The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1924-09-04
POSTAL SLEUTHIN
BIG MAIL THEFT
Bill Fahy Accused of Leading ST.
100000 Robbery at Rondout,
ILL.,, on June IL Last.
LONG TRAILED BY OTHERS
Regarded as One of the Best Thief
Takers in the Government SerV-
;ce-Prisoner Declares He Is
the Victim of a Frame-Up.

Chicago. Post Office Inspector
William A Fahy-often described as,
the best known and shrewdest detec-
tive in the Government service-was
arrested by United States Deputy
Marshal Carr on charges of being "the
brains" of the 100000 mail robbery
at Rondout, H., on the night of June
H.
"Bill'' Fahy, the inspector who sent
big Tim" Murphy and his pals to
Federal prisons for the Dearborn Sta
ton $3.50, 600 mail robbery three years
ago. was taken after a large number
of star inspectors of the Eastern post
al divisions had come to Chicago to
assist Chief Postal Inspector Germer
to Identify the master" that had ap-
peared in every phase Of the Govern
ment's untiring day and night search
for the inside man"
According to Chief Postal Inspector
Clarahan, of the New York district,
who has been directing constant
surveillance of Fahy ever since few
days after the robbery, the famous
detective has been followed to numer-
Gus meetings with criminals with
whom he is charged with conspiring.
Fahy was arrested in his private Of
fee in the Federal Building. He was
taken before United States Commits
sioner Beider, who fixed his bonds at
$50 900 and ordered him locked up in
the Kane County Jail. He was taken
to Geneva by Deputy Marshal Roberts
after making a brief statement, in
which he charged his arrest was due
to a frame-up of criminal and profess
sional enemies.
The warrants under which Fahy
was arrested were issued on COM
plant of Chief Clarahan and ]. S.
Lemon, of Baltimore. 1t is said action
was taken on evidence uncovered by
themselves and Inspectors G. B. Mill
er. of Washington; Thomas Milligan,
of Toledo; B. N. Nicoli, of Syracuse;
John Hartwell of Albany, and G. c. A.
Battles, of New York City. 1t Is as
serted that the records of these men
as mail robber catchers are overshad-
owed by that of only one man-"Bill"
Fahy.
The specific charge against Fahy is
violation of Section 81 of the Criminal
Code, which has to do with the con-
spiracy.
According to inspectors who have
been working on the case, it is be-
lieved that Fahy is in possession Of
a considerable part of the $2,000,O0O
loot, although they admit they have
been unable thus far to recover any
OF the amount.
The Rondout robbery was one Of the
most spectacular in the history of the
country. The hold-up, at lonely,
dark spot north of Chicago in which
ten men took part, was planned in al
most perfect detail.
The one thing that upset the plans,
which probably would have enabled
all of the robbers to escape, was the
fact that Willie Newton, one Of three
brothers-aH Texas desperadoes with
prison records-did not take the sta
leader of the robbers, saw him, mis-
took him for a mail clerk and shot
him.
This brought brotherly loyalty Of
the Newtons to the fore. There was
much quarreling and some talk" to
police stool-pigeons. The police, by
hard work, rounded up most of the
roustabouts of the job But they new
Ell got Greenberg, a politically power
full gangster of St. Louis; Grant, the
commanding robber, nor the inside
man." now alleged to have been Fahy.
Fahy has been stationed at the Chi
cago Office for four years. He came
here from Philadelphia, where he had
made an enviable record for three
years.
At the time of his arrest Fahy was
assigned to ferret out the similarity Of
the Rondout, Harvey and East Chi
cago robberies, all of which showed
striking points of like technique"