Evening star., 1925-06-28
TRAINS HEAVILY HoLDUP

up and robbed the mail clerk in charge
of the Southern Pacific railway post
office train No. 20 at Roseville, Calf.
| Gardner received second sentence
Of % years in the Mcneil Island Peni-
| tentiary, and while en- route there on
June IL. 1921, he once more escaped
from his guards. This time, however,
| he was recaptured within five days
and safely delivered to the peniten-
tiary authorities. Before he had served
| three months, Gardner and a few
others broke from the penitentiary
guards, and, though wounded, he eff
fected his escape. He was retaken at
! Phoenix, Ariz.. November Is, 1921,
while attempting the hold-up and rob-
| berry OF another mail train, for which
he received an additional sentence of
25 years. He is now incarcerated at
| the Leavenworth. kans., Federal Peni-
tentiary.
| 1t is fact that the best-Iaid plans
| Of crookedness fail through simple
| oversights. This is shown in connec-
ton with a Montana post office rob-
| berry. where the thief had inadvertent-
| ly left behind him a camera in which
there was roll of films. The inspec-
tor had the roll developed and printed,
and one Of the pictures was identified
as being taken at the entrance to Vel
| L
| a man in one Of the photogra phs at
the park, obtained the name of the
| photographer and the burglar was ap-
| pretended.
| Groups OF the inspectors are brought
! to Washington occasionally to ex-
| change information and ideas, and to
learn. in a kind of school Of detection
| that is provided for that purpose, the
| latest scientific methods Of discovering
| 1l nd fr1l IL
! is the constant development Of new
safeguards around postal receipts and
valuableS.
A simple but effective device along
| this line is to place d pint bottle of
concentrated ammonia inside the safe
where the force of the explosion is cal
culated to break the glass. thus re-
| leasing the fumes and forcing the
yeggs to wait until the atmosphere
clears before they can lift the loot
The interval of waiting, in a mum.
ber of cases, has given time for local
| authorities, aroused by the explosion,
to reach the scene before the depart.
| ure of the bandits. and either to
| effect their capture or frighten them
away without having robbed the safe.
The burglars. impatient to secure the
instances by the powerful ammonia
| ~
| citizens aroused by the explosion
Other safeguards are the use of
armored mail cars and trucks equip.
| ped with rifles and gas bombs to
| repel invaders. The training of post
| al clerks in the use of firearms has
| become a regular part of the routine
of these employees. Some 10000 rifles
have been distributed among mail car
| employees.
THE spirit of personal bravery
| throughout the service is ex.
empiified by the record of Eugene L.
Stack, the 23-year-old clerk in the
post Office at East Orange, N j., who
shot and killed a mail bandit while
| the latter and a companion were at
tempting to rifle eight bags of mail
which had just been deposited by an
early morning train.
Postmaster General New, in the
presence of the four assistant post
master generals; Rush D. Simmons,
chief inspector; Thomas L. Degnan,
purchasing agent; Francis P. Sullivan,
controller; and Horace J. Donnelly,
acting solicitor, presented Stack a
check for $4,000 as a reward from the
Post Office Department and the Gov
vernment for his act of bravery.
In making the presentation the
Postmaster General told Stack that
he had called him to Washington in
order that the department and the
Government might confer suitable
recognition on him for his act of
loyalty to the service.
You protected the United States
mail at the peril of your own life de-
clared the Postmaster General. "Such
acts merit recognition. 1t Is the in
tention of the Postmaster General, in
order that the record shall be made
permanent, to have the following cita-
tion placed to your credit.
~ desire to make special acknowI-
edgement of the conspicuous gallan-
try and loyalty to the postal service
shown by Eugene L. Stack, clerk at
the post office at East Orange, N. J..
The duty of receiving the mail due
on the early morning trains at the
East Orange station of the Lacka-
wanna road and conveying it to the
post office building had been assign
ed to Mr.. Stack. While Stack was
at the depot on the morning of July
81, 1924, he was attacked by two
to secure possession of the mails
which had just been received from
the westbound train, due shortly be-
fore am.
The bandits opened fire on Stack,
which he returned, with the result
that one of the assailants was killed
| and the other put to rout, escaping
in taxi held at the foot of the stairs
leading to the station platform. Stack
was twice wounded during the at
tack, one bullet striking him in the
hand. another making flesh wound
in his thigh, and third penetrating
his clothing without touching his
body.
In presenting the check to Stack,
Postmaster General New declared
while the money would no doubt prove
| useful, the citation would be worth
more in the end, as 1t would turn out
to be of greater value in the years
to come.
"In the military SERVICE" said the
Postmaster General. ''men are deco
rated for acts Of conspicuous bravery.
This is your decoration. and you have
earned it,