The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1856-02-09
THE FIRST STEPS IN CRIME.

NA"'O''s HC ANdit Days.
he literary reputation of one of the oldest
and most celebrated seats of learning in
New England. was once Temporarily over
shadowed by the "eminence" that it attained
in the eyes of all within a distance Of fifty
miles IN every direction, who attempted TO
transmit valuable matter through the mails
lhe period during which this state of things
existed was IN the months of January and
February 1854. Throughout those months a
fatality attended all money-letters designed to
pass through the place referred to; the like
Of which has seldom been known in the his
tory Of the post-Oiiice.
AS well might one have attempted to send
valuable letter across the MaeIstrom as to
get it safely past that fatal point. This point
was like the lions cave in the fable, into
which many tracks entered, but from which
none were seen to return. Aud the lion
whoever he was bad an insatiabie anl iniis-
rr'm'natiny appetite, for he consumed the
supplies coming from three or four neiyhbor-
ing counties in the State, and like a feline
Oliver Twist, continually asked for more"
! The effect of these numerous losses, of
course. were confined to the vicnites of the
sufferers, but were felt in remote portions
Of the county
/ But the loss Of money and the consequent
inconvenience. were not the only results to-
lowing this wholesale robbery. Perhaps no
series OF mail dcpredatons ever spread 50
widely the cloud of suspicion over those con-
nected with the mail service. All the route
agents. postmasters. post Office clerks and
m rLT-., Il Law
within the infected district; all these officials
felt the severity Of the test of character.
which existing circumstances applied. Such
a state of things as shat which we are de
scrblng. often serves as thundrr shower, to
clear that moral atmosphere. IIalf:formcd
purposes of rocucry. for the present at least.
are LAID by those already guilty Of >pecula-
/ ti0n on small scale, cease from their opera
tons. all wait IN brcathess suspense for the
denoum.n of the drama and when the bolt
falls, and the offender smi'ten down, thev
breathe more freely and such a catastrophe
is not unfrequently the turning point in the
life OF some Young man, who has hitherto
been vacillating between good and evil!
The arrest and punishment Of another in
spires him with salutary fear of similar re-
suits in his own case, should he venture uu.
On like course
And the effect of such occurrences upon
those who have never turned aside from the
path Of rcctitul" is no less decided
These are the times that TRY men 3 souls >
1t Is hard thing for one to bear up for
weeks art months under load OF ,uSplcion
though conscious OF innocence; but this Is a
still harder task. il he has nothing between
the ewes of the public and his inward rotten.
ness but the thin shell of decent and false
reputation. No man can know to its fall ex.
tent the value of a COOL character. until ne
, has been through some "fi.rv trial" in which
nothin" bu; such power could have saved
him from ruin.
: Yet those who, at the time of which
speak, were most firm in conscious integrity
did not escape the stincs o; annovinc suspi
I clons. and significant if,inua'ions
"Could it be certain Route Agent =
asked an ollicious individual, perhaps quite
too willing to start such a suSpicion, the a
} tOresald Agent having in pursuance of rcncr
al instructings, denied him the privilege OF
, the mail ear. IL saw him." continued ouu
virtuouS TREND, sporting fine turn out on
~ last Sunday, and they do say that he i.
rather fast for young man on So small :
salary. 1t wouldn't surprise me much If the,
should find that the trouble is there"
Unfortunately for his theory. SO well loun
ded on the basis OF a SUNDAY turn out" ant
, ''they say" the fast" young man could no
have had access to one in dozen of the Ia,
packages.
This is a specimen Of the endless surniSc
: and conjectures that were thrown ont in tn,
: progress OF the affair, much to the annovanc,
OF postmaStcrS clerks, and other officials
whose honesty aided by the strenuous ctior,
Of the Special Agent to arrive at the truth
carried them thro' the ordeal triumphantlv
and lett their accusers, particularly the mai
r. who couldn't ride in tn" mail car, rathc
' "chop tallen,' and possibly not a little dis
2 appointed
q The banks within the infected district, sut
7 fered in the loss of drafts, &C., to the amour
). of at least two hundred thousand dollars
:. while scarcely business man in either Of
/ the two or three cities within range of tn
o prevailing disorder, escaped the vexation
q and often injurious consequences of the dep
;, relation then gong on for the robber d,
:. not stop to select his booty. Indeed, h
:, could not have done SD, had he wished it, a
the reader will hereafter see.
An investigation OF the case was or,lere
q by the Department, and carried on with a
:. much energy as prudence would permit: We
:. IN the midst OF it the rObberies continued un
!. checked. Here upon some of the bank otli
y GERS grew very impatient, as the victims o
i depredations are apt to do, if they are no
o made acquainted with every step that is tax
en- in the delicate process or narrowing dow
- the investigation
o When had been on the train for nearl,
r a week, one of these gcntlemen-an excel
e lent fnancier, but by no means prooundl,
versed in the mysteries of human nature,
his 'mprudent Zeal to find out something
. took matters into his own hands. and cam,
near spelling all by alarming the robber
$ without detecting him. lie prepared sor
!, o: decoy letter, as he called it, we'll fIlee
i with tissue paper, about the size of bank
notes, and his tempting package he address
ed to cashier to whom several of the MISSING
letters had been directed This fell into the
: hands OF the robber, but the experiment wa:
t rendered harmless BY the fact stated bv him
: self after his arrest, that he never stopped tt
read or examine any letters, except to ascer
tam whether they contained money. 1t will
never be known, probably, how much good
: advice the criminal lost when he committed
this tissue OF deception to The flames, for the
! worthy cashier, in his well-meant zeal, sup.
pied the place of bank-notes in the decoy
2 package with what he doubtless considered
OF more value, namely, moral lecture to the
} delinquent, displaying in vivid colors the fol-
, ly and wickedness of his course, and closing
, ho Vva ~ 4 l. -