Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-12
Three Pouches Are Stolen
at Union Station From
Truck in Concourse.
TWO POSTAL EMPLOYEES
UNABLE TO BALK THEFT
Sedan Parked Nearby Used by Pair
in Getaway-0ther Cities
Are Notified.

Two daring bandits who held up two
postal employees and seized three
pouches of registered mail early today
in the concourse at Union Station
escaped with huge gold brick" in the
shape of 100000 in mutilated curren-
cy consigned to the Treasury Depart
ment from the Federal Reserve Bank
of New York.
The currency was being sent here
for destruction and included the upper
halves of the bills only, the lower
halves having been received here some
time ago.
w. H. Moran, chief of the Secret
Service, said shipments incoming to the
Treasury from Reserve Banks usually
consist of currency mutilated at the
shipping point, or Cancelled bonds, a
precaution adopted several years ago to
balk possible robberieS.
Paper Money Cut in Half.
Paper money to be replaced by fresh
issues is cut in half and perforated be-
fore it is dispatched to the Treasury
Department from Federal Reserve
banks. Care is exercised to prevent the
corresponding halves of bills being con-
tanned in the same shipment.
The bandits fell upon the truckload of
registered mail as it was being con-
veyed from the 1855 incoming New
York train along the concourse to
bridge connecting with the post Office.
They waved lead pipes at the regis
try clerk escorting the consignment,
Peter johnson, IS years old, of Belle
xyi1la vxyifI
pouches selected at random from a
truckload of IS others.
Thought Men Employees.
johnson said he saw the two men
walk hurriedly in through an open gate
in the barricade at the west end of the
concourse. AS they approached, john
son noticed that the larger of the men
carried a small black travelling bag.
The registry clerk supposed they were
railway mail employees reporting for
duty on an outgoing train.
The clerk explained he paid the
strangers no heed until they were al
most on him. Then they whipped some
sort of weapons from beneath their
Cvercoats and the larger man lifted his
right arm as If to bring it down on
Johnson's head.
johnson said he had no time to reach
for his gun, strapped about his waist.
He raised his right forearm to protect
his head and in backing away from his
attackers, either fell or was struck down.
The truck containing the mail
pouches which johnson was escorting
was being pulled toward the bridge to
the Post ONCE by a colored postal en-
ploye, Jesse B. Swygert of 119 Mas
Sachusetts avenue.
Heard Cry for Help.
Swygert heard johnson cry out for
help just as they came abreast OF the
west gate in the barricade. When
Swygert saw the CLINT of weapons in
the hands of JohnSonS asSailantS he
lodged behind the truck, he told police,
and ran for help as soon as he believed
he was unobServed.
The pair snatched three pouches at
random from the truckload and ran
out the gate, across the concourse and
entered waiting automobile parked in
an alley outside the west entrance to
the station, a distance of less than 100
feet.
Swygert said third man was at the
wheel and the automobile drove OF
rapidly. He was unable to say which
way the machine turned when it left
the alley or to get the license number.
He was certain, however, that the car
was a heavy sedan.
Car Seen BY Driver.
At about the same hour a large dark
touring car with curtains drawn was
seen to come from the direction of
Union Station and speed north on North
Capitol street by taxi driver, August
E. Powell of 116 Fourth street north
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