The New York herald., 1922-05-20
Inspector Mutt Poses Nine
Months on East Side to
Trap Robbers.
ALL BOND LOOT BURNED
Postal Service Cleared of 500
Men of Bad Character Since
Convict's Coup.

A shabby little man dropped into a
candy store in East Houston street
last autumn and bought a nickeIs
worth of sweet chocolate He pocketed
the chocolate and went away imme-
diately.
Every few evenings he visited the
candy store again and made small
purchase. At first he said nothing to
the proprietors of the shop, Edward
Fogel and Morris Steinberg. But as
time went on and his face became
familiar to the partners as that of a
regular customer he struck up an ac.
quaintance. The storekeepers learned
that he had a room in the neighbor-
hood, but how he made his living he
did not say.
AS the reserve of his demeanor wore
away Fogel and Steinberg found the
stranger an extremely likable little
man and gradually they took him into
their circle of friendship.
Meets East Side Young Men.
He was so short, even among the
undersized residents of the East Side.
that Fogel and Steinberg, laughing,
used to call him Mutt" and as he did
not seem to object they kept on call
ing him Mutt" and soon he was
known by that nickname by all the
group OF young men with whom
the candy merchants were especially
friendly.
1t was not long before Mutt was one
of this select circle of free companions
He played pinochle with them, attendes
their rackets. danced with their girls
became one of the gang, received ths
condolences of the others. and eventually
gave them his. He bragg&. He was
it seemed. post Office robber. Tha'
was his trade. He was gunman, a
desperate; nothing could give him a
Jolt once he started on a job. He
thrilled his new pals with tales of his
exploits, particularly the tale of the
buddy who squealed.
Mutt was quite decided as to the
proper treatment of squealers. They
ought to be bumped off. That's what ho
always did with them. 1T amt murder
to croak a squealer; It's justice" that
was his notion.
Studies Their Lives.
Well, this Tom Thumb of swash
buckler trailed with Fogel and Stein
berg and their comrades Tor long time.
until almost the present time, in fact,
and what he didn't know about them
and their lives they didn't know them
selves Which brings us up to 3 A. M.
yesterday.
Seven men accused OF completely Ia
the theft of $1.477.o00 worth of Liberty
bonds from a registered mail pouch In
the New York General Post Office oil
July Is, 1891. or In smaller robber'
IN March last. lad been rounded up by
the postal inspectors at their homes or
hangouts, ranging from the Boston Post
road in The Bronx to Cannon street on
the lower East Side.
One of the prisoners. charged with
the actual looting of the mail sack, was
Fogel Another, accused OF having re-
ceived the bonds from the nervous
fingers Of Fogel and carried them out OF
the Post Office, was his candy store
partner. Steinberg. The five others sat
around, sullen and dismayed. Innocen:
oh. every mothers son of them. oi
course.
The door opened and in walked a
shabby little man.
Mutt !" exclaimed one of the prison
ers. $50 they got you too"
The inspector in charge had followed
Mutt into the room. and pointing TO him
uaid to the prisoners:
"Gentlemen, allow me to introduce
vou TO one of our Post Office inspectors.
r--x.-..L ~ Daoa Covan