The New York herald., 1921-11-16
ARRESTED ON Liner
ASSELLER OF BONDS
FROM mail ROBBERY
Bert r. Chapman of Boston
Trailed to Pier by Postal
Inspectors.
In LOS ANGELES CASE
Officials Hope to Clear Big
Holdup in New York by
Disclosures.

Postal inspectors went aboard the
Aquitania half an hour before the
liner sailed yesterday and from Cabin
C-19, first class. plucked Bert r
Chapman, young man who was born
and lives in Boston. The ship went on
TO Cherbourg without him.
Chapman spent last night in the
West Thirtieth street police station.
This morning he will be arraigned be-
fore United States Commissioner Hitch
cock and charged with having mar
keted in Boston $4,000 worth Of bonds
which wore part of the loot Of a
100000 mail robbery accomplished In
Los Angeles on March last.
This robbery was done in substan-
TALLY the same manner as the record
one of October "a in New York. in
which the loss was more than $1,000
o00., In both cases mail wagon was
forced into a side street by armed
highwaymen in touring cars.
The Post Office Department has rea-
e.on to believe that at least part of the
,trOcecCS VI LILO lOo fAAoSASo iciNet "
carried from California to Chicago by
airplane. 1t does not think that the Los
Angeles robbers and the New York rob-
hers were the same men. but has theory
that they may have used the same agents
in trying to turn stolen securities into
cash. 1t regards the capture OF Chap
man as important and has some evidence
which WIN not Appear when he is ar
iaigned on the sI,ecific $4,000 charge.
Traced to Ship and Arrested.
Chapman asserts his innocence. In
the course of several hours questioning
yesterday in the investigation offices In
the main Post Office he made several
statements which will be checked up.
Tho transaction which caused Chap
mans arrest took place In Boston on
June Is. 1t is alleged that he disposed
of $4,000 worth of Chicago, Burlington
and Quincy Railroad bonds to a Boston
bank and $4,000 of foreign securities, in
c,uding those Of France and Sweden.
elsewhere. The Government has recov-
cred the c., b. & @. bonds but not the
others.
Chapman's home is 1874 Chelsea street,
East Boston. Federal agents have been
watching him for some time. When he
got passport for France. England.
Austria and other European countries
and engaged passage on the Aquitania
they thought II was about time to take
him in. He bought his ticket In Boston
on November and came to New York
on Saturday. Post Office Inspector
George Cellar, who came East from Los
Angeles last month, and Inspectors Clark
. webster and Thomas Butler boarded the
Aauitania half an hour before sailing
time with private detective. who had
also been trailing Chapman.
They found him In his s.ateroonl. He
protested loudly against being taken of.
lie said he was an automobile salesman
going to Europe on a business trip. The
inspectors say he had worked for a
dealer in second hand automobiles. He
gave his age as 20. He looked prosper
Gus and seemed to have plenty OF money.
Two of the inspectors, after talking with
him, went into the ships mail room and
searched for something they did not
.ind.
Women Appear Too Late.
After the departure from the pier or
the inspectors and Chapman two we'll
dressed women called at the ticket desk
at the foot of West Fourteenth street
and asked for Chapman. One OF the
women had little boy with her. She
said that her party we're friends OF
Chapman and had gone to the pier for
the double purpose OF seeing him OF
and letting the boy see big liner. They
could not believe the Boaton man had
been taken off. but they went to the
main Post Office and there verified II
through the inspectors.
Federal agents said that the younger
woman. who seemed to be about 25
years old. was Mrs. Charles Solomon of
Boston The identity Of the other. who
was between 35 and 80 years old. they
did not disclose. Mrs. Solomon and her
husband had known Chapman for some
time. II was said the other woman only
"a few days. Neither woman Is in any
way under suspicion.
BOSTON. Nov. i5.---Bert A. Chap
man, arrested In New York to-day on a
charge OF disposing OF securities stolen
trom mai truck In Los Angeles, was
known In this city as Albert Kap'an.
the police said tonight. They asserted
that tomorrow officers would cndeavor
~ r~cover some OF the bonds, which they
oelieved to be IN The vaults Of trust
company IN this city
Chapman's friende IN East Roeton re-
.crred 10 him as "tha young man of
mystery because ho was always reti-
cent as 20 his sources of income. He
VT his home there last Saturday. tell
hfu tfaat nn xtyoa gnirr n
Europe IN Nua'ness trip.
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