The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-11-09
DRASTIC STEP
TAKEN BY THE
GOVERNMENT
WILL BE ARMED WITH
SAWED-OFF SHOTGUNS
Sea Soldiers to Be Stationed
on Trains and Trucks and
in Fifteen Cities.

Washington. Nov. S-With orders 70
shoot to Kill IL necessary to preyapt
mail robberies. ono thousand marip4e
were ordered 10 duty today as guer4S
Of mail trains and trucks and at post.
offices in fifteen cities The MEN Will
he armed with pistols and sawed.o6
shot guns. Postmaster General Haya IN.
nounccd after conference with Major
General Lejeune, commandant OF the
marine corps.
The marines are TO be replaced even. /
tually. he said. by special force ~
cruited from the postal service. 4
Arrangements for the service OF the
marines. the postmaster general said. 4
were made with the secretary OF the
navy. The matter was discussed at to- :
days cabinet meeting. and President
Harding Is said to have expressed ap-
proval Of Mr.. Hays plan to check loot.
ing OF the mails.
Officials Suspended
The postmaster general also an.
noumred that as 4 result OF recent ROB.
bcrIes. orders have been issued sus-
lending from the service three New
York postolrce officials. Elijah II. Nor
r!s. superintendent OF mails; Henry
lippman superintendent OF registry.
and Walter :. Mayer. superintendent or
money orders. lnNcst!ga ton OF the
New York robbery. Mr.. lays declared
In a formal statement. VIII he continues
as the matter has not yet been sui
hcientiy developed az to enable ua-to
know definitely whether or not there
are others guilty Of definite dereliction
OF duty" The robbery" he added.
should have been and -cuuld have be4Q
prevented.
Some of the marines, Genera NSJeut
said, would be tranBferred tonfshG ahd
within twenty-four hours would DO on
guard on practically all trains In the
country carrying valuable mall Men FOR
duty in the East. South and Central
West. he said would come from the
marine corps post at Quantico, va,
while those for service In the West
would report from San Diego and Mare
Island. California.
In Many Cities
Among the cities to which they will
be sen, for duty are Boston. New York.
| Ihiladelphia. Cleveland. Richmond, Al.
lanta. Chicago. 81. Louis. Minneapolis
Kansas city. Dallas. San Francisco and
| 90 Angeles. TeleSrams were dispatchod
tonight by the postofficc department In
s,-urting pos;maSters and postal inspec' !
tors Mt these points TO Cooperate with
the guar ds. y
Declaring hat II was proposed to pro. (
trct the United States mails Ito the last
rostLl card rrEar rdless OF cost and sac
r:fice" Mr.. Hays said he wanted II known .
that the postofice department had DO.
c'ar"l % en- warfare on the crooks aao
bandits OF III" country. f.
Millions Of Loot.
During the twelve months ended last
s,.:if according to Hays. a total OF :
81. 500, 900 was stolen from the mAilS
lon, in the six months following the
that postal employees
would he armed the total stolen feii
tu 33lS.S6n. -s
The advisabIty Of enacune legtSiA,
ilon authorizing the government to pay
dea IN BENEFITS 70 the families OF pos0l
er,pioycs SHIN by bandits Is undersfeoo
10 have b"cn discussed by the cahAeG
As n further deterrent to mall w.
hcr,cs. Attorney General DauBherty heA
suggested tn the district attorneys m
the varous states that the courts Be 2
urged to impose heavier sentences whoro
are obtained for mall rob
berries Mr. pauCherty expressed the
opinion that the widespread unemploy-
ment was responsible for much OF to
crime In the country. Men being ouS
~ work are more likely to break the
laws than those employed, he said. 5===s.