The Washington times., 1905-01-01
FORTUNE P|LFEREl
FROM POSTOFF|C[S
Burglars Made 688 At
tempts During Year.
SOME OF THE BIG HAULs
Government Has Paid Out in Reir.
bursements the Sum of sIzs,szasa.
Other Claims DisaIiowed.
SOME OF THE BIG HAULs

Other Claims DisaIlowed.
During the fiscal year which ended
June 80, 1904, the United States Govern.
ment lost sl23. .322.SS through the cIeve.
| work OF burglars
Perhaps double this amount Was
secured by the cracksmeu, but in many
! cases the Postmaster General refused 70
reimburse the postmasters for their
losses because Of their own negligence.
The amount above mentioned was ac-
tualiy paid to postmasters who sent Ia
their claims for reimbursement on ao-
count Of burglary.
Daylight Robber;es.
Three cases OF daylight robbery were
reported during the year. that were par
uculariy bold attempts. Robbers enter
ed the postoffices. held up everybody in
therns rffled the safes and drawers of their
contents and escaped. No large amounts
were secured IN any of the three In
stances
The exact number CT bursiarses re-
ported to the Postof5lce Department for
the year was sSS. That is to say. SIS
postoffices were entered in the nssht
| time and looted of their contents.
Sometimes the burgiaries were COM
nitted by expert cracksmen, who used
their professional instruments silently,
out effectively, in gaining entrance to
the building. and then went to work TO
crack the safes or open the cash draw
ers- II they had time and felt secure
| they filed and sawed their way TO the
| treasures which they were seeking. but
| If time was short and detection possible,
4 ho dIx- +4<.r
brought TO bear and the safe blown 70
| pieces
Needed the Money.
| Quite frequently, however, the burg
iaries were perpetrated by inexperienced
| men. who performed the deed upon the
/ impulse of great temptation and through
force of distressing circumstances
| Many Of the burglars were afterward
captured. and are now serving terms in
various Government penitentiaries for
burgIarizing Uncle Sans postofHces, enc
/ OF the most serious ofienses In Federal
criminal law.
/ Rich hauis and poor hauls were made
In many instances hundreds Of dollars
| Of postal funds, money order funds or
stamps were secured. Then again the
burglar would be rewarded by only
few paltry stamps, for which he ran
the risk of a long sentence in the peai-
tentfary.
The Biggest Strike.
BY far the richest haul made during
the year was pulled of by the burglar,
| or burglars who entered the Superior.
Wis, ,-ostof1ce a few months ago, and
completely rifed the Office OF all its
| funds. This postoffice was entered
twice. The first visit was. apparently, a
mere feeler. This time the burglars Sc
cured szs-23 in postal funds. and S2207
worth OF stamps. or a haul Of $3.50.
short while later the Office was
again entered, and this time the silent
thieves Of the night made a great haul
Stamps to the value OF SIS. .Sss and s2SSs
OF postal funds were secured, or total
Postmaster K Thomas entered claim
each time for reimbursement. and was
allowed the full amount of his claims.
Another Rich Haul
The next largest haul OF the year was
from the postoff1ce at Winnetka. Ill
which was burglarized CT s2.5S7-15 worth
OF stamps. sS.10 of postal funds, and
sfs.s5 of money order funds, making a
total of s.. 72i TO- The postmaster. S ".
Osgood. was reimbursed in full for his
losses.
Another good nights work for Afr.
Burglar was put In on the Nanticoke.
| Pa. cface- In the quiet hours of mid
night the postofice IN the little Penn
sylvania city was entered and robbed Of
s., s27. IS worth of stamps; sS-75 of pos-
| tai funds, and 1888 of money order
funds. making altogether --swipe OF
s, $50 81. Postmaster S. Powell at once
| reported the case to the Postoffice De-
partment and was reimbursed in full
| The postoffice in State College Pa
was robbed of s2.050O6. and the post
master was reimbursed
The safe of the postoffice in Wauseon,
| Ohio w S Brigham, postmaster, was
rified of its contents, the burglars Sc
curing stamps and funds TO the amount
| of S.5Ss.H
Smaller Robberies.
There were number of Offices burg
larized of $1,000 or more. some of which
are given: Barnesboro. Pa. a0S9;
Bowie, Tex, 81. 1.s57-24; Clinton, Wis.
| sll1A35; Elroy, Wis, s1.o17-71; Escanaba
Mich sl.37s.s4: Forest Grove, Ore.
s1.147-75: Irwin. Pa. s., ,2S6.67: Middleville.
Mich. 81 3S6 OF: Mineola, \. V. 1.55 o5;
Tenafiy. N J., 81, ,l65.13: Wayuesville. NJ
iC., S1,oS5.S9, and Wellington, Ohio.
81, ,9sss3
Scores of offices suffered losses in the
neighborhood OF $500. and in numerous
| instances the postmasters were not al
lowed reimbursement, because of their
own negligence The department held a
| Hen on their salaries for the account
ing of the amounts lest in this way
ARGENTINE DELEGATE