The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-04-21

TINS PHILADELPHIA PoSr OFFICE EMBEzZIH-
MENT CAsE.-Yesterday morning, Thomas j.
Hough, late clerk in the Philadelphia Post Unsce,
charged with emhezzling meney from letters pas
sing through the Post Office, was brought before
his honor Judge Kane, Of the U. =: District Court,
at chambers, upon whit Of habeas corpus, for
"a hearing.
The u. 5. District Attorney opened the case for
the prosecution. lie said that the defendant Was
charged with having distracted or stolen, in the
course Of some two or three years. various sums oil
money From the mails. amounting, probably. TO
| $1,000 or $4,000. The government, however
would confine itself to the proof, which consisted
OF strong circumsianial evidence, in only two or
three cases. They would show that the defend
ant was destitute OF means, or property, and that
he had been employed, during his coDnection with
the Post Office. az salary of less than $500 a.
year; that he had brother, Deacon G.
Hough-encaged IA the Office of a telegraph
whom he would he connected in hume
rous financial transactions of large amounts,
under circumstances OF great suspicion. That
during the time of the alleged felonious abstrac-
tons (Which possibly amounted to S2O, 900 or S25-
OOO) the defendant had access TO the letters which
passed through the postoilice. His brother, within
the period Of about year, had an account in the
Western Bank, which exhibited transactions the
total amount Of which was $4,000 10. That the
defendant had recently opened an account in the
tiirard Bank. and that, IN the space Of sixteen days
he deposited nearly $1,000 to his credit. That they
would show that he made transfers Of money To
his brother. and that there were other property
transfers and assignment transactions between the
two.
They would prove that letter was mailed to
a gentleman In Philadelphia, at Heckshireville
Schuylkill county, Pa. the 9Th of December
lSi9. with an enclosure Of sI,2O in bills OF the
Miners Bank Of Potisyills. That this letter, with
lie contents ought to have arrived aud been received
m tbis city by due course OF mail the following
day. the 9th. The letter and money was missing
That the defendant had access to the mails that
should have contained this letter. and hepcd To
open them That not long after the loss of the let
ter, the defendant went to the Girard Bank with
handful ct the notes Of the Miners Bank and offer
cd them 20 the paving teller for exchange. which
that officer declined. lie soon Afterwards return
cd with the hank book Of a friend. and eIepo~iteJ
with the receiving teller the sum of ~ DO. por-
ton Of which, ~ least. was IN notes Of the Miners
Bank.
On the 9th q February. 1850. letter containing
$500 was sent nom Newark. New Jersy This
letter. which should have reached here the next
day, the Sth, was lost. On the came day, two
other letters, one containing Sl0o. and another
with 80 in ". disappeared. In several instances
and THE had rendered detection very difculi--ths
way-bills accompanying the missing letters were
stolen with them. TO prevent IL being asccr-
tanned with certainty whether the money Was taken
before OF after ]; came TO the Philadelphia Office,
and 70 convey the idea that the letters in which IL
had been sent, were pufloincd at other places.
The way-bin that came with the letter that had
the sauo IN V from Newark.was thus stolen. That
Il would be proven that IN few days subsequent TO
that on which this sum OF $3.50 was missed there
was dspositc made by the defendant correspond
ing to THIS amount.
Several witnesses were examined. whose test j.
mony strongly implicated Hough. after which the
examination was adjourned to Monday Paaadei-
Ihia North fnicTicaH. diTi. ~.