The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-09
POST OFFICE THROAT CUTTING
FOLLOWS INQUIRY ron $4,000
LOST IN n BGISTERED MAIL.
Registry Clerk Luekstons Clashes Himself
with Q Pen~knife-Iield 20 . Weuld.
he suicide--Caemieal Dank Shipped
Lost CuErency-peodle Book Leat.

After eight hours under the oross-sx-
animation Of post ONCE inspectors AMI
Headquarters men yesterday In the OHIO,
Of Chief inspector Walter Mayer In the
Federal Building, jacob Luckstone. chief
clerk at the registry window, while
lying on q sofa. slashsd his throat and wrist
with q penlmife, not cutting very deep.
Luciptone and eight other men employed
in the registry department were getting
the "third degree In an attempt TO dis
cover what had become Of two packages
Of currency amounting TO s2.ooo ssnt by
the Chemical National Bank Of this city
to the First National Bank Of Tallahassee,
Fla; which disappeared somewhere in
transit. Luokstone was taken to the Hud-
son street hospital for treatment for his
slight wounds, then TO the City HAN pollos
station and ct length to Police Head
quarters, where he now H., charged with
attempted suicide. This charge 10 made
to hold him pending further investigation
Of the case, as nothing to identify the guilty
persons has been discovered.
Luckstone, who 10 IS years old and un-
married, hasbeen In the Post ONCE eighteen
years and comes from Maryland. He
draws q, 400 a year and lives with his parents
at 148 West Eighty-second street. His
record has been good.
The inquiry has been going on for some
time. On April 20, at 1 o'clock In the after
noon, the Chemical National Bank pre-
sented for registry at the General Post
Office two packages, n containing 1000
81 bills and the other 500 81 bills. to be sent
to Tallahassee. The packages were re.
oeived by a clerk named Higgins, who gave
o receipt for them. Luckstone Is In charge
Of five clerks, who work at that window
and all packages are turned over to him.
He In turn passes them over to the chief
clerk Of the registry department. who
gives a receipt for a certain number OF
packages. The parcels lose their individu.
atty after they are turned over by Luck
stone. He first has to enter them by num-
Der, however, in a book known as the
doodle book"
On Saturday, April %, at 1 q o'clock, Luck
stone notified the superintendent of the
registry division that the Aboodle book
had disappeared. II has not been found.
On May 2 the Chemical National Bank
notified the postal authorities that the
Florida bank said that the packages had
not arrived. An inquiry was started. The
inspectors think they ave traced to Mexico
two packages which they believe were
substituted for those designed to be sent
to Florida.
They rave repeatedly wired to the post
Office authorities at Mexico City and Chi
huahua for information about these pack
ages. already traced to Ell Paso. These
packages bear the same registry numbers
as two official packages delivered in this
city, one going to Station G, at Fiftieth
street and Broadway, and the other to Sta
ton E, on Thirty-second street near Sixth
avenue.
in the eyes OF the inspector this narrowed
the inquiry to nine men in the Registry
Department who might possibly have been
concerned. These nine were called into
the offices of the inspector on the second
floor yesterday morning at 10 o'clock and
there in the presence OF several deputy
inspectors and Detective Sergeant Griffin
and some other Central Office men the in
ouiry was begun. The men were advised
that it would be the best thing for those
who knew anything at all to give up what
information they had at once. AL tbs
methods usually employed in extracting
a confession or a statement from unwilling
persons were employed, but without avail.
The nine mon declared they knew nothing
about the case and said that they had not
been guilty OF theft.
Apparently noas. was mora na-vohs
than another. The inquiry was kept up
until late in the afternoon. Just before A
oioIoaL IttoLutDpn ann mad that ba y1aa
hungry and asked that he might 60 out
and get something to eat. This request
was refused. About half IN hour later.
when the length Of the inquiry had reached
eight hours, Luckstone again asked to b.
allowed to go out to eat because he was
nearly fainting, Again he got a refusal.
well, then, inspector, he said to Mayer,
smay | go inside and lie down on the sofai
I feel very faint. l haven't had anything
to eat since breakfast
Il think that will be all right replied
the inspector. Il do not see any reason
why you cannot lie down in there"
The door between the two Offices was
open and men employed were passing in
and out all the time. Luckstone lay down
in full view Of the men who were In the other
office and turned toward the wall. He lay
Qul0tly anu uO particular dtuonthDn Wbs
paid TO him. Just about 7 o'eloc one OF
the deputy inspectors stopped by the sofa.
Luokstone's body was all curled up,
and the inspector thought there was some-
thing suspicious about the way in which
he lay. He leaned down and pulled Luck
stones body out straight. The man was
bleeding greatly from a gasb in the left
side OF the throat and from a slash across
the left wrist. He was conscious. Lying
between the sofa and the wall was found
his penknife,
An ambulance from the Hudson street
hospital took Luokstone away. At the
hospital 10 was found that although he had
bled a great deal there was nothing serious
the matter with him. As soon as the
wounds were dressed no was locked up.
charged with attempted suicide. He u
in no danger OF dying from the wounds,
After Luokstone was attended to, In
spector Mayer lot the other men leave for
the time being. 1t is not known what form
the inquiry will take now.
While Luckstone was being detained
Inspector Jacobs was deputed to visit
the home Of Luokstone. and while he and
H.