The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-09-01

After l have investigated the evil
dence against him." Mr.. Bone con-
tinued. the case will be presented u
the federal grand jury September II, if
the facts warrant such action.
I'VE have been making strenuous
effort to break up the gang that has
been operating from Wichita, and at
Wymore, Neb. The Wichita fence has
existed for several years.
The fence is the thing that makes
the postoffice robberies possible. With
out sure way to sell his stamps the
yeggman is helpless; he doesn't dare to
be taken with stamps on his person.
Whenever a rapid succession of post
office robberies are noticed in any Sec
ton it is proof that the robbers have
obtained a safe fence through which
postage stamps can be sold.
There have been nearly dozen
postal robberies in Kansas in the last
three months and we expect to prove
that many of the stamps have gone TO
| Wichita"
The five men arrested have been
brought to Topeka to be arraigned be-
| fore Commissioner Campbell. They
are John Callahan, charged as De1ng
I the fence" two of his alleged part
! charged as poStoffice robbers, and
William Wilson and John Eickenrod.
held on charges of passing counterfeit
money Wilson and Eickenrod are not
connected with the case in which
stolen stamps are said to nave peen
! sold in Wichita
| United States Marshal w. H Mackey
and INSPECTOR John A. Elvin have fol
! two or. three years insisted that wien
lita contained a clever fence through
which postofTice robbers and Other
criminals doing business in the terri
tory surrounding this city were g1ver
aid in escapes and were enabled to dis
pose of their stolen goods.
/ Nine Robberies Since June.
/ For several weeks Marshal Macke!
and Mr.. Elvin, postoffice inspector 10
Gated in Wichita. have been working
hard to develop the case. The officers
were assisted in their Investigations by
A. NJ. Steadman, postoff1ce inspector 10
Gated at Salina, and r. S. Bruer, post
| office inspector located at Hastings
Neb.
since the first of June there have
been nostofice robberies at Kanopolis
woodbine, -Dorrance, Paradise, Hope
Ransom Burdick, Timken and Fred
erick. all in Kansas The last robber!
was at Frederick on August Il. From
these robberies about $4,000 in postage
lstamps and over 500 in money wer'
iobtained. The robbers were traced t
Wichita, where many of their stamp
were disposed of under circumstances
which make the present capture sensa
tional almost beyond belief.
| Ten TOODor suspects are uH0Cl Go
and several hundred dollars worth o
unsold stamps have been captured
Similar arrests have happened man,
times before in various parts of tn
United States, and for this reason thes'
circumstances do not constitute tn
sensational part of the story.
A Sensational Accusation.
The sensation is in the fact that th'
federal officers accuse L. S. Naftzger
president of the Fourth National banl
of Wichita. and man of wide busi
ness prominene in the southwest, o
having received stolen stamps, thu
making it possible for the postoffic
robbers to dispose of their plunder.
Although Mr.. Naftzger has statet
that the stamp sales ne had made t
other parties were made only in small
amounts. there is claimed to be evi
dence that one of his sales was mad
to Prof H Samuels, the eye specialist
and that $1,192 worth of stamps wer
disposed of in that transaction. Their
are reports also that two other sale
said to have been made by Mr.. Naftz
ger aggregated about 500. Anothe
sensation developed in the fact that MI
Naftzger received the stamps from
Frank s. Burt, chief of police, who go
them from John Callahan, who is tn
head of the gang and who has 70
years enjoyed a strange immunity il
Wichita, where he has been recognizes
openly as a notorious criminal. an
where he now operates joint know
to the criminal element as Callahan
Dump"
Made Deal With Mr.. Burt.
The federal officials intimate tha
Chief Burt. in acting as q go-oetwee
suing a deliberate course with thei
1 knou1adge the lt11A<u hefnC that Chic