New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-12-05
MORE MAIL ROBBERIEs,
Arrest of the Postmaster at Fort Jessup,
LOuisiana-He is Committed for Rob.
bing the Mail-Arrest Of the Assistant
Postmaster at Alexandria for Embez.
zlement-Attempt to Rescue the Pris.

TOStIu0StcF Ut AIcAhuura 1Or EmOeZs
zlement-Attempt to Rescue the Pris-
Oner.
A short time ago the special postofiice
agent in this city, Major Selye. as is well
known, TOOK his departure for the Red river
country, but with what intentions was then
unknown. Yesterday q Times reporter hap
pened to stroll into the office OF United
States Commissioner Grant, and found him
about to commence the examination of two
postofiice cases. which had been brought
before him by Major Seyle.
The first and most important of these
cases was that of Theodore Beck, postmas-
that the proceedings in this case were insti-
tined before II. c. Meyers, United States
commissioner at Natchitoches, by whom the
testimony taken at the examination is certi-
fed. From that te stimony aud the papers
in the case we gather the following state.
ments and allegations, the truth of which
will hereafter be made the subject of more
careful scrutiny and examination in the
! United States court.
In brief, the charge against Mr. Beck is
| that being and acting as postmaster at
Fort Jessup, Louisiana, he did, on or about
| the eighth day of March, 1872, willfully and
| feloniOusly rob the United States mail, BY
opening registered package numbered four,
| which had been mailed to Hamilton, Texas,
addressed to the postmaster at New o.
leans, and which package contained a re-
gistered letter addressed to Charles J..
Peterson, No. 500 Chestnut street. Philadel-
phia, said registered letter supposed t, con-
tain money, amount not ascertained, sent
by one George P. Rains, of Hamilton, Texas,
to Charles j. Peterson.
The testimony taken before Commissioner
Meyers is to the effect that letter of the
description given was sent from Hamilton,
as stated, in a registered letter envelope No
4; that the same passed through the mails
regularly until 1t reached the office at Fort
Jessup; that there the original package en-.
velope, which contained the registered
letter, was broken open by the accused and
r.hed, after which the same was resealed
and placed n another registered package
envelope, addressed and post marked by
Beck, and thus continued on it's way to this
city. From the testimony of Major Selye,
taken in the case, it appears that in Nuvem
Der past he proceeded to Fort Jessup and
confronted Mr.. Beck with what is known
as tracer which bore the Endorsements
and signatures of all the postmasters of
the different Offices through which the
registered package had passed, including
the accused, who acknowledg ged his indorse
ment on the tracer and that the hand
writing on the registered package envelope
No. /, bearing the post mark and address,
was also his handwriting.
The testimony further shows that on the
arrival OF the package at New Orleans
(which was the only Office where it could be
opened after leaving the mailing Office) it
was ascertained thai the registered letter
had been tampered with, and an indorse-
ment vas made on it as follows: Received,
New Orleans. in this condition-has the ap-
pearance of having been opened and
robbed. W. Richards, registry clerk"
With this endorsement the letter went on
to it's final destination, Philadelphia, where
it was again iniorsed as having been re-
ceived in bad condition. The particular
point called out in the testimony is that
there is no similarity between the hand
writing of the written post mark ard ad-
dress on the substituted legistered envelope
No. and the inGorsemeht of the post
master at Hamilton Texas, on the tracer
| and that the handwriting of the indorse-
ment on the '.tracer' of the postmaster at
Fort Jessup is the same as that VIII ch ap-
pears on the registered package No. 4. both
of which il was proven the prisoner ac-
knowledged to be his own. .
On the examination before Commissioner
Meyers the accused was held to bail in the
sum of $1,000, and was Immediately brought
to New Orleans by Major Selye. by whom
the arrest was originally made. The papers
kfdSSAu2 Iuto luo EduuS vi
Grant, a further examination was ordered,
but the accused waived it.. and was accord
ingly committed for trial, and bond re-
QulIed IN the sum FAMED above.
The Other case brought before Commits.
sioner Grant was that of Z. o. Biossat, as
sistant postmaster at Alexandria, and a
young man who has always epjoyed a most
excellent reputation. Young BiOssat, it APP
pears, was ARE steG on the affidavit of Ma jur
Selye, special agent of the Postofice De-
partment, and by whom he is charged with
having. on the tenth day OF August, 1873,
ftloniously em5eZzed from the mails OF the
United States certain registered letter or
package containing $500. which package
had been placed lnthe mail at Natchitoches,
to be forwarded TO New Orleans. The tes-
timony taken at the examination shows that
three different Packages. numbered re-
spectively eight nine and ten, had been
registered and mailed at Natchit0ches, and
all of them had been lost. No. 8 was
traced into the hands Of the accused, who
was unable TO show what he did with it,
having no record i'll the office of it, nor any
receipt. The package was proven to have
been placed in "A lock pouch at Satchitoches,
which pouch was afCerward delivered into
the hanbs Nf Rlosat at Alexandria.
Some testimony was also elected from
Henry Meyers, uf NatcIiitoches, II respecting
package No. 10, which contained "a regis
tered letter from him 70 NJ. c. Cole. of
New Orleans. The letter did not contain
money, bat a valuable document.
No testimony was taken for the defense,
and SO the accused was committed for trial
before the district court, and held to bail in
the sum of $1,000
An incident connected with the arrest of
Biossat was an attempt made by citizADs to
rescue him from the hands of Major Selye,
which we hear. through some of the pas
sengers on the LaBelle, on which boat both
Beck and Bios5at were brought to the city.
Young BiOssat is the son of the editor OF
one of the Alexandra newspapers, gentle
man of the highest standing in North Louis
lana. When the young man was taken into
custody and removed TO the boat a consid-
cradle crowd OF his friends and associates
went en- board, and declared their determi-
nation was to rescue HIN. They were armed,
and made display Of their weapons. A
cool, quiet courage however, on the part of
sl,no .J,t~ 4 Al