The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1874-11-19
MAIL ROBBEk NABBED.
Row a Bungling Mail Route
Agent Broke open Letters.
A Nashville Woman the Cause of
His Dishonest Practices.

~" S"nuhcTS' came 10 Tile EX position
twice while it was in full blast. Had he
contented himself with going no where
else to see the sights, he would not he In
the very disagreeablc situation he now
hhds himself. But he went over into the
Sums, and some how or other became in
iatuhted with u woman who wound him
IN her Tolls, and though absent from her.
she continued to work upon his sympa-
thetlc nature by means of pathetic an
pealS for more money. until eXhaustine
what means he had and what he drew a,
MS salary. he commenced. about six weeks
ago to rob the mails. and thus to keep up
4 supply to the inSitiate and graspiny wo-
man. He did not only open letters bold
~, nut frequently did not take the trouble
to reseal them. Those he could success.
fully open by means of lead pencil he re-
sealed again in a rough, awkward sort o.
way, while he cut many square off at the
end and after examining their contents
sent them to those to whom they were
addressed.
Running between Decherd and Fay.
etteville on the Winchester and Alabama
Road, he had three hours at one of til,
points in which 10 open and rob letters.
host or the letters robbed were thoS,
addressed from home to the young ladie,
at Mary Sharp College. From these Il,
obtained $40 or 90.
re also robbed letters addressed to citi'
zens at Fayetteville. In one letter he con
iessed to have found two plain gold rings
the property of Lyman d Hill, of Fay
etteyille.
A letter written by G. G. Phillips, Post
master at Winchester, to Col. Z. j. French
postal agent at Chattanooga, stating tina
he weuld continue to keep a close watcl
out and report future depredations, wa
also broken open by Medaris, and, ate
noting its contents, sent it on as addressed
Though this was a warning to him to he
sist from his evil practices he did not hee,
it, and kept on robbing the mails. $,
persistent was he that Colonel j. 3. Min
mis-, Special Agent of the Post-oflice De
partment. soon get upon his trail an,
sending deCoy letters, with marked bill
in them, between Dechcrd and layettc
vile, soon found him out, and arrestc
him yesterday morning, finding some {
the decoy and other letters upon his per
son, together with the rings mentionc
above. Finding himself cornered he vol
UNFAIRLY confessed the whole matter
When arrested, he exhibited signs of gret
trepidation, and wept freely, but on bein
assured that Colonel MINIS would trea
him kindly, he suppressed his tears an
grew much calmer, and came or to Nasl
vile with Colonel Minis, in the mos
peaceable and quiet manner. Medar
was also much moved when about to entt
ths Jail. He said lift had not been for I'll
woman mentioned, he weuld not hay
been in his present predicament.
Col. L. d. Barnes. United States Con
missioner at Fayetteville, visited him la
evening. On taking leave, Nedaris agai
wept.
Until the unfortunate circumstance
his meeting the ceurtezan whs las slnt
held his nose SO firmly down to the grin,
stone, his character was unimpeachabl
Until Il year ag" he had been content
work for ten dollars per month. His NJ
pOintMent as mail route agent yielde
him a salary of 500 per annum.
He belongs to a very excellent tamil
than whom none stand higher in the con
munity in which they live.
The above we take from the Nashvil
Banner of the l4th instant, and it is u vel
correct statement of the affair. We ha'
heard some sympathy expressed for YOU
Medaris. He was beliked by all who kne
him, and the wonder is that he should L
sort to theft when he was getting 500
year in these hard times to support hi
self only. 1t must be that he was affect
with kleptOmania-a word invented
screen the Unborn thief and save him fro
punishment due to crime. But he CO
fesses that a strange woman had won up'
his heart and his honesty succumbed.
/ he had only needed the words of Ho
I, Writ, which tell us that "The lips OF
|. strange woman drop as a h%oneycemb, a
/ her mouth is smoother than oil )" that
strange woman is a narrow pitt" and TT
"a woman shall compass a man." ALI
) poor Medaris has found, too late, INC
hitter than death the woman whose he'
. is snares and nets" His only escape fro
her will be the p~enitentiary. That he "
/, be lightly dealt with is supposed from t
!, fact that he made an open confession OF
| his sins. He had taken $40 from a lett
, sent by Judge Turney to his wife, and .
from a letter sent from Memphis to MI
+ Annis Turney, besides the thettsab
mentioned. Poor fellow. Let others tn
warning.
We congratulate our worthy F. NJ 4
b G. G. Phillips, upon his success in ferr'
ing out the cause of complaint which
yolyed his office. He felt, no doubt,
litlle perplexed, but his character was
t well known fer honesty to admit any 81
picion. We would trust him with all t
= mails in the world, provided love and hed
were not contained therein. In such
5 case we should suspicion him at snce'
E a heart or lsve were missing. We ia
t this occasion to say that any young la
r sending her heart in a letter need not
: surprised if Phillips should try to capt.
it, even at the risk of losing his otherw
splendid character.
nyVINJrIpAI, CORPOKATlON