Murder Pair Revealed as “Approval Pirates”

Two Rochester, New York, brothers, Joseph Krejer, 21, and Ignatius Krejer, 23, recently arrested and convicted of the murder of a Kansas motorist who had given them a “lift,” admitted to authorities a bizarre tale of their operations of a postage stamp approval racket which they said, for example, had netted them $600 in eight days in Louisville, Kentucky, and more money in other cities.

The boys would go into a city, rent rooms at three addresses, get stationery with addresses on it, and then write to stamp dealers for approvals from one address and use the two other addresses as dummy references. They did this in Cleveland, Louisville, Indianapolis, New Orleans, Kansas City, Chicago, and Tulsa.

The stamps obtained were sold to other dealers.

One of the aliases used by the boys was that of Douglas Van Duser. In 1939 Joseph Krejer appeared before Monroe County, New York, Judge Douglas Van Duser on a charge of second degree grand larceny and was placed on probation for three years.

In the next week’s issue, The Stamp Wholesaler follow-up report was headlined “Police Reveal Krejer Bros.’ Aliases.”

Capt. Jerome F. Shaw of the Missouri State Highway Patrol informs us that Joseph and Ignatius Krejer (recently sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of a Kansas motorist) used the following names in their stamp approval racket:

Ralph McClain

McClain Stamp Co.

Lawrence B. Lattimer Co.

L.B. Lattimer Co.

Wayne B. Holman

B.L. Voorhe

Wayne B. Poindexter

Phillip Pruitt

Mint Sheet Brokerage, per L. LaGanke.

Moffett Stamp & Coin Co.

Douglas Van Duser

It will be noted that both real and fictitious names were misused by this pair. Capt. Shaw states that he does not consider the list above as complete. Any additions readers may be able to supply will be appreciated.