The daily sentinel., 1901-10-22
STOLE US. STAMPS.
: The Chicago Postoffice Stamp
Vault Looted and $74,6l0
Taken. ...-No CIew to
the Bold Robbers.

Chicago, October 2l.-The Wholesale
stamp department of the Chicago post
Office was robbed last night OF $74, $40 in
stamps. The burglary was not discov-
cred until this morning when the stamp
department was opened for business.
A rapid investigation developed the
fact that the burglars had crawled un-
der the flooring for about 300 feet, bored
a hole in tho bottom Of the vault, Sc
cured the stamps and escaped, carrying
away their booty in wagon.
The work Of forcing IN entrance to the
vault had evidently been going forward
with the greatest patience for many
days 1t tis believed, however. that the
intention Of the thieves had been TO en-
ter the cashiers vault, in which there
was $35, 900 in money and stamps valued
at 100000.
The bottom of the vault is Of steel
half an inch thick. In this 81 holes
were bored until space ls inches square
just enough to allow the entrance Of a
mans body-had been 30 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.
So carefully had the job been planned
that men working in other parts OF the
building had not the slightest inkling OF
the daring robbery being worked almost
under their noses.
The robbers drove up to the southeast
corner OF the postoffice in wagon. the
tracks OF which could be plainly seen to-
day.
The building is a temporary affair and
the men had only to open . little door
to admit themselves under the flooring.
To reach the vault it YVES necessary to
crawl about 800 feet over odds and ende
Of boards which Uttered the way. The
route evidently had been carefully stud
led, for detective who went under to-
day without knowledge OF the locations
bscame lost and was nearly overcome by
the foul odors before assistance reached
him.
Having secured their plunder the rob-
bers loaded it into the wagon, drove
across vacant lot and turned into Wa
bash avenue in front OF the Art building.
e. o. Spalding, chief clerk of the
wholesale stamp department, discovered
the robbery when he opened the vault
at 7:5O o'clock. The safe had been
locked, with it's contents apparently &c.
cure, at 5 o'clock Saturday afternoon.
SpsldinR at once notified Postoffice In
spector Stuart, who made an investiga-
ton, assisted by his deputies and squad
Of detectives from the city hall. After
completing the search the inspector said:
ut was the largest stamp robbery ever
done in the history of the postal servise
in this country. To get to the vault the
men entered through a trap door. A
few feet In they encountered brick
wall The wall. like Others under the
building, is of aimsy construction and it
could not have taken them long to pick
their way through it. A hundred feet
or 80 further on they ran against another
WALL and this also they dug through.
On the way they also encountered q
number OF pipes. and as the floor is but
two feet, and in some places three feet
from the ground, they tunneled under
the pipes. Their whole course is plain
ly marked in this way. The Wholesale
stamp vault, like the cashiers vault and
the money order vault, is supported by
brick wall. 1t forms a square and be-
fore the robbery was alright. In this
the robbers broke two holes, possibly TO
secure more air, for the place was un-
..doub btedly very foul. or to have an extra
nlace Of epress ip case OF discovery"