The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-07-13
TRY TWAIN FOR
 $800,000 THEFT
 FROM U. s. MAIL
Third Pleads Guilty but Sen tence Is Deferred Pending
 Completion of Trial.


 New York, July 13.-Thomas Ben son and his brother-in-law, Louis Windler, who recently planned to es- cape from the Tombs. Prison, and at the same time release score or more other prisoners, were put on trial yes- terday. before Judge Harland B. Howe, and Jury in the Criminal Branch of the Federal District Court on two in- ing in a conspiracy with Edward J. Quigley to rob the mails. They were specifically charged with the theft on February last of four registered mail pouches containing bonds. stocks and securities worth more than $800,00O and jewelry valued at $S,000 from a the ferryboat Wilkesbarre while cross ing the the North River from Com munipaw, N. J., to Liberty street, this city. All of the Jewelry and securities worth $504,000, have been recovered by Postal Inspectors Pollett and Schae- fer. The remainder of the securities having a face value of $3O0,000. which Benson says he threw into the Hudson River, at 47th street, wrapped in a piece of oil cloth, have not yet been recovered by the diver employed by the government to, search for them. At the beginning of the trial Quigley who is an engineer residing at Ridge field Park, N. J., pleaded guilty and
 his sentence was deferred until the end of the trial of his ,SAleged co-conspira- tors. This action was necessary SC as to permit Frank M. Roosa, Assist ant United States District Attorney, us ing Quigley as a government witness against Benson, a bricklayer. and Win. dler, who at the time of the theft o1 the mail bags. was employed as g
 chauffeur by the Postal Service Tran. spoPtation Company, Inc.
 Telling the jury the facts concerning es containing mail matter from Balti-
 more and Washington, D. C., MT Roosa spoke of Windler as the chic, conspirator. This man, he said. two days before the mysterious theft, had obtained leave of absence from ths mail contractor, and followed the wag on he proposed to loot in covered wagon drawn by a white horse.
 being an extremely cold morning whe1 the registered mail was stolen, MT 
 in carrying out the plan, as the motol truck was deserted, the driver and thu railway mail clerk having gone int the cabin of the boat to warm them
 selves during the trip across the river Being still an employee of the Posta Transportation Company, Windler, MT Roosa said, had no trouble opening tn, locks on the mail wagon and getting <~R ty& {nIx T. transferred to the covered wagon. H,
 landed at the foot of Liberty street The theft, MT. Roosa said, was no
 discovered until nearly an hour later when the mail truck arrived at tn, General Post sOnice on Eighth Avenue
 between 31st and sgd streets. Tn, 1 pouches contained in all 206 pieces O
 regustered mall matter.
 The first clew to the perpetrators O
 the mail robbery, Mir. Roosa said
 was obtaihed>a week or so afterward
 by the postal inspectors when the.
 succeeded in identifying several uncu
 diamonds which Benson had attempt
 ed to pawn as part of the loot of tn,
 ferryboat theft The investigation dis closed according to the prosecution l IAA0 IcAaIAOu8AAIp c4lSlluS p0IWccH Den
 son and W1ndler. It was also found tout that immediately after the crfm,
 the chauffeur suspect had given up hi job with the mail contracting com pany. 6 Later. the hiring of the covered ped dler's wagon with a white horse wa fixed on Windlers and by the chanc
 arrest of Quigley in the railroad sta ton at Baltimore, Md, with a blacl
 bag containing $504,00O of the stolel securities, all the details of the allege, l iconspiracy were obtained. Benson Mir. Roosa said, stated that days be fore the ferryboat robbery Windle
 had told him how easy job it waS t lplunder a postal motor truck on a col morning while crossing the river an fafter the crime had employed him t
 dispose of a pearl necklace and othe pieces of jewelry worth $4.000, by tn
 sale of which he realized $557 after
 wards, Quigley stated he was sent t Baltimore to sell the bulk of the sto len securities and had unexpectedl fallen into the hands of Governmep
 detectives. t I Benson. MT. jRoosa told the jur, when confronted with the evidenc
 against him and his associates, con
 fessed that he had thrown the remain
 der of the stolen securities, wort
 $3o0.o00, wrapped up in piece of oil
 cloth. from the dock at the foot c
 West 47th Street.
 !