Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1869-11-10
From the Chicago Tribune.l
SecHsSS Of the Postal Service.
WAsurxcTO,- Oct .

W ASHINGIONs OCl. ~.
About the time of Mr.. LincOln's muir
der l wrote some letters on the plans to
track, discover, and punish his murder
ers. In those days 1 knew intimately
well the huge John Young, Chief of the
New York ''Shadows," Bob" Murray,
the Marshal of New York, who had a pet
gallows, and the pride of whose life was
that he had hanged Gordon, the SLAYER,
Ben Franklin, Superintendent of Phila-
delphia detectives, and the o'ervaunted
LAFAYETTE c. Baker, besides plenty of
small fry. Since that period have had
no business with police authorities, but
probably with those old letters in mind,
every now and then am called upon by
some retired or retiring detective and re-
duested to edit his memoirs.
"I can give you extraordinary facts,
he saws, '1all want you to do is to light
en- 'em up, expand 'em, and make 'em
taking"
Notwithstanding which, 1 was always
used to find that the most literal recital
of these criminal stories was the
most taking" Their narrator uncOn-
sciouslv mentions a number Of trivial
matters which he thinks OF 10 nOte, but
when he sees them in print they affect
even himself as being clever interpOla-
tions or elaborations. Conger, the officer
Booth. came to me after 1 had published
his narrative, and said:
GLOW did you know that l saw farm
gear, plows, and all kinds of utensils in
that barn? / did see them particular,
but had forgot it myself"
Perhaps he did, but ne had neverthe-
less related this, although considering it
irrelevant, and used it as part neces-
sary to a true depletion, because he had
been unable TO tell his story without re-
ferring to it.
A few nights ago was told that a
fierce-looking man had called upon me,
had refused to leave his name, and ex-
pected to come again, after having
infinitely found out my hours at home.
The next night he came and introduced
himself as Mr. Frederick Depro, long
special detective agent of the Post Office
General, who had resigned within few
weeks of this period, and was being ne
gotiated with by book publishers for his
"reminiscences. He said, as usual, that
his patterns were ingenious and remark
able. but he wanted some weaving and
dyeing down. l talked to him an hour
or more, and, while compelled to decline
the task. was well convinced that his ad-
ventures had been of an unusually vivid
sort, and subjoin few of them as indiea-
tions of what is going ON round us while
we sleep.
ANONYMOUS LETTERS.
Mr.. Gath, said Depro, You have no
notion of the number of eases which are
exposed by the Post Office Agents, and
which are compromised or excused. The
Post Office is an immense vehicle for
anonymous slander, and for wreaklng
private spite, upon virtuous iamllles.-
Ii often happens that some young lady,
who shrinks from coming into court, Is
made the recipient for years OF the yllest
propositions and of infamous poetry and
pictures, while gentlemen who visit her
are apprised of family secrets by the
same remorseless post, and, perhaps, of
out-and-out lies, which put stigma
unon her character. On proper COM
niaint we are often detailed to hunt out
these prosecutors, and it is astonishing
TO know the places and positions some OF
them fill. might narrate how vile old
men annoy young girls in this way, and
how legitimate letters are unsealed and
interlined with slander and yulgarity,