Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1877-03-31
Detective Ingenuity.

Iuc Olu pTONeTD, MuT'ltT Will Oui, 10
constantly justified. and It is curious and
interesting to see how, as the craft of
crime dcepens with the progress of civ
ilization. the ingenuity OF discovery keeps
equal pace with it.
Old-fashioned robbery, the foot-pad
and the highwayman riding up as in the
last century English novels, and present.
ing blunderbuss at the coach window
while the company alight and are relieved
of their purses by the masked Robin
Hood, who leaps into the saddle, and
touching his hat with a round compli-
ment to the ladies, gallOps away-all this
has passed away with the bailitfs
and sponging- houses, the Fleet and the
Marshalsea. The garroter and the mask
ed gang of burglars are the familiar form
of robbery in our day while for great and
difficult crimes the wits of rascals are very
sure to go to the wall.
4 recent capture of mail robbers well
illustrates this, and is single prooiEOf
the skill that foils the most careful crime.
Merchants ard others in Philadelphia
who had dealings with Boston found that
the most valuable and important letters
constantly miscarrled. Teey disappeared
wit hOut any clew, and the correspond
CutS SOOu IiiC Il OSC-OhICC
Department, which, upon full information,
applied itself with its most skillful detec-
tive force to the discovery OF the thieves,
but i'm vain. But similar detective skill,
differently employed, struck the clew.
The detective agency OF an express COM
pany was busily engaged in the search
for valuable baggage that had been stolen
and some Of the agents, who had been
Swallowing" two suspicious persons, fol-
lowed them from house in Prince Street
| to the office OF the American Express
| Company. at the corner OF Broadway and
Fourth Street. The suspicious persons
here left two packages addressed to Can
| ada. When they left, the detectives en-
tered the office and told Reagents of the
company their suspicious that the pack
ages contained stolen goods. The pack
ages were at once opened. One was found
! to contain mail bag, and the other a
| travelling bag or sachel in which were
the stamps OF u mailrOute agents outfit.
This discovery was at once made known
ut the postoffice and its agents carefully
examined the contents of the two bags.
The mail bag contained mutilated letters
which had been evidently mailed at York
in Pennsylvania, and the satchel the
| working tools of 4 route agent upon the
Pennsylvania railroad. Here was the
long sought for clew. And the postolfice
and tl,e express detectives followed it
closely to the end.
The sachel had been stolen from Il mail
wagon while going from the New York
posi- office to Jersey City. One of the
drivers was arrested, and his capture led
to that Of a man named Kelly, the appar-
EFT leader Of the gang, and woman
with whom he lived, and other .cOnied-
crates. The wOman's house was searched
and in trunk claimed by her were
found letters mailed few days before i'm
Philadelphia. containing checks payable
IN Boston. Other lettere We're found from
which the Enclosures had been taken.
and it appeared that money had been
paid upon forged Endorsements of sigma
lures obtained i'm this way. The last man
who was arrested was found to be the
important confederate. He was mail
driver who allowed the bags to taken
from the wagon. When the bags had been
thoroughly rifled, they were carefully
done up in packages and sent by express
to various distant cities. addressed to
fictitious names. All traces of the bags
thus disappeared.
1t was clever scheme, but not clever
enough. Corruption wins not more than
honesty. As Fielding is fond of saying
it hath been remarked by some wise phil
osopher that the ingenuity which is de-
voted to knavery' if turned to honest in.
dustry, would not only suffice to carry
the world far forward toward virtue, bul
would make the. knaves prosperous and
respectable citizens. In the mean while
it is comfortable to see the constant evi.
dence that, sharp as crime may be- Jus.
tice is sharper.-Hdrper's Magdzine.