The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-01-19
CONFESSES
MAIL Theft
OF $5OO,0OO
Dan Ingram, Negro Truck.
man, Admits Crime;
White Man Aided.

gram, aged %, negro truckman, en-
ployed by the New York Central
railroad, today confessed to stealing
the mail pouch here yesterday, said
unofficially to have contained $780,
600.
Ingram said, according to Police
Chief Loren H. Northrop, that he
and George E. Scruggs, a white
man, plotted to steal the bag and
that Ingram placed the mail truck
at a certain place. Scruggs then
stole the pouch, according to In
gram. They agreed to split the
loot, Ingram said, but disclalmed
knowledge as to what Scruggs dld
with the stolen property.
Scruggs has been taken into Gus
tody.
Elkhart, Ind.,. Jan. 19.-Local po-
lice expect to make another arrest
in connection with the theft yester-
day of a mail bag containing regis
tered mail, it was said today. Dan
Ingram, a negro truckman, was ar
rested shortly after the robbery
d
maintained his innocence, the au-
thorities said they have clrcum-
stancial evidence which tends to
incriminate him
Estimates of the value of the sto-
len mail differ. Postmaster Lit
trell has declared the loss to be
slight, while others say it Will run
into hundreds of thousands of dol
lars. Bonds valued at 100000 were
removed from the stolen sack and
left in the depot
Chicago, Jan. 19.-Bonds, cur
rency and securities believed to
total nearly $500, 900 were stolen
from a mail truck at the New York
Central railroad station in Elk
hart, Ind, early yesterday morning.
The valuables were in registered
pouch.
Later a package containing the
stolen bonds and securities was
found at the Elkhart postoffice ad-
dressed to the postmaster with this
note attached: Mr.. Postmaster
Here's your bonds" 1t was signed
Tommy O'Connor." 1t is believed
the bandits intended to throw Off
cials off the scent by signing O'Con-
nor's name.
The bonds returned totaled near
ly 500, 900 and were returned be-
cause non-negotiable.
Pick Up Trail.
The mail pouch, which contained
two smaller pouches of registered
h.
leaving Elkhart for Grand Rapids,
Mich, at a. N. Sam Ingram was
loading the mail onto truck.
He left the truck to go into the
baggage room for another pouch,
being away about a minute and a
half. When he returned he spread
the alarm to the mail clerk in the
car about 100 feet aw-y and to two
other baggage agents and the sta
ton agent.
A trail was picked up through
the yards which indicated that the
bag had been dragged to point on
a street about a block away, where
it is believed that the bandits es-
capped in an automobile
Following. the robbery Ingram
was taken into custody by Elkhart
authorities. He. disclaimed having
any connection with the robbers
and Assistant Postmaster p. r.
Griebe of Elkhart said he believed
him innocent,
None Saw Robbers.
One of the small sacks inside of
the pouch had been sent from New
York City and was transferred at
Elkhart. The other was made up
on the train which arrived in Chi
cago at l O'Clock yesterday morn
ing.
I'VE have questioned every one
near the station at the time of the
robbery, but no one has been able
to tell of having seen the robbcr
or robbers" Mr.. Griebe said yes
terday. "It is not uncommon for
strange cars to go through Elkhart
on the Lincoln highway, and per-
haps the bandit car was not no
ticed.
I'VE are working on the theory
the bandits may have come from
Chicago and authorities there have
been notified as well as Cincinnati
officials of the mail department. The
thieves must have had a knowledge
of the handling of mail to have
been able to pick out registered
pouch from among the others on
the truck
Grill Clerks
Because the registered pouch
contained mail consigned from New
York to Grand Rapids, Assistant
Postmaster Griebe was unable to
give an exact estimate of the value
of the contents. He said it was not
unusual for valuable shipments to
be made on the trains through Elk
hart at night and believes the ban
dts must have had inside informa-
ton of the shipment yesterday
morning.
The postmaster of Elkhart con-
Quoted a personal investigation Of
the theft. He went to the station,
where he grilled clerks and guards
-r.1 IVncr