The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1873-05-31
WHAT i POSTAL DETECTIVE HAS
DISCOVERED.

DISCOVERED.
We copy from an article inspired, if
not written, by Special Agent Selyc,
in Wednesdays Intelligcnccr, the fol-
lowing extract rcciting how this Dctcc-
tive has been made to appear Il help
less government Agent:
In the latter part of December, 1872,
a workman in the repair shops of the
n. l.. & II. II. r., located in this city,
while oVerhauling a freight car, which
had been used as Il mail and baggage
car, found Il number of letters between
the outer and inner lining of the car.
The post marks of these letters extend
ed from July the Sth, 1872 to November
%, 1872.
When these letters were received by
the Special Agent from Mr.. Pettibonc,
they had all been opened. Mr.. Petit
bone is the person who claims to have
found them while in the act ofrcpairing
the car.
The person who broke open the let
ters has not as yet been discovered. The
facts, SO far as developed by Major Sc
lyc, Justify but one theory, to wit: The
letters were not opened by either of
the four different Route Agents, through
whose hands they passed at different pc
RODS, GAS the records Of the Nicksburg
and Monroe l'Ost-ot1ice shOw,) but
were opened but by one personals they
We're all opened roughly, in the same
manner and seemingly by the same
rough hand.
1t is the custom Of tho Route Agent
while in charge of the mails, to liStri-
butc the same i'll the mail room of the
car while the train is under way; !, set
of pigeon holes or distributing. cases,
attached to the ceiling Of the car, being
used for this purpose. The car in which
the letters were found was Il diiapidatcd
concern, and Oscillatcu very much while
i'll motion, and it is supposed that the
letters i'll question found their way
from the distributing case at different
times through the crcviccS into the
space between the ceiling and outer
plank through the motion of the car.
This hypothesis is strengthened by the
fact that Il Va1uclc5S newspaper enclosed
in Il wrapper was found among the let
tors in question also two letters which
were not broken open, evidenced by the
following extract of Il communication
written by Mr.. G. S. Pettibonc to the
Host-Office Department at Washington,
announcing the discovery of the letters:
81 found also, between the walls Of
the car, one letter mailed at this place.
directed to st. Louis, Mo-, and one for
Crew Lake, La, with seals llnbrOkcn.''
1t is Il fair conclusion that there has
been no robbery by the Route Agents,
but that the letters were opened by the
first finder, who, after breaking opcn 4
portion of them and examining their
contents, threw them back between the
ceiling and outer lining of the car.
1t has been conclusively asccrtaincd
by the SPECIAL Agent that Gael, of the
four route agents employed on that
route at different times, had in charge
one or more OF the letters found.
1t would be very unreasonable and
unfair to suppose that all four of the
route agents and two or three other
young men who acted as such, would
have opened letters and then have
adopted the sane 2'tttH of disposing of
the letters broken open. No man with
the least sense OfjttSticc or fairness
yea, no man except one thoroughly
dishonest and dishonoru6f3 in all his in
Stincts, would adopt such Il monstrous
theory rs the only means by which slls-
picion might be thrown on a number of
young men who have always stood we'll
in the estimation of the public
The person who first discovered the
letters is probably the guilty party.
Pcttibonc was the first to notify the Dc
partfncnt and forward them to Major
Sclcy, but some one else may have OK
amincd tho car previous TO Pcttibone,
and after opening the letters deposited
them were Pcttibonc says found them.
Nm