Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-09-23
CLERK ENGINEERS BIG
DEAL WITH AID OF
OUTSIDERS
SWITCH PACKAGES
POLICE MAKE LUCKY GRAB
WHEN THEY PICK UP MEN AS
MEkT KEPT HUGE THIEF !
FROM PUBLIC.

tEN tht Associated t''~S.l
Chicago. Sept 23Three men, on"
OF them John Wejda, clerk II the
Chicago postottce, who is said to have
planned the robbery were arrested
here early today, charged with steal
ing $2i0,G00 Of shipment Of Sll5,0H0
last Thursday from the federal re.
serve bank here to the Standard OIL
Company Of Indiana at Waiting Ind
or the stolen funds S93,b2U was recaF-
cred The remainder, according % an
ALLEGED conte sion OF two Of the mel,
was abandoned at the UUtSkIts Of
Chicago when the automobile in which
they were returuing from Whiting
bl oke down.
A piece Of police mcE' is pointed
to as respon sible for the arrest OF the
men, Chicago city detectives un-
earthed the postal robbery when two
Of the men. Leo and Walter Phillips.
brothers, - and - years old IT,
spectiVely. We're arrested in COIurc-
tion with the robbery OF a salcon in
which approximately $500 was OH
tanned.
Prior 20 the arrests no announce
ment of the huge holdup had been
made.
Informed by a stool pigeon ,hat
the Phillips brothers We're involved IN
the saloon robbery which occurred
later in the day OF the hodup a. Whit.
ing, the officers al lirst Thought they
had stumbled on big pay roll or bank
robbery when one found $2Q,9e1 in
the elder Phillips pocket.
Questioning developed according to
the officers, details of the entire pro
gram
A fourth man, said to be the oWnor
of a small farm near Chicago, was
being sought early today Police say
they believe most OF the missing
money was buried on his property.
He is said TO have been at Whiting
with the Phillips brothers
Wejda is clerk in the registry
division Some months ago he no
ticed that every Thursday a registered
package consigned to the BANK Of
Whiting from The federal reserve bank
here went through the Chicago post
office, according to confession Off
GERS say they obtained from him.
One day, the alleged confession con
tlnucd, Wejda observed that torn
package contained money. and taking
the Phillips brothers into his coat
dence, planned the robbery.
The Phillips brothers, according tC
statements police say they made, took
a third man and stole an automobile
and Went to Whiting.
1t is believed a dummy package sim
liar TO one OF two containing the
money mad been prepared by Wejdl
This was taken to Whiting. and after
the currency had been delivered at the
railroad station to be sent to the bank
was substituted and the money Oh
tanned.
K. b. Mendelle and y. I. S.,lvan
postal inspectors in charge Of the fed
eral investigation, said they believed
Wejda sent a fake bag. similar ir
appearance 20 the money BAGS in tn,
assignment to Whiting.
A man named Joe SchNarZ, en-
ployed at the station. was to take the
bags in a hand ca1t 10 the postoiiice
the inspectors said
He got the wrong bag and took il
to The pOstolice, from where II was
to be taken to the Bank of Whitins
and from there to the Standard Oil
Company of Indiana
when he returned TO the statior
the bag containing the money wa.
gone.
The inspectors said lSchwarz did no
Know the bags con entS. They be
lieve Wejda so marked the bag tn,
robbers could not mistake it.
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