The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-03-20
LOCAL MATTERS.
THE MAIL ROBBERY.
EyAMlNA NATION OF ANDREW HARRIS
BEFORE COMMISSIONER
PLEASANTS.
The Missing Choclts and Drafts.
THE ACCUSED SENT ON.

THE ACCUSED SENT ON. +
The examination Of Andrew Harris, the
negro driver, who stands charged with baV'
inc robbed the mail in the Richmond post
office of q large number Of letters. drafts
checks. and money. orders, was held before
Commissioner NJ. +. Pleasants in the Unlteo
States courtroom, in the cuStom-hOuse, yes
terday afternoon at half-past O'Clock.
There was quite large number OF per
sons in attendance, and great interest wa:
manifested in the case. Among the bank
officers who were present were John Morton
ESQ, cashier of the Merchants Nationa
Bank; j. ". Lockwood, Esq, cashier of th'
National Bank Of Virginia; B. c. Wherry
Jr., secretary of the Virginia Insurance Com
pany; Mr.. NJ. S. Quarles, cashier of the Rich
mond Banking and Insurance Company j
A. Hampton, Esq, of the Bank OF Com
merce; Mr.. j. II. Stringfellow, runner of tht
First National Bank; 5. A. Glover, Esq.
cashier of the First National Bank; MIR
William Sinton, runner for the Planters
National Bank Mr.. W. r. QuarleS, cashier
Of the Planters National Bank; Isaac Da
Jr., Esq, President of the FRS
National Bank; besides Messrs. j. NJ. Skin
ner and Montgomery West, of West, John
ston Il Co.; w. Il. Watts, of Putney
Watts, and many other prominent citizen:
who had gathered in the courtroom in hope:
of bearing something Of missing checks anC
drafts in which they were interested.
Just before the examination Of witnesse:
was commenced Mr.. Frey, special agent o.
the Post-Office Department, brought into the
courtroom several bundles Of letters, drafts
and checks which were found in the posses
sion of the accused, and placed them upor
the commissioners desk. The letters were
destined for New York, Baltimore, Philadel
phia, Washington, and other points north
There were also many postalcardS in the
bundles.
A large number of the letters were un
opened, as it was brought out in the testi
mony that they had been abstracted by the
accused on Wednesday night and he had moi
had time to examine the contents. There were
also seventy or eighty registered letters anC
post-office orders, the amounts Of which
will increase the aggregate considerably
the exact amount could not be ascertaine(
as many of them had been destroyed.
During the examination the accused sa
on the left of Commissioner PIeasants, ant
for some time appeared to be asleep. Wher
not asleep, he leaned over in his chair, hi
face being buried in his hands. He has (
stupid look; appears to be about twenty-five
years of age; is very black, and has remark
ably high cheek bones. He apparently tool
no interest in the examination, which occu
pied about two hours. .'..'..
Captain A. w. CARRIER was the first wit
ness examined. lie said that the prisoner
bad been in his employ for about year
until the 9th of the month. He employed
him again, however, at the instance OF Cap
tain Frey. He drove the mail wagon to anc
from the post-otfice and depot. Was EN-
ploycd and paid by him for his services
Captain CARRIER further said that be (Garber
was employed by the several railroad com
panies-eScept the York River road-to take
the mails to and from the dep0ts and post-of
fee. On the 9th of March the accused wen
away from the city on visit, and while
away with Captain Garber's consenD put 9
white man named overly in his place. On
his return Captain CARRIER found that thu
substitute suited him better, and he there
fore determined to keep him, and employ
the accused in some other capacity. Thi:
arrangement did not suit him, and CARRIER
therefore told him that he had nothing fur
ther for him to do. Subsequently he re
turned for q recommendation, and asked tha
he be taken back. In. the meantime
Captain Frey had been to see Captain
CARRIER, and asked that he be retained. Sub
seouentlv he did take him back, and put hin
to driving the nlail-wagon again, giving hl
substitute some other employment. Thl
was entered into about the 16tt
of this month. He went away from the city
about the 9th of the month. Frequently
saw persons in the wagon with the accused
but supposed that those persons were in tht
employ of the post-ofice department.
MIR. j. A. Jetferds, the assistant postmas
fer. said that the accused had been deliver
ing the mails for something over year
that his duties were to receive mail at TIT
Office, deliver the same at the depots, ant
bring the mail from the depots to the post
office that be is not required TO put up any
mail in the post-office saw him "wednesday
at the door Of the office about noon dldn'
see him when he took the mail to the tralna
night. Witness further gave in detail tht
manner in which the accused is employed
for this mail transportation scrvlce-that n'
is related to the service in that be has beer
recognized as a mail-carrier, and has SUB
scribed to the oath required by law.
TSir. Jefferds here exhibited the oath or
file in the office
Mr. j. w. Strlngfellow, a runner employed
at the First National Bank, was next sWorf
and examined. Several drafts issued by the
First National Bank were handed the wit
ness TO examine and offered as evidence II
connection with the witness.
The district attorney proposed to show
that they were drafts issued by this bank
The witness said he deposited two Of The
drafts in the mail on the 26th February. Boil
drafts were addressed topartics in New York
He put the drafts in their respective enVe
lopes, sealed them up, and then carried then
to the post-office, as it was his duty so to do
Another lot Of drafts and checks were also
shown witness, who said that they belonged
to the First National Bank. and that he be-
lieped he mailed them. Did not, however
each draft or check, but that i
was his business to mail them, and he die
go. ALI Of the last lot were sent TO the Ma
tional Bank of the State OF New YORK. Tht
dates ran from February 10 to %. The to
tai Yalue of the last batch Of checks anC
drafts Was about s., $500: -
Nr. S. A. Glover, cashier9t the flrst Ma
tioEaI Bahas, was next sworn. lie identlneo
the checks aud drafts mentioned, and ex'
planned toe asual course which they take II
being sent away. y ly5',t-,. ~.
,Mr. D. B. Parker, United States marshal
testified that letter which had been handeo
him he mailed on "Wednesday for New York;
that 1t contained draft for segenty-fiye DOL
lars; that he put it in the p0st-Ofiee himself.
[ The letter WAS here opened, and the dratl
exhibited just as Ae had enclosed It'll
DIR. William Sinton, runner for the Plan.
ters National Bank, was shown letter ad-
dressed TO the Canadian Bank Of Com.
meree, Toronto, CaDada. He directed 1t.
sealed it, and dropped it in the postofhce on