Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-06-24
A RASCALLY TRICK.

FROM holOrOOks Q nited States Mall
We have before slluded to the ingenious
frauds resorted to sometimes even by individ-
uals and business firms in good standing, to & <
distrust and suspicion on the post Office. in the
matter OF money remittances claimed to have
been sent through the mails
A case OF this kind has Just been brought to
light within the boundaries of the Nutmeg
State" land outside Of all the counties with
the exception, perhaps, of old Middlesex \
which, in justice to the Post Office Department
and its employees Immediately interested,
ought not to be passed over in silence 1t was
none OF your common place piece of knavery,
but cool, well arranged scheme for fixing a
criminal charge on innocent parties eonnecTe ed
with the post Office.
was indebted to firm in F. H, in the
sum of Sl20. The money was to be sent as
other remittances had previously been by mail
The letter was received minus the cash. In
formation Of the loss was communicated TO one
of the Government special agents who investi-
gated the matter closely. The first question to
be settled was, was the money actually inclosed
in the letter.
II appeared from the statement of the mer
chant, that having previous written the letter,
he sent his clerk TO the bank to obtain large
notes, two 90 and one 20. which were folded
into the letter in the presence Of the young
man, who took it Immediately to the post Office.
This was fully confirmed by the clerk in uues-
hon, ~ho, with great apparent, and no doubt,
real honesty, insisted that he witnessed the
Fhole tIansaction-saw the money enclosed
and the letter sealed, which he carried directlv
the office, where he would take his cath
both the letter and its contents were safely de-
posted in the hands Of one Of the post Office
clerks, OF whom stamp was purchased and
placed upon the letter. There seemed to be left
but slight grounds upon which to base suspi-
clor. outside the post office at least. The thing
had been fixed up to be sure, and our slippery
friend, the merchant, thought the agent might
as we'll SO about other business if he hal any !,
But certain indescribable evidences Of some
thing wrong in the merchants manner and the
trhing affair of three cents, led to the nal dis
cOvery.
ln separately questioning the employer and
the employed, the former stated that be gaze
the latter the money with which TO buy post
age stamp, while the clerk was perfectly sure
that he went to the money drawer some dis
tance from where the two had been standing,
for the three pennies. Here was exactly the
required opportunity for the bank notes to be
Withdrawn from the letter, without the clerk s
knowledge
The next point was to endeavor to discover
privately where our friend had passed the
large bills which he probably had failed to re-
NIT. Anticipating the possibility of this dis
cevery, the merchant absolutely let pussy out
of the bag himself He obtained two other
ffties on the same bank as the others, wen. to
confidential friend and asked him to take
the bills and hand them back to him, in order
that IT the place Of exchange of the first notes
was found out, he could refer to this friend as
having paid him bills Of that denomination
and bank! The friend being an honorable
man, and seeing that the request bore upon
the letter transaction, declined to comply,
and very promptly exposed in the proper
quarter the application thus made TO him.
Not only did he do this, but knowing of a
considerable payment recently made by the
merchant, intimated where the original if
ties bad been used. The clue thus obtained
brought out the " hole transaction, and effec-
tually fixed the guilt Of this cunuingly devised
plan upon the right shoulders.
1t is to be regretted that Congress has pro-
vidsd no penalty for this class of troublesome
delinquencies.