Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-04-03
A CONFESSION,
The Story of Yosng Nan Under Arrest
and in Serious Trouble.

Iue StoEy OF fOH1B aau uuuO1 0AAS'S
and in Serious Trouble.
Readers Of the RECORD UNION will remem'
Der an account of the arrest at Elmira last
week by J. H. Mahoney, postal detective, and
officer Brissell, of this city, of two men
charged with robbing the United States
mail. Both men were taken on the arrival at
Elmira of the train that is run on the Vaca
Valley and Clear Lske Railroad. One was
the conductor, A. Il. Winsley, the other l..
E. W. Parker, lis brakeman. For some
months the postal authorities have been
aware that pilfering from the mail bags on
that line has been going on. All sorts OF
decoys were set, but it seemed impos-
sible to fix guilt where suspicion
pointed. The two officers named
were at last put upon the track, Mr.; Bnssen
being called in to render the postal Official the
aid he needed. Markell coins were sent
through the mails in registered letters by Df.
Fifeld. the Postmaster at Madison. and the
mail pouches were overhauled at Elmira to
find if the bait had been taken. Several OF
the decoy letters failed, but finally one was
sent By the doctor which read as follows:
MADISON, CAL, March 81, 1882.
H NJ Green & Co.: Incosed please find s., due
you for the books, which were received al riSht'
Yours, respectfully H. L. FIRES
This was addressed to Green & Co., 4e5
Montgomery street, San Francisco, and post
marked " Madison, March 9th" Il bore one
l cent and one cents United States postage
stamps. Enclosed was So gold piece and
three silver dollars. Each OF these was
marked so as to be identified, but still
so as not to attract attention. VA
March 9th, on the arrival Of the train from
Madison at Elmira, the bags on being re-
ceived, were found locked as usual, but on
being opened the decoy package was missing
Inspector Mahoney then boarded the tram,
and abruptly asked Parker, the brakeman,
who robbed the mails on that line. Parker
was surprised, confused. and replied, No
body that he knew Of" Mahoney then ar
rested and searchsd him, and found in his
pockets the registered letter package broken
open and the marked coin. In the meanwhile
Bcisseu went for the conductor, Winsley, who
had left the train and gone to his house, near
the depot. He arrested him, but the prisoner
showed very little emotion or surprise. Both
men were brought Immediately to Sacra-
mento, but were kept separate; Parker was
deeply moved, and admitted that he had re-
ceived the package from Winsley, and that
he knew the latter had been tampering with
the mail bags. 1t was the intention to have
the prisoners examined before United States
Commissioner Cadwalader, of this city, but
the United States District Attorney directed
that they be brought to San Francisco, where
they we're taken by Mahoney and deputy
United States Marshal. The Postal In
spector was prompt in the matter, and
proved himself efficient, and officer Brissell
is credited with rendering him invaluable
aid-indeed, the assistance of the latter
was indispensable. Prior to the prisoners
bsiug taken below a RECORD UNION repre-
sentative sought an interview with Parker,
Winsley, it being stated, making fat denial
of guilt and refusing to make any statement
as to the matter. Parker was brought out OF
the City Prison and made statement, which
the RECORD UNION representative took down
in writing. and Parker then signed it after it
had been resd over to him. During the tell
ing of his story the two officers named were
present. and also DR.. Fifield. Parker is
very young mau. He is of medium hight,
dark eyes, hair and complexion, rather
thin face, and expression OF kindliness and
gentleness, and in his conversation is frank
and apparently unreserved. His hands show
that he has been hard worker. He in
no wise fills the ideal of a robber.
His statement was very long, and during
its delivery he was frequently questioned and
cross-examined by the officers and reporter
on points where there was any doubt as to
c!earness. He was frequently reminded that
he need not make statement unless he
wished to do SO. The examination CT the
prisoners has been set for Wednesday, and
while the statement of the brakeman has
been to this date withheld from publication
in the interests of justice. now that the pre-
liminary hearing has been fixed, and the
RECORD UNION representative who took the
words down summoned to identify the same,
there appears to be no longer any reason Tor
Withholding the statement. Leaving out the
unnecessary details of his story, which he
told with evident deep feeling, but with re-
markable frankness. his narrative was as toll
lows:
MY name is Louis Z. W. Parker. live in
Madison. For the last five or six months /
have been brakeman on the Vaca Valley and
Clear Lake Railroad. | make this statement
voluntarily and of my own free will. There
has been made to me neither promise nor
threat In regard to the making Of it. think
it was in September or October last that l
caught a. IL. Winsley, the conductor of the
road, with an open mail sack. 1t was In the
baggage compartment OF the coach on the
train. 1t was train No. =, going north.
came from the head to the rear end of the
train to tell the conductor that some lumber
or posts were threatening to fall off. 1t was
near to II noon. | came down off the box
car to the door of the baggage compartment.
It is glass door. 1t was locked through
the glass door | saw Winslsy with an open
mail bag in his hand. The United States
mails are carried on the trains OF the road.
Winsley claimed to have charge of them.
The Deputy Postmaster at Elmirs generally
threw the mail bags into the car OF the Vaca-
vile line, aud also received them on the ar
rival of the train. When Winsley saw me at
the door he dropped the sack and unlocked
the door. 1t was leather pouch, large
one. 1 saw it open and the straps pulled out
of the loops, and the iron lock lay on the
other bag l saw no key at all. | went in.
Wiusley did not reiock the door, l says,
How long since you got to he mail agent?'
or words to that effect. He said, "They
keep sticking things on to me, till after
while I'll have so much to do | can't
do it" At that moment, nearly, we
were going about over Woifskill switch,
and 1 started to go out. l did
not tell him about the looss lumber, as we
were so nee to Winters station. When l
got on to the platform he called me back.
went back, and he said: g l don't want vo1
to say anything about my having this sack
open" l said All right, sir, or words
like it, Just as train men would speak to
superior. / saw no key, and didn't ask him
about it, or how he got into the sack 1 went
out on the train then. Nothing was said
about the bag for some days. One day
asked him how it was that he opened the
mail one day, and no. another? He said he
did as he id pleased on the road. About
week or ten days after the first occurrence,
Parker went on to say, Winsley sent Parker
out of the baggage compartment Of the car to
see about some passengers, and when he re-
turned he saw Winslty with an envelope in
his hand. 1t was a white one, and he noticed
no stamp on it. Winsley pulled the contents
out-a white paper, and he told Parker there
was $50 in greenbacks. He did not see him
take the money out, but Winsley took a roll
of bills from his pocket and gave Parker two
$40 bills He, Parker, said he didn't think
he wanted them, but he took them. Wins
ley did not say where he got the letter.
Parker thought it lawful funny" that he
should give him money. Winsley told him
that he, Parker was not getting big wages,
and it would help him out. Parker says he
didn't know how Winsley could steal them.
Parker knew nothing OF registered PACKAGE
had seen them only when boy in the East
1t was two or three weeksmore before anything
more was said about money or mail bags
maybe longer The next time was when
Winsley got $50 in gold coin. 1t was near to
Christmas. He reached his hand into his
pocket aud gave Parker, one afternoon on the
train. a $40 and a s. gold piece, saying. "TlI