Imperial Valley press., 1933-02-10
MAIL BANDITS
GET 100000
At OAKLAND
Trio OF Robbers Escapes After
Staging Hold-Up With Clock
Like Precision.
STATE WIDE SEARCH ON
Police Believe Men Still In City
Though All Roads Being
Watched Closely.

SACRAMENTO, Cal, Feb. 10.
W.Pj-Every highway in California
was guarded today as federal and
state authorities combined forces
in a statewide search for three dar-
ing bandits who escaped with reg
istered mail containing approxi-
mately 100000 in bonds and cur
rency after a split raid on
Sacramento's main postoffice.
Driving a big black sedan down
a narrow one-way street behind
the post office, the bandits arriv-
ed precisely as the registered mail
bag was carried out of the post
office.
While one man remained in the
car, his companions first over
powered Claus Swanson, post Of
flee truck driver. AS w. E. Will
hamS, registered mail clerk, STEP
Fed out on the loading platform,
che Of the holdup men grabbed his
gun, then the mail sack, and start
ed for the sedan, the motor of
which was still running.
AS the man who had been guard
ing Swanson started for the ma
chine, he accidentally fired the
heavy, nickle-plated pistol he was
carrying. He was cursed by his
companions, one of whom asked:
What are you trying to do, kill
somebody's"
The car then sped away from
the post office and was soon lost
in traffic, leaving no tangible clue
as to the identity Of the bandits.
Both Williams and Swanson told
police it was lover almost before
we realized anything had happen
ed"
A definite check of the contents
of the mail bag today showed it
contained $111,000 in bonds and
bond coupons mailed by the bank
of America here to client banks;
$31 900 in bonds from the Capital
National bank, and $4,000 in state
highway bonds enroute from the
Merchants National bank here to
the Farmers and Merchants bank
in- Los Angeles.
Much Mail Taken
The. latter shipment was the
only one not fully covered by in
surance. Officials of the Merchants
bank, however, said the Los Ange-
les bank had agreed to protect the
shipment.
The rest of the contents includ-
ed approximately 200 pieces of mail
most of which were believed to con-
tain currency. An accurate check
was impossible, postal authorities
said, but it was estimated the
amount might run as high as $780,
900 or more.
The bonds, while negotiable, all
were registered and police said it
would be extremely difficult for
the bandits to dispose of them.
After the robbery it was revealed
that several large shipments OF
currency had gone out in previous
registered mails yesterday includ-
ing $4,000 posted by the Bank OF
America to the Federal Reserve
bank in San Francisco.
While every exit to the city was
being guarded, police believed the
men probably are hiding in Sac
ramento, and were making a de-
tailed search for the car used in
the holdup.
Only general descriptions of the
men we're in the hands Of officers.
One man was described as IS years
old, 5 feet 10 inches tall, weight
ITO pounds. No. 2, 40 years old, 5
feet 10 inches tall, weight 200
pounds. No. 8, 35 years old, S feet
six inches tall, weight 1876 ponnds.
All OF the men were described as
dark" They all wore white hand
kerchiefs over their faces during
the holdup.