Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-01-18
Contained Money.

Contained Money.
The regular mail was composed
solely of city collections. the police
say. The registered mail bags were
supposed to contain currency and
bonds; the. value cannot yet be esti-
mated. ~
One of the postal employees said
that only few minutes after they
had arrived at the station with their
truck the bandit car dashed up. The
police believe the robbery was an In
side job as the bandits seemed to have
knowledge OF the bank shipment as
we'll as the time the truck would ar
it.
Worked Quickly.
Thomas Carter. Richard J. Sliney
and Philip Cahill, postal employees,
said the five men, none Of whom ap.
peared to be more than 20 years old.
wore black masks. ss ~
They carried out the robbery in
such short time that the attention
of watchman and a railroad mail
tracted unit! they were speeding away
in their motor car with the ~
pouches.
Carter. who drove the mail truck.
said he believed the bandit car fol-
lowed him~from the postoffice to the
station. The alarm was sent to the
federal building. and the city detective
'-tsscv-ri -s,r4ads OF osficers wefs on
the trail OF the robbers within a few
minutes. ~
No Estimate Made.
Postal authorities early today We're
unable to estimate the amount of the
loot. They said the shipments to the
northwest which usually go out on
the 2:30 morning mail average about
100000 in value but they consoled
themselves with the knowledge that
the Tuesday shipments are generally
Of less value than on other days OF
the week. 50
Every police station was actively en-
gagged IN a search for the robbers
within a few minutes after they had
executed their coup. Postal inspectors
spread net also and enlisted the aid
Of suburban town authorities and noti
fled police of nearby cities. One OF
the first activities of the postal men
was to check UP on all recently dis
charged mail drivers as the circuHl-
stances Of the robbery convinced the
authorities that it was an inside
job"
All accounts of the holdup en-
phasiZed the uuietness.~speed and pre-
! cision with which the men worked
Carefully Timed.
The arrival of the bandit car was
timed to nicely and as it slowed up
opposite the truck. three of the out
! laws leaped from it and ran across the
street.
The trio faced seven postal railway
employees and in the background were
! late frequenters of the station includ-
ing numerous newspaper wagon driA-
! erS and taXicab chauffeurs.
u.s. M,
say" said the leader Of the bandits
He ordered one of the mail handlers
to remain on the sidewalk to avert
suspicion and sent the other men in1u
the truck to separate the Registered
sacks from the resi-. !.
Throw the sacks into our ma :
chine" ordered the leader of the rob-
bers ana, as the railroad and mail em-
ployes complied, he added:
Much obliged. So long"
! He leaped into the touring car Will,
! his accon>plices and the car started.
+ Stop that machine. It's hold :
! up" cried one of the railroad men.
But the leader of the robbers bran-
dished a big pistol and pursuit
+, stopped. 1t was the only sight OF
firearms reported TO the police. s4
| The leader Of the robbers described
as about 20 years old. five feet stA
inches tall. of stocky build and clad
| in an army overcoat and black cap.
! His chief lieutenant was about the
same height but slender and wore a
dark overcoat and cap. ST.