The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1911-03-20
WICHITA BANKER
IS FOUND GUILTY
Is Acquitted on Three Charges And
Convicted on one-Puts an End
to Notorious Gang.

Wichita, Kans., Mar. 2O.-Uncle Sam
has put an end to the market for stolen
stamps in Wichita. In the fight to wipe
out this notorious illegal traffic it has
been necessary for a jury to convict
not only the "yeggmen,' who cracked
the postoffice safes and the head of
the "gang" but a former bank presi-
dent. The testimony of former chief
of police who confessed to having
taken a criminals part in the transac-
tions was used to do it. Levi S. Naftz-
ger, former head of the biggest bank
ing institution in the southwest, Sun
day was found guilty by federal jury
of unlawful traffic in stolen stamps
with intent to defraud the government
The trial of Naftzger was started
Thursday and lasted two and a half
days. He was indicted by a federal
grand jury last September along with
John Callahan, leader of the notorious
callahan gang" of bank and post
Office robbers, and Frank S. Burt, for
mer chief of police Naftzger was
charged with four transactions in stol-
en- postage stamps aggregating about
$1,000. He was found guilty on but
one count which charged that he
bought $3.50 worth of stolen postage
stamps from Chief Burt on July g.,
1910, and sold them the next day to
Professor H. Samuels for $440. When
the jury, which reached verdict at
z o'clock Sunday morning returned it
sealed to the court at $3.50 o'clock,
Naftzger and his attorneys were in the
court room. When the clerk read Not
guilty in first, not guilty in second
count, guilty in third count, not guilty
in fourth count" the fnancier sprang
to his feet and said:
"What is that, guilty on just one of
the four?"
He was unmoyed and received the
congratulations from friends like one
who had been exonerated.
District Attorney H. J. Bone stated
after the returning of the verdict that
this ended the governments presecu-
tions in the stamp cases. 1t develop
ed during the trials that on the testi-
mony of Former Police Chief F. S.
Burt depended the governments cases.
The history of the cases briefly shows
that in the attempt of individual mem
bers of the notorious fence" to get
immunity from the government lies the
secret of the great uncoyerings. Naftz-
ger, at an unguarded moment told
Postoffice Inspector John Elvin where
he got large quantities of stamps he
had sold at discount. He implicated
Burt Burt thought that Naftzger was
willing to turn him up in order to es
cape so he made confession to the
governments inspector, involving Cal
lahan Callahan desiring to place
himself in a position to demand i'm
munity, gave up Roy Templeton and
Edward Earl, postoffice robbers, and
the stamps stolen from the Hope and
Burdick, Kans., offices.
The government elected to use
Burts testimony promising Burt that
he would not be sent to prison Burt
swore that he got the stolen stamps
from Callahan, who got them from
postoffice robbers. Some of these
stamps found their way to Naftzger
The expose of the stamp fence drove
Naftzger from the national bank after
being associated with it over twenty
years. Naftzger is 81 years old He
came to Wichita from Plymouth, near
Springfield, Mo-, where he was a prac
ticing attorney. AS the head of th5
biggest bank in the southwest, he be.
came a power in the financial world
being stockholder and director in many
of the wholesale and retail establish
meEts in Wichita He was one Of the
heaviest stockholders in the Casey &
Garst Wholesale company when that
institution failed. Joe Casey, head Of
the firm was killed by James Oliver