The Washington times., 1922-06-04
CONTINUED from Page 81

name and address. Thirty pack
ages Of bonds had been shipped
by registered mail on April II by
the Chase Bank and the receipt
held by the bank for thirty
packages. Thirty packages were
delivered TO the various con-
stsnees by the Postoffice Depart.
ment-but one Of them was the
dummy package that the National
Shawmut Bank in Boston received
in excess OF it's order.
I Thus the dummy might have
been substituted in the bank, In
the postoffice. on the mail car.
or almost anywhere along the
line. The mystery assumed the
appearance Of the uncanny. Two
weeks had passed ana the swarm
Of private detectives were no
closer to tho scent than they had
been at the hour the loss was
discovered. and tho surety COM
panies did not yet know who was
10 be called on TO make sood the
loss.
THE POLICE CALLED IN.
Along about this stage Of the
inquiry, the atmosphere Of secrecy
around the robbery was cast off
and the surety companies invited
the police department to lend Its
aid. Detective Lieuts. August
Mayer and Grover Brown were
assigned to It with Detectives
Fay and Fitzpatrick and they sp-
piled old.fashioned police meth
DDS that soon brought results.
Under the new method,
searching inquiry was made into
tho history Of every person in
the cage where the bonds were
packed and every person who
had access to the cage. The
watchman was passed over at
first, but on the retracal Of the
inquiry he was found to have
been near the cage frequently
and questioning Of the clerks
brought out that sometimes he
helped them.
The Forty-ninth street. house
where Chase lived was put under
surveillance with the residences
of every other man in the bank.
Literally a regiment Of detectives
of various desc driptions tackled
the task that no point might be
ignored.
The first definite break came
when it was found that Captain
Vardeman had left the apart
ment and was reported to be out
of town. Careful checking up
showed that he had departed two
days after the loss Of the bonds.
This was suspicious only because
at that stage of the inquiry any
thing was suspicious. Where he
had gone was not clear, and the
detectives feared to inquire too
directly lest, IL the man was the
thief. he should be put on guard.
DOUBLE PURPOSE OF SEARCH,
There was a dual end sought
that made the task the more
delicate. The insurance interests
primarily was the regaining Of
the bonds to avert the payment
Of $780, 900 to the bank. The
police detectives wanted the
thieves. and were satisfied that
II the gang was rounded up
assuming that a gang was in
volved-the direct application Of a
few persuasive measures would
reveal the hiding place of the
loot, II It was not in possession Of
the thieves.
At the bank, an atmosphere Of
indifference was created by the
officials and information was put
quietly in circulation that the
search had led Ear from the insti.
tuition and no man was under sus-
picion.
And then Chase, satisfied that
all was well, made his careless
misstep. He wrote q letter to
vardeman addressed to st. Angus
tine, Fla, and the letter was
opened and held up by tho detec-
tives. It contained little informa-
ton, but It did reveal Vardeman's
destination, exactly!
The Pinkerton agency was per-
mitted to handle that end Of 1t.
because they control offices
throughout the country. Assist
ant Superintendent Fem, in
Atlanta, rushed ]. A. Frazer to
St. Augustine to pick up Varde-
man and hang close to him. The
agent picked up his man. but
Vardeman had been several days
in the Southern city, free to do
as he pleased, and Frazer soon
10000 tbat tbe honda were