Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1856-02-23

advised by the postmaster to proceed at once
| to New York, and confer with the Special
Agent, and at the same time lay all the facts
| before the Post Master General He did so,
and it was not long before the Agent had com.
menced the investigation of the supposed rob-
berry.
In addition to the postscript appended, the
letter bore indications of having been tampered
! with, which at first sight would seem almost
| conclusive on this point. Upon the envelope
| were two waters, differing in color, one partly
overlapping the other, as if they had been put
on at different times.
| Notwithstanding these appearances, there
were circumstances strongly conflicting with the
supposition that the letter had been robbed
The postcript was not a natural affair." for no
one guilty of opening letter for the purpose
of appropriating its contents, would stop to
write an explanatory note, especially as such
course would increase the chances of his own
detection. And in the present instance, there
had been no delav of the letter to allow of such
BY a visit to the Office where the letter was
mailed, the Agent ascertained thatit must have
| left Immediately after having been deposited
| and the advanced age and excellent character
/ of the postmaster who made up the mail on
the occasion, entirely cut off suspicion in that
quarter.
An interview was then held with the clergy
man who witnessed the mailing of the letter
and from him were obtained the facts already
stated Concerning the writing of the dccu-
ment, and its deposit in the letter box in per
feet state after the money had been enclosed,
he was ready and willing to make oath, and had
l,a iad ha hov in,
all sincerity and honesty.
In reply to an inquiry whether heused more
than one sort of letter paper, he informed me
he had but one kind in his study for several
months, and at my request brought in few
sheets of it. A comparison of this with the
sheet upon which the rifcd epistle had been
written, showed that the latter was totally
different article from the first the shape and
design of the stamp the size of the sheet, and
the shade of the paper, were all unlike. More
over, the waters used at the bank, where the
hundred-dollar note was obtained and the let
ter containing it, sealed, were very dssmilar
to either of those which appeared upon the
post boy" letter.
From the consideration of all these facts, /
was satisfied that gross and contemplate fraud
had been perpctrated by the writer of the let
ter ] called upon the postmaster and made
some inquiries relative to the character and pc
cuniary circumstances of the personin question.
From the replies made, it appeared, as have
already stated, that his reputation in communi-
ty was good.
| thought it might be possible that in SO
small place, could ascertain whether he had
lately passed hundred dollar note as he would
have been likely to have done, if it was true
he had not enclosed it in the New Haven let
ter
Calling at the store which received most OF
his custom, introduced myself to the proprle-
tor, made a confident of him to some extent,
and learned that the very next day after that
on which the aforesaid letter was mailed, its
author offered him in payment for a. barrel o.
-four, hundred dollar note on the bank from
which a bill of the like denomination had been
obtained as before mentioned, in exchange for
" small trash" The merchant could not then
change it, but sent the -four and changed d bill
which he supposed to be the same, few days
afterward
Armed with these irresistible facts | pro
ceeded to call on the adventurous dcceiyGr of
the clergy, who had attempted to make one
member of that body second his intention to
cheat another "Insatiate archer could not
one suffice 2"
"Mr T." said I, after some prelimina-
~ conversation, "its Of no use to mince mat
ters The fact is, you did not send the money
in that New Haven letter. You offered it the
day after you pretended to mail it, at Mr.. C.'s
store. You see I've found out all aboutit SO
hope you will not deny the truth in the mat
ter"
| then gave him his choice, to send the 500
promptly to his New Haven correspondent, or
allow me to prove in public manner the facts
in my possession.
Being thus hard pressed and finding himself
cornered, he confessed that he had prepared
the letter which was received in New Haven,
postscript, double waters and all-before he
left his home, and that while crossing the
street from the bank to the post-ofiice, he SUBJ
stituted this for the one he wrote in the cler-
gyman's study He promised to send the mo-
money, and pretended to have suffered severe
ly in his feelings on account of this dishonest
act
There is no United States law providing for
the punishment of such an offence, but public
opinion and private conscience make nicer dis
tinctions than the law can do, and often mete
out deserved penalty to those who elude the
less subtle ministers of Justice
In the present instance, the foregoing story
was made public by direction of the Post Mas
ter General and the author of the trick una
bic to sustain the Indignation and contempt of
the community in which he lived, was compell-
ed to make hasty retreat from that part OF
the country.
CHICAGO DESCRIBED A correspondent of
the Wisconsin Democrat pays Chicago the fol-