Evening star., 1928-03-25
BY ]. A. FOX.

UNBALANCED by crimina
element whose boldneSS anC
. vicious disregard for human
~ life is unparalleled in the his
tory Of the service. the Post
Once Department has launched 9
counter offensive. and has caused 10 be
initiated legislation to make armed rob-
beTy of the mailS-or even al attempt
al armed rohbery-a capital offense
Twenty-Five years imprisonment is
the maximum penalty now, punish
nlent held inadequate in an era that
has seen the operations of the under
world reach new bounds At the in
stance OF Postmaster General New. a
bill has been introduced by Representa-
tive Kelly. Republican. Of Pennsylvania
70 provide a life sentence or death
penalty, discretionary with the court,
where any guardian OF the mail is
wounded or has his life put in Jeopardy
With & dangerous weapon in an assault
or the mails
1nsSnuch as it would not be neces-
Sary that an actual homicide be COM
naIfteo 10 invoke the extreme penalty,
the Law, as contemplated, virtually
would throw into the category of capital
o1enSeS al cases where force was used,
constituting one OF the most radical
, steps ever proposed by Federal lesisla-
non, and putting crime against the
Halls on par with treason.
Faces Opposition.
IN sponsoring the bill, Mr.. Kelly Is
anticipating some opposition. because it
Is so drastic. but he is planning 10
MAKE q vigorous fight and is hopeful
Q! setting Il through the present session
cf Congress
As he points out there are State
statutes N this country which make
armed ROBBERY an offenSe punishable
h ny death. and in European countries.
tfle lnv1olability Of the mails is pro-
tecteo OF the same rigid safeguard
Ine new bill also would mandatori-
al.y increase the penalty for those
ToooerleS where there was an actusI
employment OF weapons. with a fat 10
years Tor the first offense and Is for
. second, where now anything along
Inc graded scale up TO the maximum
may be applied.
The actual move toward obtaining
the death penalty for mail robbers Is
the result Of two years effort on the
part OF Mr New.
In his annual report for 1926 the
postmaster General. stirred by IL
n1a!oT roooerieS N the preceding IL
months. recommended the stem Again
in his last annual report. renewing the
recommendation. he declared that the
necessity for action in this direction is
1orcibly indicated by several cases
which we're brought 10 a Conclusion
curing the past year" a period. which
ssT u nls5o. robberies.
Hold-Up Speeds Action.
II vas not. however. until the Grand
Trunk train robbery near CHICAGO last
month. staged by a band. which was
rounded Up almost Immediately. that
csfuiie action was taken. Then Repre-
sentative Kelly, called into conference
with Mr. New. agreed 70 foster the
oeSireo legislation. and at once drew
up his bsIl
In coming 70 Congress With a nlea
1oT remedial action the Post Once De-
partment is amply fortified with facts
and figures. particularly as they relate
10 the last seven years which have
witnessed the operations Of such
cesperaooes as Gerald Chapman. the
tElree DAuiTemonts, and bandits OF
lesser note, who have succeeded In
1oot2ng the mails Of approximately
$1,000 GOO, IN about 100 Of the So
called major Tobberies."
These are made up Of rifing of mai
trucks and mail trains. In them ma
chine guns and bombs have been used
lnciScrirninately BY the bandits; at
1east dozen killings have resulted. and
while t1rele6g postal inspectors have
s1cceeoeo t1 recovering, in round mum
DegS. some $4,000, 900, there Is about
S4,O0o,DGe profit" for some one still
Outstanding, and likely 70 remain that
way.
Some o. me men slain we're postal