The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-02-29
ROB LOCKED MAIL AUTO:
MISS BAG FULL OF MONEY
Thieves Mysteliously Garry Off Four Registered Sacks
Get Into Steel Cage Unseen on Ferry-Amount of
Plunder in Letters and Packages Not Known.

iodT canvas pouches filled with reg
istcred mail from Washington and Bal
i'more were stolen from the locked steel
cage or motor express truck that was
taking them from a New Jersey Central
railroad train at Communipaw to the
New York Post Ofhcc at Thirty-th.rd
street and seventh avenue early on sat
urday morning
How much the contents OF the letters
ana packages in these sacks were wort
the postal authorities will have no means
o. knowing for several days. Their
guess liz that the thieves probably got
only about $1,000 and certainly moth
ing like 100000" They do know. how
ever. that right beside the sacks that
disappeared. tndistinguishablc from them
in appearance. lay another bag that was
stuffed with paper money. which was be-
ing sent from Washington to New York
banks. This bag and another--two OF
the six registered pouches that were
tossed into tho motor truck at Communi-
paw, according to the count Of II. i. Nc
call. Jr.. a registry clerk who was In
charge of then---reached the post office
intact
Robbcrs Miss Treasure sack.
In grabbing four OF the six bags the
robbers missed the one that would have
yielded them a negotiable fortune.
No one now in Uncle Sans service in
this city recalls any previous dlsap-
pearance OF u sack OF registered mail In
the New York district. Occasionally q
single package has dropped from sight
but wholesale theft has been deemed inn
possible. Chief Postal Inspector Cochran
of the New York Office has been trying
to tear hole IN the mystery since Sat
urday morning. With him are working
Inspectors H. !. Pollitt. o. NJ. Schaefei
and James Stephenson. Mr.. Stephenson
said yesterday:
II shouldn't like to say We have a
clue, but we are working OF some
| thing"
The train that brought the registei ed
| mail to the Jersey Central terminal al
Communipaw left Washington at $ O'Clock
on Friday night II was due In Com
munipaw at 2:55 on Saturday morning
but arrived at 3.5c. Mccall rode witt
his treasure all the way from Washing
ton. AZ Conmunipaw a motor trucl
belonging To the Postal Transfer Service
! Il private corporation which has IA mai
4 carrying contract. was waiting. II |.
| surmounted by steel mesh cage i'm
| penetrable save through rear door
! which Is kept locked In transit
/ Mccall kept tabs on the sacks as the.
! We're tossed from the mail car OF tn
! train into the cage Of the truck Ac
/ cording to his count. between forty an,
iifty sacks Of ordinary mail were packe,
/ into the truck. and then the six sack
of registered mail. checking with the lis
made up at Baltimore, were piled on To-
Of them.
In a statement made to the post ofsic
! inspectors Mccall says: The sacks wer
! unloaded at Comnunipaw by three ma
{ clerks. The motor truck was driven int
! the mail room OF the terminal station.
I counted the sacks as they were put int
the truck. and they were all right. The
| snapped til. spring lock ON the hac
, OF the truck.
Before starting for New York ! wen
into the mail room to get an empty sac
To put on the seat Of the truck. for
was a cold morning. | got on the sea
with the driver. Martin O'liarc. and "
drove aboard the ferryboat Wilkesbarr'
Another mail truck was just behind u:
driven by charles Dougherty l wer
into the aides cabin Of the boat an
stayed there until We reached libert
street.
Ever INC eIEercst commutcr is No