, 1879-08-28

"And at what hourl' continued the
questioner.
"A little before four o'clock was the
response. -,
5Surc of thatl' asked the special
agent
"Yes, | could swear to it, was the
positive reply.
"What kind of man is the post
master out therel'
"Oh, there was never an honester man
lived; he didn't have anything to do with
it."
"No; / don't belive he did," was the
assuring response of the interlocutor;
"but tell me, who is in the office with
himp
"Well he has brother-in-law there,
| who attends to the office in his alb
sence."
eyes; now, can you tell me what kind
of character he bears :"
"Well, l can't say much about him."
responded the writer of the letter, hesi-
tatingIy; '1've heard some things, but |
don't know anything myself, about his
having come there from the South, and
that's all can tell you, except heard,
now / come to think of it, that he was
once in a store somewhere in the Jersey;
| can't tell where now, but / can find
out and let you know" added the man,
not knowing what possible good could be
gained by the information, but hoping
that it might be after all valuable.
The place at which the brother.in-law
of the postmaster had worked was ascer-
tained and the information impaired to
Mr.. Barrett. The next step taken by
the special agent was, using his own
language, "to go for" the postal agent by
asking him to explain how it was that
a letter received by him at six o'clock
one day did not reach the office in Phil
adelphia until the next evening. The
agent declared that no such state of facts
existed.
| "Here's a registered letter, mailed be-
fore four o'clock on the 30th of May,
which was Friday, and did not reach
Philadelphia until Saturday night. How
is that :" inquired Mr.. Barrett.
"Nothing of kind" replied the train
agent; 81 received that letter on my
down trip on Saturday morning and
brought it up with me Saturday even
ing" he added with emphasis.
"F'rom whom did you receive the let
terP
"From the assistant postmaster of
-. He gave it to me himself, and I
receipted to him for it on Saturday
morning. More than this, l often get
letters that were put into the office the
day before on my down trip, because he
says he don't want to take the trouble Of
bringing them to the cars in the even
ing" was the emphatic explanation CT
the train agent
Armed with these facts and such
other information he had gained from the
slight clue that the brother-in-law "had
workedsomewhere in jersey" the special
agent paid the postmaster of the country
Office a visit. In a little time he was
closeted with him in private room,
much to the discontinue Of the young
brother-in-law, who remarked just as
the door was being closed in his face,
which was was ivid with fear, "Re-
member how it was about that check" +"
"What check What does he mean"
inquired Mr. Barrett of the postmaster,
to which the latter replied, "Oh that's
an old matter that has nothing whatever
to do with this case"
s'Yes, but why should he have made
that remark nowl What is the neces-
sity to remember about any check
How does he know what | want Of
you ?" were the inquiries with which the
postmaster was piled.
Snow, / must tell you," continued
Mr.. Barrett, "that l very much fear
that you are in for the payment of $50
that were mailed in a registered letter
from this office"
"Oh, it couldn't have been lost here,
for I put the letter in an official envelope
and locked it up in my desk, and"
"Your brother-in-law has key to
that desk q inquired Mr.. Barrett, inter
rupting the speaker
| eyes, believe he has, acknowledged
the postmaster.
"And now I tell you he is the thief,
continued the special agent.
"Mr. Barrett, he is my brother-in,