The Democratic advocate., 1907-02-01
sykEsvlLLEPoSToFFIcE THIEVES
CAPTURED.
Asa Hspnsr, Postmaster, Traps Guilty
Parties.

With all the cunning of sold Sleuth,
Postmaster Asa Hepner, of Sykesville, is said
TO have trapped the men who robbed his
office ON the night of January IA, securing
booty to the value of more than 81 900.
When Asa Hepuer arrived at his office on
The morning after the robbery the Postmaster
made up his mind to get to the bottom OF the
case He made careful examination OF the
premises, like all good detectives amateur
or otherwise The rear wall of the building
spoke volume in explanation OF how the
burglars gained entrance to Uncle Sans
quarters in the building.
The keen eve of Mr.. Hepner told him that
a saw. a chisel and brace and bit had been
used to cut through the mass of plaster and
Iaths. Following step by step Postmaster
Hepner found that the thieves had crawled
over pile of iron, which was lying i'll one OF
the back rooms, and then made their way to
the hallway just outside the pos,otfice., A
double transom proved no barrier to the bur-
glars. and they crawled through it, after the
TWO panes of glass had been smashed 10 smith.
Greens.
Once inside the room, the robbers expe-
rienced no difficulty and filled sacks with
letters, stamps and money. Whey they mao
satisfied themselves that they had overlooked
nothing. the thieves walked out the front door
like gOOQ cltlZeuS. =,
So vividly was the picture painted to the
amateur detective by his power of deduction
that he could follow nearly every move the
robbers made. Satisfied that he had accom-
plished everything possible for the time being,
the Postmaster looked about his office to OBJ.
serve the minute details. Papers were scat
tered about in harum scarum fashion. Tx
animation of what was left showed just what
the robbers got for booty.
All the tongues in Sykesvile were soon
wagging about the robbery. After nearly
half the populace had looked in upon The
postmaster and the wreckage things began to
assume their usual peace and tranquility.
MANY persons had almost forgotten the rob.
bery in few days. Not so with the postmas-
ter. He was silently waiting for something
to develop and it did. just how 1t dldl best
told in the words of the postmaster.
s.The other day met Frank Grimes, who
is oyerseer of the estate of the late Captain
Hnpp.n he said, land he approached me III a
peculiar way which aroused my suspicion,
"tMr. Hepner,' said he. Il wish l had
known the other day what do now.'
"'What's that?' l inquired.
".Well, you see, he began, L saw man
the other day who had those stamps. he had
them under his coat, and there were 1O-cent
stamps, Scent ones, 6-cent ones, 5-cent Ones
3.cent ones and a whole lot of 2-cent stamps,
and believe l saw some quarter ones. But
even now l believe can get them for you.
81 lost no time telling him would give $50
if he got them back. He said he W 'uld try
to get them the next day, aud | waited pa
tiently. but when he did not get them thought
T would try little game of my own. Casually
looked up Albert Grimes, the old man so son
and. without a word of introduction, asked
him -,
".Who helped you steal those stamps!
..James Dolan, of Baltimore he said, and
then he started right in to tell me all about it,
When he got fairly well under way L told him
T would much rather he would talk to some
disinterested person, and we walked over to
see MIR. Wade II. D. Warfeld, merchant OF
Sykesyille. He told Mr.. Warfield just how he
cut his way in and how they got to the post
office.
after they got the booty. he said, they
went back to the Hugg farm, assorted the
mail. burned the letters in a fodder shock ana
divided up. He said his brother George was
the third man in the party, aid then he onered
to take us TO the straw pile on the Hugg farm
where he said the stamps were hldden. we
went there, but could not find the stuff. Grimes
declared someone must have stolen the stamps
from the hiding place.
1--WE placed Albert Grimes under arrest and
charged him with the theft. His brother, who
is % years old, and his father, who is 90,
were also arrested. The father was charged
with aiding and abeting in hiding stolen goods goods
All were given hearing before Justice larry
F. Curley Saturday afternoon. The father
said he saw the stamps in another mans pos
session and that he did not aid IN hiding them.
George Grimes denied that he had any
thing to do with the theft or hiding OF the
stamps. He was released and the father was
allowed his freedom after giving $500 bail.
United States Deputy Marshal Patrick Seerey
came ND after Albert Grimes and locked him
up in Baltimore"
James Dolan was arrested at his home on
SUNDAY morning by a Baltimore detective,
after watching the home of Dolan tor more
than IL hours.
James Dolau and Frank Grimes were com.
mitted to Jail on Wednesday for hearing
before Commissioner Rogers On February 5.
Constable w. Clinton Brandenburg made
the arrests of Albert and George Grimes.