ST. LOUIS, MO – In a shocking turn of events, 13 members of the notorious Egan gang, led by Democratic politician William P. Dinty Colbeck, have been indicted in connection with a brazen mail robbery in Staunton, Illinois, on May 26, 1923. The gang’s audacious heist netted them a whopping $50,000 in currency.
The indictment, handed down in Quincy, Illinois, charges Colbeck and his cohorts with the abduction of Postmaster Roberts and his assistant after they had obtained the cash. This is not the Egan gang’s first brush with the law, however. Colbeck and five of the indicted gang members are already facing charges in connection with a mail truck robbery in St. Louis on April 2, 1923, which saw the thieves make off with $267,000 in negotiable bonds and $2,139,000 in unsigned federal land bonds.
The indictment lists 13 members of the Egan gang, including David ‘Chippy’ Robinson, Charles ‘Red’ Smith, Oliver Daugherty, Steve Ryan, and Gus Dietmyer, all of whom have been linked to the mail truck robbery. Others indicted include Frank Cotton, Eppelsheimer, James ‘Sticky’ Hennessy, who met his untimely demise in a car accident last December, Charles ‘Red’ Lanham, Lee Turner, the infamous airplane gangster Ray Renard, who is currently serving time in the Atlanta prison, Isadore Londe, who is behind bars in Michigan, Thomas Saatkamp of Staunton, and Frank Mackethal of Mitchell, Illinois.
According to sources, Postmaster Roberts and his clerk, Harry Kuehner, were returning from the railroad station with the pouch containing the stolen cash when they were ambushed by the gang. The brazen attack sent shockwaves throughout the community and raised questions about the gang’s connections to local politics.
As the Egan gang’s trail of crime continues to unfold, one thing is clear: the people of St. Louis and the surrounding areas will be keeping a close eye on these 13 suspects and the crimes they are accused of committing.
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Key Facts
- State: Illinois
- Category: Organized Crime
- Era: Historical
- Source: Library of Congress — Chronicling America ↗
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