River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-04-11
THE Love Of a 20. Clerk.

}hEcVelanu, DllO, Letter, March 81.
A vary peculiar case of tampering with
the mails has just developed itself in the
little village of Avon, in this State; which
Capt. Henry, The well-known veteran de.
tech =, says, ouistrips anything in his ex-
perieneo for elements of romance.
1t saems that a man named Burckart is
postn,lste at Agou, and his son, John Burcl-
art, is deputy. Some time since, John, who
is an impressille bachelor of about thirty
sumIneFs, became strongly infatuated with a
Miss ysEon, Lying in the village, who is a
younliady OF very prepossessing manners and
beautiful featuSes. and who did not i'll the re-
notes. degree reeiprocate the passion of the
deputy. but devoted her attention to others.
On this account young Burckart conceived
the idea of intercepting the correspondence
be vega Miss Alton and her friends; and
sol stimes the young lady would fail on
seveFsi consecutive trials to get a hotter
through the postotfice to the outside world,
and, when one would go, the chances were in
favor os its having been opened, and some
thing " lie having been written within. As,
for instance, on one occasion loving note
to gentleman friend was opened by the
deputt; and the words, "She is a duty
written under hex signature, and then the
letter sent on to it's destination. OF course,
the Imposition, end made a complaint to the
postoice authorities.
Cart Henry. npon hearing full statement
of thg case, immediately decided upon his
cour4. of action. He would enter the lists
as a writer of loye-letters to Miss Alton, and
obse-.e the result. The first letter which
he indicted read as follows:
CLkSEEAND, O.. March 19.--MY DEAR MISS
ALTON; | have wanted to see you very much
since Ne met. gave many things l wish TO
say t0.s that | scGnnot write. One cannot
express on paper all the emotions of the heart.
When first saw YOU felt that | wanted to
know 3ou better--you are so good, so kind and
gentl5. l send ynu ring, which please keep
for uiy sake; and else send ~ for you to buy
a nice present for | know you suit your
self 6.tter to select for yourself. o, my dear.
write a. me, for want to see you and hear
froms much. From your lover.
THos. MARSHALL.
Ine}csing this in dainty white envelope,
with the ring ara ~, as stated in the note,
he stnrted for Avon, and, upon arriving at
the NEAREST Office this side, he mailed the let
ter, atid accompanied the bag to Avon, see
ing itsafely taken inside the store where the
Avon.oiiice is kept. Then, calling around at
the Atoms, he made himself known to the
old gentleman, and told what he had done
and was doing. The mail did not arrive at
Avon until late in the evening, and the next
morftirg the father Of the prosecuted young
lady yient to the ,1tice and returned with the
mail but the Captains effusion was not
with II.
W;h feeling that the end of a disagree
able iob was near at hand, the captain went
to ths-office and arrested the young man.
telling him TO produce Immediately the lei
ter hss had taken tie night before.
What letter. asked the young man.
The one you took addressed to Miss Al
ton. said the detective.
II tookl / didn't take any letter. Why, |
wasne. in the Office ut all when the mail ar
rived
'FIknow that, sir: but you know where
that setter is, and YOU must produce it i'm
medic-sely."
Bus, with all that could be said and done,
the Young man remained perfectly stubborn
and sI4n. and a search of the entire store
failed 90 bring tohght the lost billet-doux.
BurGlsart was, nevertheless, arrested and
brought to Cleveland, and the case continued
for a. zine. THIS was more than month
age a.ld, when the young man returned
hons, having been confined here in jail for
a few tiays, his conviction seemed quite inn
probable. But, che next day after his arri-
val, &ht letter, With its contents, was found
upon the sidewalk; and, when the examina-
ton was had before United States Commits
sionSr White, in this city, it was thought that
the testimony was sufficient to justify his
being held in bail 70 appear at the next ter1A
of III 6 United States district court.