases and removed the
stamps The third ease remained locked
after the thief had removed it from the
column Then there is evidence to show
the robber hied himself to the group il
Illustrating the mail carrier in the Far
West. Back of the wax cowboy on the
stuffed horse he broke the remaining case
open and Tifed it Of the valuable stamps
it contained.
The emptied stamp cases were found
back of tho mounted automaton when
the Government Building was opened the
morning after the robbery had been com
mitJed. There was no trace Of the way
in which the stamp thief came OF went.
Colonel BrOWul0w, who has charge Of
the PUstUfiCe exhibit. at once reported
the loss 90 the exposition police and TO
the city police of Buffalo. Some Of the
stpieu varieties cannot be replaced The
department. has a list or the stolen
stamps. and il the thief tries 20 sell them
he Is likely 20 be caught Perhaps he
wanted them for his OWL use At any
rate he has spoiled the only complete col
lection OF United States postage stamps
that ever was assembled. and 10 is a grave
question with the department whether IL
viii consent 10 make any exhibits in the
future anywhere. A part Of the Govern
ment exhibit at the Paris Exposition was
stolen and has not been recovered. and IL
appears AS II there was a band Of stamp
thieves following the Government eXhib-
It's IL Is very peculiar and almost looks
as If the guards at the building should
have discovered the robber but as 1t Is
no clue Of him has been obtained so fa-
IL is 4 question whether he ever VII be
apDFC heuled 20