The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1913-05-16

f(& for him--this being a
Az AZ standing offer which the
1E5R postofice dep art m t
6P makes for the capture OF
anybody who ventures to pillage
train that is carrying the mails
Train robbing is the most distinc-
lively American of all professions; it
is likewise the most perilous, bar
none. One of the most recent exam
pies was the holding up OF the Over
land limited, bound from San Francis
co to Chicago and points east. 1t was
halted at midnight by red lantern
placed in the middle OF the track three
miles west of Omaha, and the mail
car was plundered, seven pouches OF
registered letters and packages being
thrown out and rifed.
The flying squadron of postoffice
detectives, with headquarters at Onla-
ha, got after the robbers so quick that
the latter were actually unable to
make their escape from the city AS
sisted by the corps Of professional
bandit hunters, under Chief w. p.
Canada, they captured every one
the holdup men, to the number OF
five, within week-illustrating the
fact that the days of train robbing as
a safe and easy method Of acquiring
wealth are past. The government will
spend unlimited money to catch such
outlaws, and the railroads offer addi-
tional rewards for their seizure, alive
or dead. Pursuit of them nearly al
ways winds up with desperate fight,
and the shooting Is to kill.
Chief Canada has under him eight
men, all of them dead shots with rifle
or pistol They travel in special
car of extra length, half Of which is
occupied by stalls for nine horses.
Arrangements are such that they can
be on their way to the scene of a
train robbery within thirty minutes
after news of it has been received.
Arriving there with fresh horses, they
can telegraph for relay mounts as
they are needed-twO of the men be-
ing expert operators, who can easily
climb a pole with portable instru-
ment. They know how to follow a
trail that no ordinary person could
distinguish, and final escape for the
bandits is almost out of the question.
Train robbers have grown much
holder within recent years. Formerly
they piled their highly stimulating
vocation in remote and isolated parts
Of the country; nowadays they do not
hesitate to operate in densely populat'
ed districts and near the largest cities
not long ago a train was held up neal
Benicia, Cal, and the mail rifled. A
gang OF nine men conducted the affair
and all of them were captured and
sent to prison, FIVE Of them for life
and the others for terms Of fifteen
years to forty-five years.
Thus, the adoption of measures
sternly repressive, the postotice de
partment Is enabled to prevent the
robbing of mail trains from becoming
more popular as form of industry
though on an average, half dozeI
instances Of such outlawry Occur
every year. But there is another kinC
of criminal enterprise which hal
shown a tendency to increase alarm
ingly, and with which the authorities
find 1t difflcult to deal. This is thu
pillaging of postofices by professional
thieves-the extent Of the business
being indicated by the fact that dur
ing last year nearly 1000 postofice
were "burgled."
This seems to be, under present con
ditions, a fairly profitable species o
crime. Postoflces are easily entere
at night, and there Is usually a SAT
on the premises which, containing a
1t does the stock of stamps and
sum OF money representing posts
funds, may be expected to yield an!
where from few hundred to severe
thousand dollars. Not long ago tn
postoflce at South Bend, Ind, wa
: burglarized, and S1S.65S in stamps an
cash was taken. During the sam
: twelvemonth the postofice at Dayton'
Fla, yielded loot to the extent
$5,4S6; and $5,24O was stolen from tn
postofice at Santa Cruz, Cal.
Z The tobbing of postofices is toda
u a well-organized industry, conducte
by tramp-thieves of desperate chara
, ter who call themselves "yeggmen
These yeggmen have practically -supe
t seeded the old-time safe blowers. Flo
g merly the blowing of safes was dol
d by a few skillful, expert mechanic
n who carried high-class tools and kne
just where to drill into the lock
D. order to break it, or where to inse
Soe~~-o~~-~~~O~~~o-~ ~-~~-o~~~-~~-o-o-~-
10 Found Body In Fragments.
e Blown to pieces, travelling artii
August ]. Stecker. lost his life at Nc