The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-08-23

pointed By the Circuit Court Of Louisiana to
take Acknowledgements of bail and nff1dayits,
ana e I, e take depositions IL civil cases:
,o - y; Hunt, Acting Postmaster at, New Or
United States, On oath deposes md says that
one Eugene, Hardere Of No. 25 Kelerec street,
late Ct We dlstret aforesaid, heretofore. to Wit
IN 9r about the nineteenth day, Of August. 1879.
~ the city OF New Orleans and In the district
aforesaid. ths satd Eugene Gardere, then and
did secrete. embezzle and nnlawfuly detnin n
certain letter entrusted to MIN or which came
INTO MS possession and which was Intended to
ma snd y unto a NJ q fba pb or Sw 6
Leans contrary to the form Of the statute In such
and dignity of the United States.
Wherefore the said deponent prays that the
sAiu Eugene Gardere mny be unprecedented and
hold to answer to this complaint and further
e. il. Hunt.
In conversation with the representative of
the DEMOCRAT, Gardere expressed the great
est establishment at his arrest, and fatty de-
MED the allegations contained In the affidavit.
He said he was appointed In the Postuilice BY
Col. u. w. Lowell, In 1862 and had been there
ever since, having occupied every responsible
position In the Office except that OF cashier.
mat he had always enjoyed the confidence of
his superfOrs, and could not account for his
having been suspected In this instance. When
asked why he resigned IL he was innocent, he
said he had lost the confidence Of his supe-
riors, and would not remain where he was
not trusted.
Gardere is about thIrty-tive years old
SLIGHTLY CoLORED, m+5.
has black hair, black eyes, and wears back
moustaehe; 10 rather below medium height.
but well formed, and dresses with taultless
ttste and In costly raiment; has good fea-
lures and rather pleasing face and manner.
He has q wife and several children He was
once Radical law-maker, and Is believed to
have sold his vote on more than one occa-
sion.
SUSPICION FELL UPON HIM.
partly because Of his frequent calls to the
water. closet ct the time the mail was being
assorted, and because he manifestly lived
beyond his salary Of 5000 year.
The penalty for the crime he has commit
ted Is q fine OF $1,000 or one year tn the peni-
tentiary, or both, at the discretion of the
court. In default OF $4,000 bond he was sent
to prison to await examination.
THE MoDUs oPERANDI.
Gardere was what Is called an assOrter in
the Postoffice His duty was to take the mai
as it came In and assert 1t by throwing letters
that belonged 10 the various sections of the
office into the proper divisions before him on
q table, in order to facilitate distribution. His
method was to takea number OF letters In his
hand and while rapidly handling them to re-
tain such as seemed to contain money. Say
there were two such letters
IN HANDFUL
These he would skilfully retain while max
ing another grab atthe pile, and keeping the
two valuable letters underneath 20 oil assert |
ing. Presently, Ii he found no good opportu-
nifty to secrete the letters about his person he |
would pretend to be In doubt about the local |
ity Of some box, and leaving his place walk /
some distance off. and when out of view. as he |
believed. would. us he turned around, dexter
)usly slip the letters In his pants pocket ana /
shortly thereafter adjourn to the water
closet.
The misery that has been wrought by this
mans actions cannot be estimated, and will,
perhaps, never be fully known.
ONE CASE
las come to light which Is Of very sad char
lcter, and which seriously involved the repu-
alton of an estimable young man. A poor
ierman, whose family lives in this city, went
Town to Grand Isle for some purpose leaving
tut little money In the house, but intending
x send more funds from the Grand Isle. In
closing two five dollar notes In a letter adj
dressed to his wife. he handed the same,
properly sealed and stamped. to the clerk OF
he steamer Fair Play. who promised to mail
tho same on his arrival In the city. After
some days had elapsed he returned home and
found his family almost starving and without
funds. They had never received the money |
he sent them. The clerk on being gues-
toned, declared he had mailed the letter at |
the corner OF Magazine street and Washing
ton Avenue, but there was no trace of it at
the POstOlfice. The poor German called at
I nited States Commissioner QunterD's court |
TO see II there was any recourse, and the mat |
ter was pending when this denouement oc-
cured
Innurnerable instances Of this kind have
and it IS wonderful that clerk |
should have been able for series OF years to |
carry on SO successfully q systom OF pecuIa- |
ion.