Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1908-06-12
|D|G NAIL ROBBERY
REGISTERED POUCH DISAPPEARS
IN KANSAS CITY DISTRICT.
CONTENTS ABOUT 100000
PACKAGE OF at Least $4,000 Sent East
by Los Angeles Banks Part
of the Large
llatii

Los Angeles, Cal.-Reluctant admls'
sions made by the post ONCE officials
of three cities Wednesday confirm to
some extent the belief that the disap'
pearance of registered mail pouch
somewhere within the jurisdiction Of
the Kansas City (Mo) post ONCE last
Saturday night will prove one OF the
biggest hauls in the history OF the
post office department.
From private sources 1t was learned
late Wednesday that a package OF al
least $4,000 in currency was among
the contents OF the pouch, which car
ried, in addition, an unusually large
number of letters and packages con
tanning money and other valuables tc
an amount which can only be con1ec
tured, but which may reach $50,0Ol
more. The pouch was in transit from
this city to New York and the postal
INSPECTORS who have had the case In
charge refuse any explanation OF the
manner in which it became lost tc
sight in transfer from one responsible
guardian to another as the department
regulations providing for, the protec
ton of registered matter are OF the
strictest. %....
Disappearance 10 Admitted.
That a pouch Of value has dis
appeared was admitted by the depart
ment at Washington, by Postmaster
NJ. H. Flint OF Los Angeles, and by
Inspector w. J. Vickery. attached to
the Kansas City post office, who ap'
pears to have the case for investiga
ton. In no case, however, was there
any positive information as to the
method employed in carrying out the
robbery.
The fact that the mail in process
OF transfer at the Union depot IN
Kansas City is handled in temporary
substation since the destruction of the
regular branch Office by fire severa.
months ago, supports the theory that
advantage was taken of conditions
presumed to be more lax than ordi
narily.
The $4,000 package Of currency
which will undoubtedly prove to be the
largest individual loss, was a ship
ment made by Los Angeles banks to
their New York correspondent. Post
master Flint Of Los Angeles statec
that it would be impossible for any
official OF the department to even es
innate the total contents of the miss
ing pouch until the holders of receipts
issued on the day in question hao
made afidavits as to the matter in
trusted to the mails.
Late in the afternoon some add
tional information relative to the pack
age of currency, supposed to have
been in the pouch was obtained from
the cashier, Charles Seyler, OF the
Farmers and Merchants National
bank of this city, who said:
According to our information, a
mail pouch, made up here on June
and leaving for New York on the fol-
lowing morning, has disappeared. A
conservative valuation Of the curren
cy contents furnished by this and
other banks Of this city will be $4,000
The total amount Is made up of be-
tween 80 and so packages, the exact
number being difficult to determine
The missing funds were placed in the
post office the evening Of June 3, theil
destination being New York city, oul
correspondent there being the Chem
ical National bank, to whom our por
ton Of the shipment was consigned