U.S.mail robberies

[Paul B]

I have bought a book on the 03 springfeild and it show US marines guarding mail trains during the 1920s ,anyone have any more information on what went on ?,where they gangs ?or just opportunistic thefts .
Cheers

Information

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[browningautorifle]

The whole thing is layed out in Thompson The American Legend by Hill. They were robberies just like any train robbery. Large sums of money were carried by the US mail at the time. It's how they did it! The robberies were of epidemic level so the Marines were for a time posted to stop the crimes. I guess it was like it had been cut off with a knife! They stopped immediately. Imagine...boarding the mail coach and finding a campain hat with a 1921 Thompson with the C drum! What a different day that would make!

[mack]

My father worked in Registered Mail, as the money transfer department of the USPO was called back in the 50's thru the late 70's. He said it was not unusual for there to be as much as $250,000 to $500,000 in cash in the mail. It was all counted and signed for by patrons on both ends of the transfers, which were done almost all on overnight trains.

If someone bought something in a distant city and the check method wasn't sufficient or trustworthy, then money was put in the mail. Upon receipt, the deal was complete and titles were then transferred back to the buyer.

It was a different world out there before the modern banking system and the use of wire transfer, faxes and modern electronics.

Small wonder criminals targeted trains and early armored delivery. Huge sums of cash in play at any given moment and nothing between the crook and the cash but one or perhaps two poorly armed guards and clerks.

My Dad carried a .45 ACP revolver from WWI vintage for years while working in the locked room that was Registered Mail.

[lboos]

From what i've read the Marines allso used a lot of 12 ga. riot shot guns left over from the war.
A good art. in the nov. 09 American Rifleman on this sub.

[frankderrico]

Paul, google "The Great Evergreen Park Train Robbery" by Arthur A. Baer, interesting read.....Frank

[RETREAD]

There were holsters produced by Rock Island Arsenal for the M 1917 revolvers that were embossed USPO where the usual US would have been. I remember seeing a couple of old revolvers in the safe of a NYC Post Office back in the early 70's/ Guess it has been stolen by now.

[enfield303t]

My father was a railway mail clerk working for CN and then CP rail in Canada and told me they carried very large sums in "money packets". In the "old days" farmers were paid in cash for their grain at the elevator they delieved it to. He often told me that US railway mail cleks were armed but he and his co-workers in Canada never were. During the grain harvest he said each grain elevator in every town rec'd money packets on a very regular basis. All were "registered" and sealed, the elevator agent would just sign for the packet and leave the mail car. They never opened or counted any packet as the way they were sealed it was almost impossiblel to pilfer from them. Also you know I think most people in those days would not have even considered stealing the money.