Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1862-08-15
SENTENCE OF A MAIL RoBBER.


John w BrOckenbrOugh against William A. Hopkins,
charged with violation of the Confederate States Mall
and convicted at August 1862 of the Confederate
Court, held at wytheYille, Virginia:
WHs a. Hopkins:
Your fate is a sad one! In the dawn Of manhood
YOU have been betrayed into the commission of crimes
which about 10 consgn you 10 a telon's doom.
You occupied position IN which you were exposed 10
constant temptation. The commission Of the crimes
was easy, and 1t seemed TO you, detection I'M
possible. Fatal delusion! Let your terrible fate be
warning TO ali employees Of the Post Office Department
throughout Confederate States that the prng eyes
Of those sharp detectives, known special agents.
upon them and that through such terrible instrumental
hIy swift vengeance may oyerake them Tor violating
the important trust repOsed in them. one
yeral OF such acts wall escape detection, but they will
not escape observation. Where money has been com
mitted " the mails for transmission over given route,
aud the letter containing has mysterousy disappeared
without reaching the hands OF the party 10 whom 1t
addressed The department soon notified Of the
fact by the suffering party. II apprlZed that all
us officials are not honest, aud that somewhere along
an extended route, embracing perhaps, many, many
post offices, depredatUus have been committees but the
odium Of dishonesty must rest all alike II some sure
and speedy means OF detection not resorted TO-
The iustrumentay Tor accOmp hment Of so important
an object at applied. Decoy letters, so pre-
pared be suggestive 10 dishonest post master OF
a rich prize, tempt repetition Of acts, heretofore
committed without detection and without any apparent
means OF detection. The enterprise seems sale one,
and the fatal deed is done The special agent IS on
the route. He has access TO the mails by pflNate
key II Is at known that some post master or ms
deputy, at a particular ohce, Is the thief Ills pre-
sence well a. JsA, by the alarmed Gull
prl before he has had time TO conceal or destroy the
evidences OF his guilt, and the doom Of the unhappy
man, # the detective Is adrOlt, is so securely sealed
that the ingenuity and eoquence Of the most learned
aud able counsel baed IN the vain effort TO screen
the offender from merited punishment. Ills counsel
lament with towering pathos hat their client has been
made the victim Of Official trlckery, and that the Gov
itself has spread the fatal snare IN be mesheS
uf which the unWary feet Of the unfortunate prisoner
have Uesn entaugied beyond the possibility Of eXrica-
tom IL Is true that herein the Government Goes prac
tee deception. Experience has demonstrated that I'M
detected crime would run riot through all the extensive
rImIicatIons OF the Post Ohce Department, II this
agency were not employed, aud the practice ike stra-
trgy IN war must seek its Yudlcauon the necessity
Whch gave birth. IL Is the readlest and surest means
Of ierretng out crime and OF separating the guilty
from the innocent. 1t has NO terrors Tor the honest
post master, and Is indeed the most potent means ol
preserving has reputation Tor private and ohcla hdelty
Il Official trap which securely holds and UnmasAs
the yoatOr OF the laws. IL Is not designed 10 expose the
innocent but the guilty 10 temptation, and dou0i Whe-
Their honest Ohccr tempted 10 tie commission
OF crimes by such fundamentally. Officials IN this de-
partmCnt are exposed 10 constant temptation by the
very nature Of their calling, and Is because some Of
them have already yielded 10 II, that hs secret agen-
CIV, whose basis is deception put into requsluOu not
tempt the innocent 10 crime, but the guilty to s re-
petition. In nearly all the successful prosecutions Tor
Official depreciation upon the mails, which have occurred
this district during my long judicial career, the con
yctou of the culprIt has been secured through this
agency alone and the best interests of the department
and Ol society forbid that II be dispensed with. 1t l.
sharp sword TO pierce the guilty, but shield OF ri-
pie steel defend the innocent II unworthy men are
sometimes employed 10 execute this potent, because
system OF espionage and detection, more anxious
to secure victims, than AID the just Administration
OF The laws by the punishment OF the guilty only, let
The slow finger Of public scorn be pointed at them, ana
the unworthy creatures driven m disgrace from Of
nee whose true duties they have Inexperienced and
whose legitimate functions they have YIley perverted.
Let the evils of the system be corrected, but the system
Itself cannot be dispensed with without destroying the
efficiency OF this most important department OF the
Government. / have been led into these remarks by
Tie severe but, think, uRmeried structures OF one
Of your counsel upon this system in his eloquent and
imprisoned appeal 10 the Jury who tried you.
You have had the benefit William 4. Hopkins, of
fair ana impartial trial by jury Of more than or
tnary intelligence and every resource OF argument
aud toquence have been exhausted 10 your behalf in
vain You have been convicted Of crimes OF most
serious character against the peace and webelng oil
society. While other young were imperlilIng their
lives IN the embatted field defence of their rights
and liberties Of their country against yanda foe, you
protected yourself Oy official position from liability
such noble service and have ANONYMOUSLY perverted
Il 70 the purposes OF peculaton and pilierng. lou
had not received, indeed, any formal appointment oi
post master at the Big Spring Depot, but you had been
employed deputy OF your father, who held the office
u ms death, aud YOU continued with the acquescence
of the Government, 10 discharge It's functions for
yera months afterwards Il was during this latter pc
Rod that YOU committed the crimes for which you
nov 10 suffer Under the Instructions Uf the court you
were held 10 DC employee Of the Post Ohce Depart
menl and subject TO the pains and penalties OF the
law That Law a one aud has itself fixed the
minimum period Of your confinement IN the Pcuiten-
ary at ten years. Should your conduct IN prison be
exemplary, will cordially recommend your case 10
Executive clemeucy the end of the first year Of your
punishment You are young, not long Injured 10 crime,
aud trust the terrible punishment you to undergo,
will work your reformation, not harden you into an III
corrigiJe criminal That YOU may leave the FvnIien
tary a reformed aud penIient man, earnestly hope.
Il ONLY remains TO pronounce the sentence OF the
law, which Is, That YOU be taken hence 10 the Peni
Tertiary at Richmond and be there confined at hard
labor for the term Of ten years and day, and pay
tine Of one dollar to the Confederate States.