The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-10-25
L In Money

~ - tldsn NaukI .ohtSiuiuc Soos-
o In Money
Chicago. October PA sensational
robbery which Melted the perpetrators
s74,610 III stamps IA discovered mere
this morning when the wholesale stamp
department Of the ~postoffice was open
ed for business. A rapid investigation
developed the fact that the burglars
had crawled under the flooring Cor
about 800 feet, boared a hole in the bot
tom of the vault, secured the stamps
n escaped, carrying the booty in a
wagon.
The work Of forming an entrance to
the vault had evidently been going for
var 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 AID
stamps valued at hundreds Of thou
sands of dollars.
The bottom of the vault is of steel,
half an inch thick. In this ninety
seven holes had been bored until a
space Is inches ~square-just enough to
allow the entrance of a mans body
had been so weakened that it was pos
sible to take out the hole plate with
little difficulty. A dry goods box stood
over the hole. and thus concealed the
work of the robbers while it was in
progress. When discovered today the
finger marks of one of the burglars
wara still 6icnprnihla on tho 61ct nf <ha
box which he had pushed one side.
So carefully a the job been planned
that men working in other parts of the
building had not the slightest inkling
of the daring robbery being worked al
most under their noses.
The robbers drove up to the southeast
corner of the p%ostoffice building in a
wagon, the tracks of which could be
seen plainly today. The building is a
temporary affair and the men had only
to open a way to admit themselves un-
der the flooring. To reach the vault
it was necessary to crawl 800 feet over
odds and ends Of boards which Uttered
the way. The route evidently had been
carefully studied, for a detective who
went under today without knowledge
of the locations became lost and was
nearly overcome by h foul odors be-
fore assistance reached him.
Having. secured their plumber, 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 s4.712
were in postage due" stamps and 81
600 in special delivery stamps. So the
convertible stamps amounted to $67.-
S2S. but of these $4,8 2S were pan-Ameri-
can stamps of eight and ten cents de-
nominations.
Z. o. S~paulding, chief clerk of the
wholesale stamp department, discover
ed the robbery when he opened the
vault at ESQ o'clock. The safe had
been locked, with its contents apparent
ly secure. at 5 o'clock p. N. Saturday.
Mr.. Spaulding notified Postmaster In
spector Stuart who hurried from his
home and Immediately began an inves-
tigation, assisted by several deputies
and a squad of detectives. After com
pleting the search, Inspector Stuart
said: "It was the largest stamp rob
berry ever committed in the history ct
the postal service in this ounIr TIC
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 the dul
through. On the way they met with e
number of pipes and as the floor is bu-
two feet and in some places three feet
dDONe Tie STOulu luey lunIleleU ClOcl
the pipes. Their whole course is plain.
ly marked in this way.
"The wholesale stamp vault is sup
ported by a grick wall. 1t forms {
square and before the robbery was ali
tight. In this the robbers broke TIVE
holes. possibly to secure more air, fol
the place undoubtedly was very foul
or to have an extra place of egress il
case of discovery. For light they usef
l~-x hotfnr;no ana Of which fhn~y 1af
behind. This battery and the wager
tracks are the only clues we have a
| present.
1.-The space under the vault is stuff
| GENTLY large for a man to stand Up
| right and their work must have beel
comparatively easy with the drills on'
| steel saws which they used. Tn
stamps were arranged in 2~0-pound bun
dies and the weight of the load the.
carried off must have been 500 pounds
| Evidently one man handed the pack
e down to others waiting below. A
their progress must have been SLOW
carrying e n bundle through a
those tunnels, crawling on all tours,
Judge they worked for hours gattini
their booty to the wagon.
Apparently they felt perfectly secure
though somewhat disappointed a
missing the cashiers vault where ther
was S35, 900 in cash and a great quaint
ty Of stamps. I cannot tell now no'
many men worked at the job. Ever
effort will, of course be made to re
cover the property, and capture III
men who took it."
Postmaster Frederick E. Coyne is i
Washington. He is responsible for tn
loss till an act of congress frees hiI
frcm it. For amounts UP to $1,000 tn
postmaster. general has authority I
relieve postmasters-Of the stamps stol
en- 1,776, 900 were n cent and 1852, sc
were two cent stamps. The robber
got $50 81, 307 50 and los S. stamps ais:
but Inspector Stuart said lie though
they would have difficulty in disposin
of the larger denominations.