Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-01-19

Among the interesting IdlSS u
fraud told in the report of Robert S.
Sharp, chief inspector of the postof-
general, for the fiscal year ended
June 80, 1910, is a statement regard
ing the Mabray gang that operated
very successfully in the middle west.
According to the report it is
thought the Mabray gang mulcted in
nocents of $5,O00,OOO. The gambling
cohorts, led by John c. Mabray, as
general" operated in Council Bluffs,
Davenport. Des Moines, Omaha, Hot
Springs, and other western cities.
Monty Mccall, one of the owners of
the Eldorado gambling house. Daven-
port, was one of the leading leuten-
ants and had, as his side partner,
Kid Warner, also of Davenport.
They were at Hot Springs when APP
pretended by the inspectors of the
postoffice department. Their arrests
followed.
NEVER BROUGHT TO JUSTICE.
The men were allowed TO go on
bond, soon made their successful get
away. and have since managed to
avoid rearrest. About this time the
gang carried out clever ruse which
consisted in the shipping to Daven-
port of a box rumored to contain
money mulcted from victims. The in
spectors caught at the false scent
and gave chase to the box. 1t was
opened and found to contain worth
less "stuff1ng" instead of the expect
ed gold.
This, however, was only one Incl
dent of the inspectors campaign
against the Mabray gang. One by one
members of the gang were rounded
in and tried in federal courts. Two
were tried in Des Moines and a num-
Der. among them Mabray, who was
sent to the penitentiary, were tried in
Council Bluffs. The majority did not
escape but were given prison terms.
Developments during the trials were
that Mccall and other right hand men
had conducted fake prize fights,
wrestling bouts, races. and so on, and
had Slaughtered many innocents.
TERMED GIGANTIC SCHEME"
A dispatch from Washington con-
tains a review of Sharp's report and
contains this mention of the Mabray
investigation:
"A very important case recently
handled by postofice inspectors COW
cred the operations of the so-called
Mabray gang. The first complete re-
ports were made to the department
about two years ago.
Investigation disclosed what IS be-
il,
scheme of this kind that the postal in
spectors ever had to contend with. II
was worked by an organization of con-
fdence men by means of fake horse
races, athletic contests. etc.
THE swindle was perpetrated sue
cessfulIy in various parts of the Unit
ed States and victims in all parts of
the country were robbed of sums
varying from $1,000 to 100000. 1t is
estimated that the promoters secured
approximately s5,O00.00O
John c. Mabray, the principal OF
the organization, and So OF his
assistants were indicted in connection
with this scheme and many Of them
have already been tried and con
victed."
ACCORDING 10 SldEp report uuIlnS
the year 1850 postofices were rob
bed as compared with 1863 during the
previous year. There were 1853 ar
rests of which Al were postof1ce bur
glaries. as compared with 1888 ar
rests during the previous year, OF
which 416 were postofice burglars.
100 POsTMAsTERs ARRESTED.
OF the number arrested 100 were
postmasters, 35 were assistant post
masters. 50 clerks in postof1ces, %
railway postal clerks, SO city letter car
riers, 81 rural letter carriers and 10
were mail carriers. OF the total mum
Der 1879 were persons not connected
with the postal service.
Train robberies in the west occurred
with alarming frequency. Since March.
1908, nine mail trains have been held
up and robbed and a large amount of
registered mail has been stolen and
rified
Postofice inspectors have worked
on the cases with unfagging zeal and
energy with the assistance and coop