Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-10-01
CHAPTER XVII.
MAIL EDATIONS.

MAIL DEPREDATIONS.
Sec. I66. And be 1T further enacted. That if
any persons employed in any of the depart
ments Of the Post Office establishment shall
unlawfully detain,* delay, or open any letter
packet bag, or mail of letters, with which he
shall be entrusted, or which shall have come
to his possession, and which are intended TO
be conveyed by post; or, if any such person
shall secrete, embezzle, or destroy, any letter
or packet entrusted to such person as afore-
said, and which shall not contain any security
for, or orassurance relating 10 money, as hereinai-
ter described, every such offender, being there
OF duly convicted, shall, for every such offence,
be fined, not exceeding three hundred dollars,
or imprisoned, not exceeding six months, or
Doth, according to the circumstances and ar
gravations of the offence. And if any person,
employed as aforesaid, shall secrete, emoezzle,
or destroy, any letter, packet, bag, or mail of
letters, with which he or she shall be entrusted,
or which shall have come to his or her posses
sion, and are intended to be conveyed by post,
containing any bank note or bank post bill,
bill OF exchange, warrant Of the Treasury of
the United State note o. assic nmsnt of stock
IN the funds, letters of attorney for receiving
annulties or dividends, or for selling stock in
the funds, or for receiving the interest thereof,
or any letter of credit, or note for or relating
to payment of moneys, or any bond, or war
rant, draft, bill, or promisSOry note, covenant,
contract, or agreement whato oever for or re-
lating to the pay nent of money, or the deliv-
cry of any ai.icle of value, or the perform
ance OF any act, matter, or thing, or any re-
ceipt, release, acquittance, or discharge Of or
from any debt, covenant, or demand, or any
part thereof, or any copy Of any record of any
judgment, or decree, in any count of law, or
ehanccTy, or any execution which may have
Issued thereon, or any copy Of any other rec
ord, or any other article of value, or any wli-
ting representing the same; or if any such
person employed as aforc said, shall steal, or
take, any of the same out of any letter, pack
ct, bag or mail of letters, that shall come 10
his or her possession, such person shall on con-
vlctlol Tor any such offence, be imprisoned not
less than ten years, nor exceeding twenty-ona
years; and If any person who shall have taken
charge of the mails Of the United States, shall
quit or desert the same before such person de-
ilvers it into the post office kept at toe termin-
alton OK the route, or some known mail carrier
or agent of the General Post Ofice authorized
TO ;eive the same, every such person so Of
tending, shall foIieit and pay sum not ex-
ceediDg five hundred dollars for every such
offence; and If any person concerned in car
rying the mail of the United States shall col
ect, receive, or carry any letter, or pa ;kct, or
shall cause or procure the same to be done
contrary to this o; It, every such offe nder shall
forfeit and pay for every such offence a sum
not exceeding fifty dollars. Sec 81, act Of
1925.
*Sec. 81, act Of 1856, makes spcciel provision
against detention of letters and packets, or for
warding one IN preference to others by postmas-
ters. see section -, above.
Sec. 167. AnlG be 1t further enacted, That
if any person shall rob any carrier of the mail
Of the United States, or other person entrusted
herewith, of such mail, or Of part Thereof,
such offender or offenders shall, on conyietion
be imprisoned not less than five years, nor ex
coeding ten years; and, if convicted a second
time of like offence, he or they shall suffer
death; or if in effecting such robbery of the
mail, the first time, the offender shall wound
the person having custody thereof, or put his
life In jeopardy, by the use of dangerous
weapons, such offender or offenders shall suffer
delth And if any persDn sial attempt to
rob the mail of the United STATES, by assault
ing the person having custody thereof shoot
ing at him or his horse or mule, or threaten
ing him with dangerous weapons, and the rob-
berry is not effected, every such offender, on
conviction thereof, shall be punished by i'm
prlsonment, not less than two years nor ex-
cceding ten years. And, if any person shall
seal the mail, or shall steal or take from, or
out of. any mail, or from, or out of, any post
office, any letter or packet; or, if any person
shall take the mail, or any letter or packet
therefrom, or from any post Office, whether
with or without the consent of the person hav-
ing custody thereof, and shall open, embezzle,
or destroy, any such mail. letter. or packet,
the same containing any article of value, o:
evidence of any debt, due, demand, right, or
claim, or any release, receipt, acquittance, or
discharge, or any other article, paper, or
thing, mentioned and described in the twenty
first section Of this act; or, if any person shall,
by fraud or deception, obtain from any person
having custody thereof, any mail, letter or
packet, containing any article of value, or
evidence thereof, or either of the writings re-
ferred to, or next aforementioned, such of
fender o; offenders, On conviction thereof, shall
be imprisoned not less than two, nor exceed.
ing ten years. And, if any person shall take
any letter or packet, not containing any arti-
Gle of value, nor evidence thereof, out of q
post Office, or shall open any letter, or pache-,
which shall have been in post Office, or la
custody Of mail carrier, before it shall have
been delivered to the person to whom it is
directed, with n design % obstruct the corre-
spondence, to pry into another's business, o.
secrets; or shall secrete, embezzle, or destroy,
any such mail, letter, or packet, such offender,
upon conviction, shall pay, for every such of.
fence, sum not exceeding FIVE hundred dol
lars, and be imprisoned not exceeding twelve
months Sec. %, act Of 1925.
ITO BE Continued