The Hawaiian gazette., 1914-04-17
.WESsB0E ADMITS
R0BBEBE OFNk|l
capture Of Youth Formerly En-
ployed on the Ventura May
Clear Mystery Of Thsfts.

By the arrest at san Francisco OF
Joseph Forne and David Williams,
federal inspectors Of that city believe
they have obtained clue which win
result in clearing the mystery involy-
ing mail robberics at sea that have
puzzled them for the last year. The
capture Of Williams and Horne was
brought about by an unusual series Of
circumstances, some of which eame to
the attention Of the authorities by
what seemed mere chance and were
promptly Investigated.
The FIRST Elimination they had that
the supposed eulprits were almost with
in their grasp came in telephone mes.
sage advising them that a young man
had seIected D pair OF shoes In down
town store and offered IN payment a
money order Tor 800.
Trailed by Detectives.
Two detectfyes who we're sent 10 the
store took Horne into custody but so
plausible was bis explanation as TO how
he came into possession Of the postal
order that he was released. However,
prompted BY q .ngering suspicion, the
officers followed him to n room on
Clay street. where they found viii
liams. Searching the room, they dis
covered money orders and checks to
the amount of 1925, in addition to the
order that Horne had attempted TO
convert into cash.
Williams confessed that he had loot.
cd the reeistered mail on board the
steamer Ventura when the vessel was
three days out from san Francisco on
its last Coastbound voyage. The only
bag touched was the registered mail
from Page Page, and from that he took
] checks and money orders worth 5000.
| He destroyed the letters and the bag
itself by throwing 1t overheard, and
destroyed number Of The checks and
| money orders, retaining an aggregate
Of only $775 Including the 4lO0, order
and $625 in checks issued by the navy
paymaster at Tutuilo.
Prisoner Was stowaway. &
Williams was stowaway on the
Ventura from sydney and was put e
work in the firemens mess 20 work
his passage TO San Francisco. He i,
a former sailor and had worked for the
Oceanic Company in other steamers, sC
he knew how mail was handled and
what sacks were valuable. Accordins
to his statement, the door Of the mail
room was left open in rough weather
to give an easy passage to the mess
i room.
II is thought by the inspe, etor ii
charge and by Inspectors William Ma
deria and a. ~ .Anstin that further in
vestigation win lead them TO the mer
who have been robbing the mail on
other vessels. Their idea Is that Viii
liams heard other members Of the crew
of the Ventura tell how they looted the
parcel post outward bound. t
Horne, who is eighteen years Of age
and a vaudeville actor, Is believed Il
be only a tool used to help dispose Of
the checks and money orders. He and
Williams went TO the postoflice with
the money orders and also to the banl
with the draft, but in both places they
were told that they would have to bt
/ identified. II was then that Horn,
tried to buy shoes with the hundred
dollar order.
Other Robberies Reported
Speaking of the capture of Williams
and Horne and its possible importance
Postal Inspector OsConnell of San
Francisco, said: g q"
"We Aave lost mail from the Pacific
Mail eonsignments for the past year
but until now have been unable to ap
pTehend the euIprits. On the outward
trip Of the Ventura tbepareel post mai
was looted of fifty.seyen packages OF