Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-03-19
IS CAUGHT ROBB|NG
SALEM POST OFFICE
William Martin, Deputy Mail
Messenger Caught With
the Goods.
IL BIG BOXES OF PLUMBER
Had Been Robbing Parcels Post Sacks
for Three Months and Also Many
Salem Stores.

What is said by the postal authorities
of Portland to be the greatest postal
robbery ever brought to their attention
was unearthed in this city this morning
by special inspectors Harry Durand and
c. NJ. Perkins when they searched the
mail wagon in charge Of Deputy Mail
Messenger William Martin, and found
a gunny sack full of packages stolen
from the parcels post bags which were
delivered to him by the train messenger
at the Southern Pacific depot.
Sheriff Esch was called at 1880 this
morning and the mail messenger was
arrested. He is now confined in the
county Jail pending the action of the
government authorities. Sheriff Esch
will prefer charges against Martin for
stealing goods from local mercantile
establishments also, which are valued
at several hundred dollars,
Robbed Mail for Three Months.
Martin has been robbing the parcels
post sacks for three months, or ever
since the parcels post law became eff
fective, according to the postal author.
ities and Sheriff Esch. The local pos.
tai officials have been in quandary as
to the source through which different
parcel packages were lost in the past
few months and reported the matter to
headquarters, Last night Inspectors
Durand and Perkins came to Salem and
started an investigation. They posted
themselves at the Southern Pacific de.
pot this morning and when Martin re-
ceived his consignment of mail from
the train, they followed him to the post.
office and ransacked his wagon. The
inspectors found gunny sack full Of
parcels taken from the mail bags, con-
tanning laces and other valuables, and
promptly called the sheriff to arrest
the messenger. An effort was made by
the inspectors and Deputy Postmaster
John Farrar to CLEAN information from
Martin as to where the remainder Of
the stolen goods were secluded, but the
messenger refused to talk.
Admits Guilt to Sheriff.
Sheriff Esch arrived and took charge
of the prisoner, and upon the way to
the court house, Martin divulged his
past actions. He told Sheriff Esch
that he had been robbing the parcels
post bags since the first Of the year
and that he had all Of the stolen prop.
erty locked up in his home on the cor.
ner of Twenty.sccond and Trade streets.
After locking Martin up, Sheriff
Esch visited the messenger home.
Mrs. Martin responded to the knock on
the door and upon seeing who it was
that called, broke down and confessed,
corroboratng her husband 3 story. The
sheriff and the postal inspectors were
shown into bedroom which was com.
pletely filled with wooden boxes, each
securely fastened by a paddock. The
sheriff opened the locks by the keys
taken from Martin at the time he was
arrested, and every conceivable article
of merchandise in the clothing line was
displayed. Laces, ladies suits, boots
shoes, mems clothing, thread, yarns
silks, satins, broadcloths and a long list
of other goods were found in the room
Stock for Store.
There were eleven wooden chests in
the bedroom all locked and prepared
for shipment. The estimated weight Of
all the goods found was figured at l5OC
pounds. Mrs. Martin informed Sheriff
Esch that she and her husband were in
tending to move to eastern Oregon anC
had prepared the boxes containing The
stolen goods for shipment
The officers engaged large dray t.
remove the boxes to the postoffice ant
the wagon was loaded to capacity. Twt
chests as large as an ordinary offic,
desk were filled to the brim with valu
able goods while nine other smalle
eases were found to contain ladies 'wea
and pieces Of silverwarc which the of
ficors consider Of great value. Evel
chinaware was found in the cases an,
one chest contained a complete assert
ment Of valuable silks and satins. Il
all there is sufficient stock Of good
in the chests to start a goOd.sized EN-
porium and the officers believe thi
was the plan Martin and his wife ha
in view when they had moved to east
.ern Oregon.
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