The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1869-11-11
SECRETS OF THE POSTAL SERVICE.

SECRETS OF THE POSTAL SERVICE.
A correspondent of the Chicago Tribune
writes from Washington an account of the
skitul detcctions of post office robbers. II,
says very large percentage of depredation>
on letters is made by the families of men who
suffer (said Mr. Depro the detcctiye), rs al
example of which recall Just now, the name
of u celebrated claim agent of Washington
City. He was in the habit Of receiving every
day large fees from his clients in all parts d
the country, and he came to the Post Otlice tC
complain that quantities of his letters were
daily robbed of their remittances and return
ed to the writers with taunting remarks ap
going straight? You're fool to think that
your cash can reach the agent Robbed BY
the post office man; try again y The agent
came to the Post Office with loud complaint,
of dishonesty there, and the postmaster asked
me to investigate the case.
A son RoBEING HIS FATHER
| saw speedily that the emptied and return
ed letters We're superscribcd with the left
hand. 1t bothered me to know what object
| there could be in thus returning the covers OF
robbery, and | was sure that no post office
clerk would be so absurd.
| | dropped a couple of letters to the claim
agent, and in 4 day or two called upon him
''Who gets your mail from the Post OF
flee ?n
"My son brings it every morning"
''Well, it's your son that is robbing you.n
The old man flushed up, Indignantly:
My son, sin, That is Il slander. Ii is I'M
possible he is the soul of honor and my
chief assistant"
''Well, do you want me to examine him -
'Yes, sir; but you will find it vain. He
is my only SON.
Directly the boy came in, and | addressed
SDd you receive, yesterday, two letters
from b and J-?n
mo, sir!'
As he said this a red line started from hi,
Jaw and ran up to his temples.
Look there" said to the father, II don't
always believe in marks of guilt but how is
ii your boys face tlushcs like that when |
merely mention two names? Thomas, it is
necessary that l search YOU
| searched him, and found nothing!
''Thercn said the father, 'you never Were
more off the track in your lifc''
Thomas" said |, ''whcrc do you sleep?
should like to go to your room.''
Arrived at his room opened his chamber
secretary, and there | saw one of the envcl-
opes | had myself directed.
Thomas, what are you doing with that
cnvclope?"
lie threw up his hands.
81 own up" he cried II am the depreda-
| tori
''What did you return those letters with re
marks for, in your left handwriting ?''
Because did not want my father to lose
that money ] wanted the people to know
that it had not come to hand, so that they
might rc-enclosc it,
took the boy again to his father who said
III tone Of triumph:
''Well. sir! suppose you are satisfied :"
"YesH said I, 81 am satisied-that your
son is a thief"
Father" said the boy, ''he's right. ! am
guiltym
| The cid man burst into tears.
| II leave your boy with YOU" concluded
''thcre is no charge against him unless you
make it,
The son was soon after sent to visit the
| West.
ONLY ONCE THIEF, But FOR $4,000
You would be surprised to see, sometimes
continued Depro, how people become thieves
by the mere habit Of handling valuablcs which
are exposed by somebody's carclessness. A
short time ago package of bonds to the
| u
city post Office They had been sent from
Newport Rhode Island, and We're for soldiers
widows warrants, &C., 50 that the outcry was
natural, and it came from all sides The bonds
| were too bulky to 90 inside an envelope, 50
| they were tied to the envelope, but this fact
we did not ascertain till we found the thief
The package was put in q red-backed enve-
| lope, sighifying a ''rogistcrcd" letter Now
at the post Office mail is tumbled upon q
large table, and consecutive clerks 90 through
it energetically. each picking out his portion.
First of all comes the clerk of registered let
lers-whch are always important letters
him we surrounded with spies for two years,
in vain for nothing was seen in any place OF
at any time to give US wink of evidence that
he was the culprit.
The real thiet-let me anticipatc--was the
newspaper clerk, who handled the mail some
time afterward. The rcd-backed envelope
turned undermOst in the ransacking, and left
the wrapper on top, so that the registry clerk
mstook it for a covered newspaper. lie there
fore left it, and so did successive clerks, till
the newspaper sorter came along. Discover
ing this prize among his books and newspa-
pers, the latter was seized with sudden I'M
pulse to steal it, and it was at once transferred
to the pocket of his overcoat, which was
hanging close by.
The thiets name we may call Tippy Rams.
dell, and, when he got home and opened il,
| the poor pauper was SO overcome to find him
self possessed of $4,000 instead of ten dol
lar bill, that he was frightened out of his lit
tie wits. He hid the bonds for nearly twc
years, and we, meantime, having exhausted
all means of detection, had given up the task
Suddenly we received a dispatch: Bono
number 1864 has turned up" We traced i
to the New York house of Jay Cooke e. Com
}pany. 1t was a small bond for 800, and tn,