The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1877-08-03
watching Post. flee Clerks.

The workmen engaged in converting the
Old Pest-office building, at Liberty and
Nassau streets, New York, into stores and
offices for business purposes, have made
some interesting discoveries In the rambling
old structure. The old ''story-and-a-half'
is double building, the inside structure be-
ing the ancient Middle Dutch Church, erect
ed In 1920. The outer build was construct.
ed around the church by the Post-office
Department, in 1845, when the property was
purchasedIby the government. In making al
terations, on Friday, the workmen discover
ed that what was apparently the ceiling Of
the addition to the old building was in re-
ality double floor. The rooms above were
used by the Postmaster and his assistant
officers.
When the workmen had removed the
flooring, it was seen that the concealed space
was from 4 to A! feet deep, afordng ample
room for men to move about Passages led
entirely around the building. At very short
intervals were found small circular holes in
which were inverted lenses. Through these
a view of the room beneath was obtained.
Back of and above these lenses were refec.
tors which brought before the eye of the OBJ.
server the utmost recesses of the Post. Office.
1t was evident that these three passages and
their curiously arranged miniature windows.
were used by detectives during the thirty
years of the occupation of the rambling old
building Post-offioe. Through these peep
holes the work of the clerks was closely
watched. This theory was confirmed upon
subsequent investigation.
On the west side Of the building small
attic room was found, in one corner Of
which was trap-door leading to the pas.
sage Just described. This room was used by
the detectives when not on watch, and was
unknown to most of the employees of the
Post. Office Connected with this room was
a set of speaking tubes. The tiny windows
already referred to were most numerous eveI
the Money order and Registered-letter De
partments, which force Of detectives KEEP
constantly under inspection during business
hours. The peep-holes, however, took il
all the rooms, and the various clerks as vel
as the thousands of people constantly goinf
and coming were unconsciously under scru
tiny. If detective saw any stealing or i'm
proper action committed either by a clerl
or by person not employed in the Office, ,th'
speaking tube at his side conveyed warning
at once to the attic room, and the guilt.
person was met at the door, or tapped ol
the shoulder in the interior of the Office b,
another detective. The closest watch wa
kept upon the employees Of the post-ofice
and, under system Of this espionage, tn
number of successful robberies was yer,
small. The apertures through which the de
festive overlooked the rooms we're in mos
cases 80 small as hardly to be visible from
the apartments below. Some Of them, how
ever, looked boldly down from the casemen
but as the planks in which they were seel
were obtained from very old timber. the hole
! would readily be mistaken for knot-holes
The secret of this mysterious method of sur
veillance was handed down from one post
master to another, and the Oldest and mos
trusted officers of the place had no knowledg
of the constant watch over them. The dis
covery of the double floor explains to oil
Post-office clerks many cases of detection
arrest and conviction of their fellow associ
ates, which up to the present time, had bee
sealed mysteries to them.