South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-11-29
Rich DOwagiaC Consignment of
Bank Letters and State
mentS is RifIed.
ONLY CLEW IS EMPTY
SUIT CASE AND NOTES
Washington and Cincinnati In
SpeCtOrS NOtified-LoCaI PO-
lice and Detectives
on Case.
BULLETIN.

BULLETIN.
large package OF drafts. believed
TO comprise nearly all OF those missing
from the riiled mail found Saturday
morning i'm the rear of 607 - Main -.
was deposited i'm the pOstufIiCc shortly
before noon. The drafts were en-
closed i'm "A sealed envelope and drop
ped through the regular mailing win
dow at the office. where they were dis
covered "a short time afterwards when
the clerks emptied the box.
The postal officials had not finished
checking up the drafts early this af-
ternOOn. but il was thought that all OF
the S1O.2fS.99 OF the Lee Brothers
consignment were 'ecOXcrcd.
From the postmaster at DoWagiac
The NeWs-Times learned Saturday
morning that the mail pouch had
been stolen at the Michigan Central
station in that city, before il ~as put
on the train.
The WagOnman had unlOaded the
pouch and left IL long enough TO 20
into the baggage room" said the post
master. when he returned it was
gone. There il no clew 10 the iden-
tity of the thieves. It was TO be put
on train No: If, leaving here at 5;4S
Friday evening.
Ii was learned that the money or
der remittance which was at first
thought To have formed large part
of the booty, was in the + orm of "A
draft. The draft was among those
which were returned at the south
Bend Office.
The remains of pouch OF rified
mail, the only tangible evidence in
what is regarded as one OF the most
daring mail robberies perpetrated in
| this section in years, were found in
I the rear Of 607 5. Main ST early Sat
urday morning.
From the contents OF the letters
which were left il was difficult 10 es-
innate the amount OF the robbers
loot but the large amount Of bank
mail in the package made il seem
probable that the sum was near a
small fortune.
The postmarks showed that prac-
tically all of the letters were put in
the mails at DOwagiac Mich. shortly
before 8 o'clock Friday evening and
the pouch was eastbound on the
Michigan Central railroad. train No.
IA. great part OF the mail was ad-
dressed 10 Detroit
A statement of Lee Brothers & Co.
I bankers. of DOwagiac, covering five
pages. found without an envelope.
showed that the robbers had taken
$10,24S.99 in drafts and other COM
mercial paper which were being sent
TO the Peoples State bank Of Detroit,
J Mich. for credit and collection. Sew
eral other statements Of exchange
/ from banks were found. but the
drafts and checks We're gone.
Order for $1,000.
An empty envelope from the post
! asJer at DoWagiac addressed TO the
( postmaster al Detroit which was
found in the mails. told the story OF
the theft of the money order remit
tance of the DOWaglac office These
/ remittances are usually n cash. From
/ other indications Is was thought the
remittance was more than $1,000.
A telephone message TO the police
department early Saturday morning
/ brought the first cleW 10 the robbery.
AIRS. Alma Gutchess. 607 :. Main ST..
told the sergeant she had found a
suit case on her ash pile which
aroused her suspicious.
Patrolman Diver was sent 10 the
scene and on opening the suit case.
one Of the light cane kind. soaked by
an an night rain. found its only con
tents "a pile OF scraps. the torn ends
OF envelopes Continuing his search
Diver found the mail nearby in the
vicinity Of a livery and transfer barn
on South ST.. just west OF Main
The riied mail and the suit case
were brought 20 the station and the
postofice officials were notified i'm
mediately. Postmaster CTabil and
Supt Of Mails Schuyler Upton took
! charge OF the mail as soon as the
record had been made ar the police
station.
Inspector Notified.
Postmaster Crabill Immediately
notified the chief inspector OF the di-
vision at Washington and the Cincin-
natl district Inspector The pOstmas-
ter AT Dowagiac was also notified by
wire
Examination by the postal officials
showed that all but one or two pieces
OF the mail had been posted az Do
wagiac at 4.30 and $3.50 Friday even
inc.
The robbers evidently abandoned
the mail pouch soon after obtaining
possession or it and stuffed their
booty In the suit case which was
found here JudSing from the post
CONTINUED on PAGE NINE.)
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