The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-07-24
r.st-ss 3g'.tast ~ ts.1s =
PGSTAErCARN Law;

| = !.
..>-r + POsTAL-CARD Law 81: 1,eft
ADETEcTrvE DETECTED CONVICTION! OF
r.w. sEAToN AND; OSCAR E. GRIFFIN FOR
VIOLATION OF THE POSTAL LASys-THR
CASE WORKED UP BY CAPTAIN q. i. It'd
| BALL. ii,:ss2' - - --tE = -. .,
~ From the Norfolk Virgtnian OF. sunday.l !,
Two Important cases before the United
States District Court, in, this city, termi,
| w. Seaton and Oscar q. Griffin on the
| charge Of violation Of the postal laws OF
the United States forbidding the trans
mission through the mails Of letters
and postal-cards containing indecent and
! scurrillousn epithets.S The facts I, on the
trial of Seaton clearly proved him to have
been repeatedly guilty Of one Of the. most
dastardly acts that could be committed,
and having been convicted, all respectable
citizens Of Norfolk will rejoice to know
| that Justice has overtaken a wretch mean
enough to adopt disguise in order to
traduce the character OF a gentleman and
slander his family because ne lacked
the moral courage OF settling his griev-
ance,: If he had any, in @ proper manner.
The evidence shows that at one time Sea-
ton was in the employ Of the Singer Manu- ~
featuring Company, under Colonel IL. g.
Granville, the company's manager in this
city. For improper conduct Seaton was
several times suspended, and was finally dis
charged from service by. order OF the COM
pany. From that time he seems to have
waged an incessant war OF profane and Yui-
gar abuse upon Colonel Granville. Not
content with utteriug violent threats and
detestable speeches on the streets and
among his associates in low places; he finally
resorted to the use of the mails, and
through that channel, from time = to
time, sent to Colonel Granville a
number. OF letters :; and postal
bearing epithets against him and his family
OF nature so vile and scurrillous that the
Judge suppressed the reading OF them in
open court. The threats and indecent re-
marks made by Seaton were testified TO- by.
q number Of Witnesses and d,iexparts In
chirography, proved ITO the satisfase1ont OF
the Jury that the communications bearing
the Objectionable words, though written IN
disguised hand, ,swerel writtensby Seaton.
The Jury, composed Of some OF our most
intelligent and respectable citizens, after
remaining out short time, returned to court
for Instructions on certain points Of law,
which Judge Hughes carefully explained,
upon, which they again retired, and soon
after returned into court with aaverdict OF
guilty. '.f'T:'; p fr,|-s -, - :. y: -
The case of Oscar. E.. Griffin was no less
important than that OF Seaton;. in fact, in
one respect more Importance attaches to 1T
than to the other. Early in April last Colo
nsl- Granville, having! become very much
ANNOYED by the receipt OF the letters and
postal.cards referred to, employed Detective
John II. Humphrey to ferret out the author
or instigator,, agreeing to pay him stated
sum inc case he succeeded. PuAphrey IN
turn employed Griffin to assist him, with
the understanding that he should share the
money in the event eof compliance with
The terms OF Colonel Granville. Griffin set
to work with anvil, !, but! soon exhausted his
skill as q detective; Whereupon ne deter
mined to make case against Seaton. Ac-
cordingly he wrote a postaEcard&of most
indecent character, signed ;Seaton's name to
it, aE1 sent itthrough the mails to young
woman in this .city--his object being TO
palm off the card on the jury, and thus
convict Seaton and obtain the reward. A
day or two after this occurrence, and after
the case, had been in the hands of PIlIn-
phrey and Griffin for several weeks, the
| matter was called to the attention OF
Captain H.. .L.rsTidball, special agent OF
the Post. Office, Department, by; whom
the evidence against Seaton was speed
lily and successfully developed. During
the investigation of4athe1 charge against
Seaton, Captain Tidball long expe-.
rience has made him an adept in penraan.!
ship-on comparing the postaEcard pur-
porting to have been writtensby Seaton
with some that were known to have been
written by Griffin, at once recognized
that Griffin and not Seaton was the author
of the card in questions Information was
filed against Griffin;E and his arrest trial;
and conviction followed. g.T II g;::.5 .a,;t1,
This, doubtless, Is the first case that ever
occurred In this city OF q detective
being found guilty Of having committed
the very crime he was striving to fasten
upon another person, actuated by the mo-
tive of making aiew paltry dollars. 'i: .FF
These are the first cases OF conviction that
have come to our knowledge under this see.i
4tion OF the statutes, and we, do not doubt
that the benefits arising therefrom will have
q wholesome effect, not only ia this but ~
every community which, Hike this, may pc
afflicted with such pestiferous class.
'Cowardly scdundrefs will be deferred BY
these lust yerdicts from resorting to mode
of attack which no decent man would think
of, and will further realize that however;
carefully they may prepare their poisoned
darts, however stldiedly attempt to disguise
their penmanshfp, the skill OF the expert
Will reveal the g handwriting on the wall.
80 y 4 I--;-- =
SUDDEN DEATH or A CITIZEN OF FLUvANNL.
Reuben Strange, Esq, o well-knoWn citizen
joi Fluvanna, WAS parsly Zed last "a Monday.
fff,Yr