Litchfield enquirer., 1861-06-20
A RASCALLY TRICK.

We have before alluded to the ingenious frauds resorted to sometimes even by individu- als and business firms in good standing, to fix distrust and suspicion on the post-ofice, 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," (and outside of all the counties with the exception, perhaps, of old Middlesex,) which in justice to the P. 0. Department and its employ ees immediately interested, ought not to be pass ed over in silence It was none of your com place pieces of knavery, but a cool we'll arranged scheme for fixing criminal charge on innocent parties connected with the post-office.
 A gentleman Q doing business in M, was indebted to firm in N H., in the sum of $l20. The money was to be sent as other remittances had previously been by mail. The letter was received minus the cash lnforma tion of the loss was communicated to one ofthe Government special agents who investigated the matter closely The first question to be settled was, was the money actually enclosed in the letter?
 It appeared from the statement of the merch. ant, that having previously written the letter. he sent his clerk to the bank to obtain large notes, two fifties and one twenty, which were folded into the letter in the presence of the young man, who took it immediately to the post-ohice. This was fully confirmed by the clerk in question, who with great apparent and, no doubt, really honesty, insisted that he wit messed the whole transaction-saw the money enclosed and the letter sealed, which he carried directly to the office, wliere lie would take his oath, both the letter and it's contents were safe ly deposited in the hands of one of the post office clerks, of whom stamp was purchased and placed upon the letter. There seemed to be but slight grounds on which to base suspi- cion, outside the post-office at least. The thing had been beautifully fixed up to be sure, and our slippery friend, the merchant, thought the Agent might as well go about other business if he had any!
 thing wrong in the merchants manner, and the trihing affair of Mree centS led to the final dis eevery.
 In separately questioning the employer and the employed, the former stated that he gace the latter the money with which to buy a postage stamp, while the clerk was perfectly sure that he went to the money-drawer, some distance 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 clerks knowledge.
 The next point was to endeavor to discover privately where our friend had passed the large bills which he had probably failed to remit. An ticipating the possibility of this discovery, the merchant absolutely let pussy out of the bag himself, He obtained two other tlfties on the same bank as the others, went to g confidential friend and asked him to take the bills and hand them back to him again, in order that if the place of exchange of the first notes was found out, he could refer to this friend as having paid him hills of that denomination and bank! The friend being an honorable man, and seeing that the request bore upon the letter transaction, de- clined to comply, and very promptly exposed in the proper quarter the application thus made to him Not only did he dc this, but knowing of a considerable payment recently made by the merchant, intimated where the original fifties had been used. The clue thus obtained brought out the whole transaction, and effectually fixed the guilt of this cunningly devised plan upon the right shoulders. ,-,. .,ta
 Itis to be regretted that Congress has proyi- ded no penalty for this class of troublesome de- linquencies. Hol6rook,s U g. MaI