The San Francisco call., 1909-03-15
Accomplice of Thief Who Sc
cured EvangeIist's Check Is
Caught in Oakland
Two Suit Cases Full of Stolen
Checks and Drafts Cap
tured at Hotel
Prisoner Was Provided With
Tools for Making Keys and
Clothing for Disguise
Couple Have Been Operating in
Many Cities and Lived
Like MiIliOnaires

Like MllllOnalreS
WY ITH the arrest OF John EsmonS
| M accompIics OF Frank Lsnxhzn-
alias B. f. Mills the man. who
was captured early Saturday morn
ing at the Jefferson hotel charged
with passing $500 check payable to
Benjamin Fay Mills. the evangelist
which had been stolen from the mall
box, there was revealed yesterday what
is believed to be nation wide pflferiux
OF the mails. netting the thieves hun
dreds Of thousands Of dollars.
Esmond was captured last night In
the ST. Paul hotel. Oakland. and in the
room which he had been OccupyinEwers
found two suit cases stuffed full oc
checks aud drafts on various people.
all undoubtedly stolen from letter
boxes. hundreds OF letters. tools for
making keys and clothing which would
enable the men to dress as benboys-
messengers or any other persons x
would suit their purposes to represent
Lived Like MiIIionaires
Detective Frank McGrayan. with Pos
tai Inspector Booth made the cap
ture and unearthed the hiding place
after hard work.
The evidence discovered indicates that
the two men reaped fortunes in New Or
leans. Los Angeles. Spokane. Oakland.
San Jose. Seattle. Chicago and many
eastern cities In each of these cities
the men lived like milIionaires. main
tanning expensive apartments and reti-
nues of equally expensive women com
panions.
The postal inspectors in dozens of
cities. frantic with continued reports
OF mail robberies. have sought these
men in vain
Graduate of University
Esmond is graduate Of an eastern
university. where he studied mechan-
ical engineering. He is an expert In
key making. and the men maintained
a small room in the St Paul hotel.
where they had kits OF tools stored for
constructing any new keys they mighe
need. Langham. who called himself
B. F. Mills when arrested. also is a
man of education. but his past. which
he steadfast1y refuses to reveal. Is a
mystery.
! Iangham and Esrnond worked Chi
cago thoroughly before going to New
Orleans. whence rhsy came to this
coast They admit having cleaned up
$4,000 a year on. an average
Businessmen Watched
Their method of work. as revealed by
the complete evidence found in their
rooms. was to watch for the mail boxes
in which businessmen were In the habit,
of mailing or receiving checks. or pri~
vate boxes in which checks addressed
to business houses were left by the
postman- Having located the boxes
nothing remained but to open them and
extract the checks
7 Detective McGrayan went to Emery
vile Friday and exhibited Langham's
picture to various book makers. and
at last he found one who knew the
postal operators address at the St
Paul. The detective went to the room.
found the evidence there. but waited
for the accomplice he knew must be
around Esmond did not appear until
yesterday afternoon. when he sneaked
into the hotel and succeeded in taking
away two suitcases which the police
think contained valuable evidence
against the prisoners.
Identity Is Suggested
Esmond was coming back with an
empty suitcase to get another load
when he was arrested.
McGrayan believes that Langham is
really James c. Caldwell an English
man. Langham has the initials ]. c. NJ
tattooed on his arm
Esmond. who is perhaps % years OF
age. was placed in detinue- He says he
met Langham In Chicago. but when
questioned closely last night he merely
laughed and said:
HELL you know I'll lie to you, and
m lying to you now. What's the use
/ of asking me anythinE9"