Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1884-01-16

The Mail and Express Rubberies.
For some time past the air has been
full of rumors concerning the late
mai and express robberies on the
g, Y g. The BuLLFrTN was put in
possession of the main facts some two
weeks ago, with the request that moth
ing be published about the matter for
the time, not, as supposed by some,
for the purpose of screening the impli.
Gated parties on account of the high
social and political position of their
families, but that the officers having
the affair under Investigation might
have an opportunity to get at the
bottom of the case before the parties
were aware that their misdeeds had
become known.
Early in December a registered
package containing $3.50 was mailed
from the Bishop Creek Postolfice for
Washington. Postal Clerk Ernest
Hawley received the package at the
Bishop Creek station, and, as he claims,
properly recipted for and checked it,
and, after doing SO, discovered thatlthe
package had been opened and the
money taken out. The matter was
reported and, after thorough invest.
CATION, Hawley's friends refunded the
money.
On the night of December 1st q
package containing $43 was put on the
express car at Rhodes by u Chinaman
and addressed to Hop Sing, the Chinese
merchant of this place. The package
never reached here, and after Hop Sing
had notified the Hawthorne agent Of
the fact of its having been shipped,
the agent reported TO the San Fran.
cisco office. Eugene Pierce, Wells,
Fargo u Co.'S agent at Carson, came
out on January LIST to investigate, and
made inquiries here. from which he
became satisfied that Bert Rising, The
messenger on the train the night of the
theft, had taken the money. Rising
denied having received the package,
and Pierce went with him TO Rhodes,
where the Chinaman Who sent the
money and three witnesses who saw
him give it TO Rising testified To the
fact Rising still denied the receipt,
but, in spite of his protestatiens,
Pierce discharged hin,. letting him
ride 10 Hawley station, the end of the
road. Here Rising became so intoxi-
Gated that Pierce put him Off the
express car, He returned to, Bishop
Creek on the passenger car aud there
got into the mail car with Ernest
Hawley. In the mail was u registered
letter from Bishop Creek destined for
some point south All mail matter
for points south of Soda Springs Is
Brought north as Ter as that station by
the Postal Clerk, who there transfers it
to the south. bound train in what is
called the " go-back sack. The regis
tered package mentioned was trans
fered with the remainder of the mail
and the south-bound agent passed it az
20. K" Upon reading its destination
it was apparently indTood.. conditiob,
but upon being opened it was found
that the money was gone. The Post
master at once notified the San Fran
cisco Office Of the fact and was
instructed TO examine the package
He did so and reported that he could
find no trace of its having been opened
and il, was only after being instructed
w ~ HUo HC lOuIQ
where the envelope had been cut
Altogether, there were five registered
packages opened during that day snG
night, the amount taken uggregating
about $50. One was mailed at Haw-
thorne and the others at different
points on the road. ;, Eawley and Ris-
ing were both seen to get out of the
car at Soda Springs. This disposes
Of Hawfey's story about having beer
drunk and asleep at the time of the
theft, as he was seen after the first
package had been tampered with and
before one, at least, OF, the letters had
been mailed The remaining four
robberies were detected by Postal
Clerk Prior, of the Y 81 L. The job is
described as an exceedingly fine one.
The ends of the envelopes haa been
split with sharp Knife and carefully
stuck together with very little muci.
lage. SO nicely was the work done that
experts, after the robbery had become
known, could not find where the open
ing had been made.
Wells, Fargo s. Co, with The prompt
ness that characterizes all of their
financial dealings, refunded The st6'en
S43 to the Chinaman.
While everyone sympathizes with
the families Of the young men, it is to
be hoped shat justice VIII be melted to
them in the same proportion as it
would were their families 'roor and
unknown.