Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1856-01-26


prise me much if they should find that the
trouble is there
Unfortunately for his theory, so well found
ed on the basis of Sunday turn out and a
they say the fast young man could moi have
had access to one in a dozen of the last packa-
ges.
This is specimen Of the endless surmiscs
and conjectures that were thrown out in the
progress of the affair, much to the annoyance
Of post-masiers' clerks, and other officials,
whose honesty aided by the strenuous efforts Of
the Special Agent to arrive at the truth, car
ried them through the ordeal trumphan,ly and
left their accusers, particularly the man who
couldn't ride in the mail car, rather chop fall
lem and possibly not little disappointed.
The banks within the infected district. suf-
fered in the loss nf drafts, &C., to the amount
Of at least two hundred thousand dollars. while
scarcely business man in either Of the two
or three cities within range of the prevailing
disorder, escaped the vexaiious and often inju-
rious consequences Of the depreciation then go
ing on, for the robber did not stop to select his
booty. Indeed, he could not have done so, had
he wished it, as the reader will hereafter see.
An investigation Of the case was ordered by
the Department, and carried on with as much
energy as prudence would permit; yet in the
midst Of it the robberies continued unchecked
Hersupon some Of the bank officers grew very
impatient, as the victims Of depredalions are
apt to do, il they are no, made acquainted with
every step that is taken in the delicate process
Of narrowing down the investigation.
When had been on the train for nearly a
week, one Of these gentlemen--an excellent f.
nancier, but by no means profoundly versed in
the mysteries Of human nature-in his mpru-
dent zeal to find out something, took matters in
to his own hands, and came near spelling all
by alarming the robbor, without detecting him.
He prepared sort of decoy letter. as he called
it, well filled with tissue paper, about the size
of bank-notes, and this tempting package he
addressed TO cashier TO whom several of the
missing letters had been directed This fell
into the hands of the robber but the expert
meni was rendered harmless by the fact stated
by himself after his arrest, that he never
stopped TO read or examine any letters, except
to ascertain whether they contained money. -
1t will never be known, probably, how much
good advice the criminal lost when he commit
ted this Tissue Of deception TO the flames, for
the worthy cashier, in his well-meanl zeal, sup
piled the place Of bank-noies in the decoy pack
age with what he doubtless considered Of more
value, namely, moral lecture to the delin-
quent, displaying in vivid colors the folly and
wickedness of his course, and closing with the
warning that if he took that letter, he surely
would be detected
The ingenuity and shrewdness of this de-
contained in me Iertefl vsas'j6AA en- ThA gSeai
to throw the culprit OF his guard, that if he
had read it, he would no doubt have fallen an
easy prey to such GINNING Vaccinations! 1t
was of course expected by the deyiser of this
scheme that the package would be preserved
by the person who stole it, in order 10 afford
the necessary evidence Of crime The pieces
of tissue paper could easily have been indenii-
fed, and he would naturally preserve the ac-
companying document with as much care as
Job was ready 10 show to the book which he
wished his adversary to write