Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-06-17
MAILED
AND REGISTERED BY
RESERVE BANK HERE
Vigorous Investigation Of
HoIdup Being Conducted
by Postoffice Inspectors
and City Police

1t was estimated by postoffice au.
thorities Wednesday afternoon that
between $4,000 and 100000 worth
of bonds were stolen in the robbery
Tuesday night of a mail truck in
charge of John T. Widener, registry
transfer clerk, and J. E. Craig, ne
gro driver.
Approximately $4,000 worth of
THESE bonds were government bonds
which were being mailed by the
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
Assistant POSTMASTER John C. Station
and Inspector Oliver c. Cole esti-
mated that other bonds missing are
valued at between $4,000 and $780,
600.
Twenty-six pieces of Federal Re
serve Bank mail were stolen, and
also thirty-six other pieces of mail,
the contents of which have not been
divulged.
Although no arrests have been
made a vigorous investigation is be-
ing conducted under the direction of
Postoffice Inspector Oliver C. Cole.
Mr.. Widener and Craig were ques
toned at length by Mr.. Cole Wednes-
day morning. He is being assisted
by City Detectives Gillespie and
Cowan.
The registered mail pouch was
rifed shortly after 8 o'clock Tues
+ day night. According to Mr.. Widener
he and his driver were held up en-
route to the Terminal station and
forced to drive the truck to a de-
serted field, where they were bound
and the pouch ri1ed, the two en-
ployes reporting the affair soon
thereafter, when the greed them
salves.
Search Begun
AS soon as the truck failed to ar
rive at the Terminal station on time
postoffice officials began a search,
and whine the story Of the holdup
was reported, superintendent of
Mails Frank B. Ellis, Inspector Cole
and others Immediately motored out
to the spot where the truck was rif1ed.
Bloodhounds were obtained in an eff
fort to pick up the trail, but this
attempt was unsuccessful.
According to the postoffice inspec-
ton department, the robber in slash
ing open the pouches had evidently
cut his hand, as blood was spattered
nearby. This was confirmed by Mr..
Widener.
widener's Story
Mr. Widener, who is about So
years old, has been employed by the
postoffice department for about
three vars. His story, as told to The
Journal( was substantially as fol-
lows:
II am on duty from until 1890
o'clock p. m. We left the postoffice
at $40 o'clock Tuesday night bound
for the Terminal station with about
1870 pounds of mail in the, truck.
There was one pouch Of register
ed mail, one registered jacket Gan
envelope) and a quantity of first
class mail, parcel post and miscel-
laneous mail.
"As we turned into West Hunter
street from Forsyth street man
jumped on the running board. He
said, I'm an officer and here's my
credentials He pointed two guns
at US, got in between US, jabbing
one gun into my ribs and the other
into the ribs Of Craig, the negro
driver.
He made us turn up Madison
avenue. After we had gone about
a mile he made me lie on my face
under the steering wheel while he
tied Craig's hands. He then tied my
hand behind my back, united Craig
and made him drive out past West
View on the Adamsville road. He
made him turn into field road, and
go for about a hundred yards. He
then tied Craig again and gagged
him. Instead of gagging me he
forced me to tell him about the reg
istered mail.
HE then went through the regis
tered pouch. opening the letters and
took what he wanted. He dragged
us aboht a hundred yards and said
he was going back to the first class
mail.
'In some way Craig got hold of
/ his knife and we got loose. I hur-
ried to a nearby house, and a man
4 accompanied me bac kto the truck.
4 The man and I started reloading the
truck, while Craig caught a passing
automobile back to town. The au-
thorities went to the scene with
bloodhounds"
Describes Highwayman
I'm tieing us the robber used rope
he had in his pocket. 1t took him
Il a h01lt an hour TO go through the reg
4 iStere mail.
He was abut five feet, II inches
tall. weighed abut $50 pounds, had
a lights, sandy mustache, wore a
z dark suit, round-top black hat and
yellow four-in-hand tie. He was