Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1881-02-04
MISSING MAIL.
Seventeen Registered Packages StOI-
en- from "A maiI-POuch.
Chicago Tribune.

! seventeen Registered Packages StOt-
en- from MaiI-Pouch.
Chicago Tribune.
The post-ofIice officials here were
very much surprised the other day on
finding that n registered letter-pouch
had been cut open, and seventeen out
of twenty-one envelopes containing
money and valuables had disappeared.
The bag was from Rochester, n. Y,
and came on the Michigan Southern
road with II number Of others. The
train bearing them, though due at 40
Wednesday evening, did not arrive UNI
til near midnight. The pouches were
taken out of the cars Mt the depot and
weighed, and were in the sight of one
or more clerks until put into the COW
cred mail-wagon, in which they were
conveyed to the post-oiiice. They
were unloaded about | o'clock Thurs
day morning, and Mt once taken into
the registry department for disribu-
ton. When the Rochester pouch was
picked up slit about six inches long
was found in its side, and on opening
it, only four packages were inside in
stead Of twenty-one, which the way
bill called for. Nothing could, of
course, be done mt such time Of the
night towards discovering the thief, but
as soon rs special agent Henshaw made
his appearance the facts were reported
to him, and he went to work on the
case. AS five Of the envelopes bore
the stamp Of the Rochester post-oflice.
n telegram was sent there to ascertain
their contents. the way-bill containing
no information on that point. An an
swer was received that one had $40 in
it, three others s. each, and the other
ruby brcastpin worth IS. From this
it was pretty evident that the remain
ing twelve envelopes contained small
sums. Rochester was the only large
town where any Of them was mailed,
and if the value Of those from there
was so insignificant the ones from
small towus in the vicinity, where
there are no banks md Wholesale mer-
chants, were apt to be Of no particular
account. This was the conclusion Of
Mr.. Hcnshaw, who did not feel justified
in going to the expense Of tclegraphng
and therefore, wrote to the postmasters
for information. No replies have yet
been received. Two of the four pack
ages not stolen were for Chicago, and,
like the other TIVE, contained third
class matter. The seventeen envel-
opcs stolen enclosed only one letter
apiece, and were directed to small
towns west Of here, as were the two
with merchandise in them. The thief
could not have gotten more than 5000
in all, if that much. A morning paper
however, with its usual accuracy, put
the amount ut from 500, 0O0 to $3.50, 900
the righteousness Of which was appre-
ciatod by every one, us ii is generally
known that large amounts Of money
are not sent by registered letter, since,
in ease of loss, the government is not
responsible. The express companies
transport all the cash except whore the
sum is so small that % or 80 cents
would make big hole i'll it.
The fact of the cutting Of the pouch
and the robbery was kept secret by the
post.oflice officials, who are following
in the wake Of the police authorities
Of this city, who honestly believe that
when man steals anything he makes
no effort to get away until he reads in
the newspapers that his crime is known,
the more publicity given to anything
of this kind, the better are the chances
for detecting the thief, for, when thou
sands Of people know the circum-
some of them may get hold of
II Glow and notify the authorities. A
start is often obtained in that way, and
many u case has been worked to ~ sue
cessful conclusion from point given
in II letter, anonymous or signed, from
n citizen. The special agents of the
post office have been working on this
case four days and have discovered
nothing nor are they likely to now,
Ms the thief has had ample time to
cover his tracks, since only three or
four officials have been aware of the
robbery. The excuse given for keep
ing the matter quct-that silence was
necessary to catch the thef--is in truth
mere prctense, the real reason being
that the post-otlice officials did not
want the people to know that they
were SO Negligent. Where the cutting
was done whether on the train, Mt the
depot or in the Chicago post office
no one knows: and no one ever will
know, as the special agents in this dis
trict are not noted for their shrewd-
ness and never get ut the bottom Of
case which requires any detective
ability.