Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-03-05

stances, instead of replying to this commune
cation, showed it to various members OF the
family. Her father, brothers and brother in
law, being too familiar with, New York life to
regard the matter in the light of an innocent
Joke, determined to find, out VIM, j. Melville
and make him smart for bis inpertinence-
They soon discovered his real name 70 pc
Alex. Phyfe, ard bis business that ola broker.
The whole story was Immediately cOmmunlca-
ted to officer McManus, chief of the detectives
detailed at the General Post Office, and ne
was requested to keep his eye on the party IN
order to arrest him for taking out letters al
dressed to another. His attention being called
to the subject, the officer remembered a fair~
faced young man who was in the habit OF tax
ingontfi FIVE or six billet doux every day.
On Friday morning the Thane of Phyfe pre-
serted himself, as usual, at the TO pigeon
hole, and innocently asked for Wm- j. Mel
Wills letters But officer McManus was on
hand, and accosted him. g..
s0ficer-Yourn slne's not Melville. r
Phyfe-How did you find that OUT
Oficer-That's my business not yours. Your
name is Alex. Phyfe, and you do business at
No. IL Wall street -.-g-sf-t
Phyfe-NO,L | DON'T Hfu
Officer-I know you've had no office for
some weeks back; but your single hangs
there still.
Phyfe-Well, / admit that. 1t was my step
fathers name, and love it. -zt.
Without more ado Alexander, the conqueror
of the lady world, was taken before the Chief
Marshal, then to the Office of the United
States Marshil, and thence before Commits
siOner B. G. White, who held him to bail IN
sum of $500, which he promptly procured.
The examination took place before the same
Commissioner on Saturday afternoon. Officer
| McManus with two of the envelopes of letters
which the prisoner wac caught in the act of
receiving, proved that he had received and
opened letters to Vim. j. Melville, but the ne
cessary guilty intent, viz: that of prying into
| another's secrets could not be proven upon him
inasmuch as he alleged that other was him
self and it was not shown that there was an
actual Wm. J. Melville in town. q a
Phyfe was accordingly discharged from le-
| gal detention, but manifested strange to say,
no haste TO leave the United States offices and
join Miss BIS relatives, who were waiting on
the side walk to have q word with him. He
finally, however, went from College up Park
place in company with friend; but the gen.
tlemen prosecutors walked some distance by
his side, attempting bylanguage which herich-
| ly deserved, to provoke technical assault,
that they might pummel him without benefit
of clergy. But our young friend was too dis
Greet and to well aware of his legal rights TO
fall into'a snare; lie bore it all with Christian
forbearance, in strict obedience to the Sunday
| School maxim "a kiss for blow and by max
ing rather soft answers, sought to turn away
wrath, but failed so completely that the SUI
went down upon it. The day of reckoning
| will, we are however informed, shortly arrive
| CoNUNDRUM.-Why are the stars the greatest a
| tronomers?
ANswER-Because they have studded (Sfuldied)
the heavens, for thousands of years.