Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1855-12-19
TFro,n the y. Y. Post?
ROMANCE OF THE POST OFFICE.

the Diary OF SpeetIt -4genI o, "e "c 90, 49,
ton. Phi1adelphia-A C0'cperth'OGtfe Dc Co.,
1855.
This is nm extraordinary book and is destined, we
think, to do much good 1t is the production OF q
gentleman who has been connected with the posi-
Office department, special agent for the lasI ten
years. during which time he has discharged the ou-
ties of his office with faithfulness and SKILL anu At
the time collected the materials Tor cap'i Ia
book And what is especial agenty" it may De
asked
The special agent is Constitution borrowed
from the English postal SYSTEM and comparatively
new to this country, having been nrst au0p.en ,to
Amos Kendall, in 1910. There are now eighteen
special agents i'm the employ of the post Office de-
partment. who distributed throughout the coun-
try in as many districts, and who act as secret ue
tectye force, although the duties of the Office re-
ouire much higher qualifications than any SIMPLY
detective service, and extend over greater variety
OF subjects 1t will be seen at once that the service
is of peculiarly delicate nature requiring shre"o-
ness tact and no inconsderable knowledge OF human
nature: and it will be equally apparent that 1t al
fords unusual facilities for clever man to turn TO
good advantage the many curious experiences or IN
teresting incidents which must necessarily apper-
tain to the discharge of the duties of so important
an office.
Mr.. Holbrook is just such man, and has pro,
duced book illustrative of his career as SPecal
Agent replete with amusing incidents, "n'cn nave
for the most part under his personal ooserVa-
ton and containing much valuable information 1or
the benefit of those who write and receive letters.
MANY of his narratives of the detection OF mall roo
berries whether committed by post office clerks or
old.fashioned Footballs are of exceeding interest,"
which is by means lessened by the tact that they
are substantially true, Qhe authors regard Tor the
feelings of relations friends of the detected letter
thieves having frequently induced him to suppress
or alter names) and are told with native humor
and skill of construction which mark the author
man of no mean literary pretenslons. ne Is
evidently Yankee by birth, and possesses all the
keenness ofthat active and restless race, as ms many
f,l
the genius of Fouche or Niiocq, abundantiy testiy
and his account of his experiences will not be DELL
cient in interest to the memoirs OF either OF thoSe
astute officials. The book will prove one OF the
most entertaining of the season. and in livelness,
interest and general truth to nature, vii! form pleas
ant addition to stock of popular light literature
Many of its chapters are too long, and the MARIA
tives too connected for quotation in our columns,
but from the shorter sketches we have made some
selections which our readers will find excellent
reading.
CHEATING THE CLERGY-AN INGENIOUS TRICK.
Our collection of ''outside delinquences would
be incomplete, were to omit the following case,
which investigated by the author not long ago,
and in which not little ingenuity, OF the baser
sort, displayed. 1t vii! serve as specimen OF
class of cases. characterizeg by attempts
to defraud some correspondent, and to fasten the
blame upon some one connected with the post Once
We could give many instances OF similar KIND, dld
our limits permit
person of good standing in community, who
acter, visiting in large town on the Hudson
river, about midway between New York and Alba
ny. This person owed clergymen, living IN New
Haven, Connecticut the sum OF one hundred dol
lars; and one day he called at the house OF another
clergyman of his acquaintance in the town first
mentioned, and requested to be allowed the prlvl-
lege of writing letter there to his clerical CREDITOR
in which the sum due that gentleman was to be en-
closed. Writing materials were furnished, and he
the letter in the study of his obgng friend
and in his presence.
And after he had finished writing it, he said to the
clergyman, "Now, the mails are not always safe,
/ wish to be able to prove that have actually sent
the money shall therefore consider it great favor
if you will accompany to the bank, where wish
to obtain hundred dollar note for some small trash
that have, and bear witness that L enclose the
money and deposit the letter in the post office
The reverend gentleman readily acceded to his
request, and went with him to the bank, where
bill of the required denomination was obtained,
and placed in the letter, which was then sealed
with wafer, the clergyman all the while looking
They then went to the post office, (Which was di-
rectly opposite the bank) and after calling the at
tentio of his companion to the letter and its ad-
dress, the writer thereof dropped it into the letter
box, and the two persons went their several ways.
The letter arrived at New Haven by due course OF
mail f; and it so happened that the clergyman to
whom it was addressed was at the post office, wait
ng for the asserting of the mails. He letter
thrown into his box and called for it the de-
livery window was opened.
Upon breaking the seal and reading the letter be
ound himself requested to PLEASE find one hun
bred dollars" &C., with which request he would |
eheerfully have complied, but for slight crcum-
stance, namely, the absence of the bank note!
This fact was apparently accounted fol by post
script, written in heavy, rude hand, entirely diff
erent from that of the body Of the letter, and read
ng follows:
'P. S. l have taken the liberty to borrow this |
money, but send the letter, that you needn't |
blame the man what wrote it. (SigneO
"POST-BOY.
The rifled document Immediately shown to
he postmaster, and in his opinion well that
# the clergyman, daring robbery had been
nltted. The latter gentleman advised by the
postmaster to proceed at once to New York, and
ontcr with the special agent, and at the same time
o lay all the facts before the Postmaster General
lie did so, and it not long before the agent had
commenced the investigation of the supposed
obbery.
In addition to the postscript appended, the letter
ore other indications of having been tempered
nth, which at first sight would seem almost con-
lusive on the point. Upon the envelope two
'afers differing in color. partly overlapping the
ther, as if they had been put by different per-
ons at different times.
Notwithstanding these appearances, there were
"reminiscences strongly conflicting with the SUPPOSE
on that the letter had been robbed. The postscript
as an unnatural affair. for guilty of opening
letter for the purpose of appropriating it's con-
ents, would stop to write explanatory postscript !
specially as such course would increase the
nances of his own detection. And in the present
lstance, there had been delay of the letter to al
w of such addition
By visit to the office where the letter was mail
d. the agent ascertaned that it must have left inn
lediately after having been deposited and the ad-