New-York tribune., 1916-02-29
Loot Pouches on Jer-
sey FerrybOat and
Make Escape.
BAGS RELOCkED
AFTER RIFLING
Armed Guards Sat Within
Ten Feet-LOSS DiSCOv-
cred at POstOffCe.

Secret service men from Warrington.
with local postal inspectors and police,
are searching the city and suburbs for
clew TO the mos: daring postal rob
berry New York has had in years
Four registered mail pouches were
rihed shortly after 3 o'clock Saturday
morning on Jersey Central ferrybost
and close to 100000 in cash stolen.
The pouches were removed from an
auto mail truck on the ferryboat and
then replaced. A driver and two postal
messengers seated on the front of the
truck knew nothing OF the robbery
until the pouches were opened in the
registered mail division OF the new
Postof'ice. at Eighth Avenue and Thir-
iy-third Street
A pouch containing several hundred
thousands Of dollars from New York
banks was overlooked. IL was shipped
from the Treasury Department in
Washington. This. inspectors declare,
was the motive for the robbery.
The robbery was engineered by a
person or persons familiar with the
sehcGd'c Of nail shipments having in lis
or their possession keys TO both the
motor truck cage and the pouches.
The whole Job was completed in less
than eight minutes.
Dawn was breaking Saturday morn
ing when the o'clock train from
Washington pulled in at Jersey City.
4 motor truck backed up to the mail
car and two clerks hurricdly loaded it
with pouches and sacks contsin,n- reg
istcred. first and second class mail.
The door OF the cage vas then locked,
and the clerks, known as messengers
when they accompany registered mail
and money shipments, donned their
street clothes and hoped on the front
OF the truck with the driver.
The truck was driven aboard Jcr-
sey Central ferrybost and brought to
stop about the centre Of the runway.
Al 3:lO the fcrryboat left Jersey City
and eight minutes later was tied up at
the Liberty Street slip. From Liberty
street the truck was driven dire y to
the new Postoflicc and the registered
sacks and money pouches carried to the
registry department. The pouches were
securely locked, and it was not until
the registry clerks opened them that
il was found they had been riAcd.
There were several pieces Of mail in
each Of the pouches which had not been
hammered with. but everything els, of
valuc had occn removed. Even the
official slips containing record OF
each niece os registered mail was
stolen. which will make the matter OF
tracing the letters difficult one. II
will take weeks. officials say, to deter
mine the exact amount stolen.
Chief Postal Inspector Cochran was
notified Of the robbery, and with IN
snectors Schaefcr and Pollard exam
incd the driver ana clerks, then took
them TO Jersey City and rctraced the
trim. The Postofiicc Department at
Washington was notified. and sunday
morning a dozen Secret Service men
were busy on the case. Detectives from
Police Headquarters also were called IN
KEYS to pouches containing regis
tered mail are kept IN the registry dc
partments of the pos;ofiices and never
carried outside. with the exception OF
the News carried by railway mail clerks
making long runs. where the mail IS
sorted during tho trip.
No driver OF motor truck IS trusted
with key 10 the truck cage.
Despite these precautions. SatuT-ays
valuable haul was made so quickly and
with such case that It has completely
bafIled the Investigators.