Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-11-02
Long Grim inal Record
Claimed for Suspect
Held as Truck Bandit
Thomas Donehoo, Arrested
in New York, Is Millionaire
Craftsman and Train
<Robber, Agents Say

Positive Identification of Thomas
Donahue, master confidence man.
highwayman and craftsman, as the
man who held up an Atlanta post
office mail truck on June Is and
made away with $4,000 in Liberty
bonds, and as the man who operated
with John c. Moore, alias John Nolan,
in burglarizing banks in at least five
Georgia towns several years ago, was
completed in New York Saturday,
according to kilograms to Atlanta
"rderal officials from Postoffice In
:. ector E. w. McKew, who went to
New York following Donahue's ar
rest there on Monday.
Donahue will be given a prelimi-
nary hearing before the United States
commissioner in New York on NO
vember S, and then will be brought
to Atlanta for trial. Inspector NC
Kew wired Saturday that Donahue
had attempted to secure his retease
by posting temporary bond OF $zo'-
600. Apprehensive that he wouid
lump the bond, Atlanta inspectors
promptly dispatched kilograms urg-
ing that the man 10 worth probably
a half million dollars, accumulated
from robberies perpetrated over
period of thirty years, ana that II
would be unsafe for the government
to set him at liberty.
wanted in GAINESVILLE
An indictment against Donahue
for the alleged cracking Of SAFE
in a. GAINESVILLE bank now Is out
standing, according to 1.-THE federai
officials. John Moore, who Is now
serving twenty years for burglarlz-
ing banks in Ball Ground, Fayette-
Vile, Oak Field, Concord and other
Georgia towns, is said by inspectors
to have implicated Donahue in all OF
the robberies, which involve the
theft Of thousands Of dollars.
Since the sensational truck rob-
berry in June, Postoffice Inspectors
Fleming, Barry and McKew, work
inc under the direction of Chief In
spector Charles Riddiford, have lit
orally combed the country Tor
Donahue. INSPECTOR Fleming made
trips to San Francisco. Boston and
Philadelphia: Inspector Barry visit
ed Chicago, New York and other
cities. Descriptive circulars were
sent to federal, state and municipal
authorities in every city In the coun
try. Donahues was well known t.
police everywhere, but they seemed
unable to apprehend him. His ar.
rest in New York followed a care
fully laid trap by the police He
had up to week ago successfully
eluded the authorities for several
Donahue is said to have served
penitentiary for stealing and dis
posing of government property. He
is said to have served three terms,
aggregating twelve years. in Sing
Sing on convictions Of crackinE
safes, looting stores and working
confidence" games.
Mail Truck Robbery
II Postoffice Inspector Clyde Fleming
described the sensational manner IN
which Donahue robbed the Atlanta
mail truck, as follows:
HE boarded the truck at $50
o'clock on the night of June Is at
the corner of Forsyth and Hunter
them IN the ribs of the driver and the
postal clerk on the truck, and com
manded them to drive to a point be-
yond West View cemetery. There he
slashed open several registered mail
pouches, removed 1000 in Liberty
Bonds and quickly disappeared in
the darkness. 1t was several days
before clues connecting him with the
robbery were secured, and he had,
of course, left this section in the
meantime"
Charles Widener, q young postof-
flee clerk who was on the burglartzeo
mail truck, accompanied Postoffice
Inspector McKew to New York ana
aided in the Identification Of Dona-
hue.
kilograms from New York also in
dictate, Inspector Fleming said, thar
the same bonds stolene from the
truck were later disposed Of by
Donahue at various pawn shops in
Chicago, Philadelphia and New York:
Several thousand dollars worth OF
these bonds have been recovered, it
is said.
has been a confirmed criminal since
his youth. He added that he operat--
ed in each state under different
alias. Ills Georgia alias was Char.
lie Morgan, while in other parts OF
the county he USED TSo,o the h pames
Frank Harris, Thomas Mcconnell
and others" said Mr.. Fleming.
"On Donahue's forehead" he con
tinued, lis an ugly scar. the result
OIL d severe WOuuu ICSCLNO0 UACh
he attempted to burglarize butch
er shop in a western city. The
butcher hurled a big knife at him,
stopping him before he could reach
the cash drawer"
to federal officials, practically com
pletes the roundup of the band of
five notorius criminals who operated
in Georgia a number Of years ago,
burgliarizinrl go many many my banks
rifling United States malls. At
lanta postoffice inspectors have ex-
erted themselves for four months
in an effort to bring about Donahue's
capture.
John Nolan" band. Of which Dona-
brains" are well remembered
throughout Georgia. Using Colum
bus as a base. the gang established
select residential section of tn,
city
A woman, vino is alleged to have
kept house for the gang, was said to
wife. Postoffice inspectors from
time to time have, it, is said, Sc
cured valuable information from
this woman. 1t was her testimony
It is said Ivy which h, led to the convie,
Hulsey and Nolan. She is now with,
in the reach of the inspectors and
will probably be used as a witness
against Donahue when he is brought
to trial.
The only member Of the band still
at large is said to be George Har-
ris, who, it is alleged, participated
in the famous Strickland robbery.
Postoffice inspectors predicted
Saturday that Donahue has commit
ted his last violation of the law, and
that he will be given the limit in
the event Of his conviction in the
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