The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1884-10-11
MAIL ROBBERS.

| Officials of the Netc Hdrel Postofiee Baffed.
There is trouble in the New Haven postoffice.
New Haven business man alleges that his
mail has been robbed, and that letters con-
tanning money received at the New Haven
| postoffice have be en- stolen. Detectives have
| been at work on the case. and the postofice
officials are supposed to have exerted them
selves in the way of sp cial surveillance. but
so far every effort in the line of investigation
has proved futile, and despite the fact that
the postmaster, the chief clerk and other en-
ployes of the office Ike ep an active watch, the
alleged robberies have continued with little
interruption. The total of the alleged rob-
berries make a larse sum. George g. Pown-
ing, who is the head of the Yale silk works, is
a desler in the scrap silks so dear 10 the femi-
nine heart for fancy patchwork. He and his
partner were the pioneers in this line and now
control a large business. Advertising largely
they have secured customers all over the
country their mail being among the largest
received at the postofice in New Haven. As
the correspondence generally relates to orders
for goods, most of the letters contain money
ranging in amount from fraction of dollar
upward. AS a rule the sums are too small to
suggest postoffice money orders or the regisz
tration of letters. During the latter part OF
August complaints begad to pour in upon the
firm from customers at distance who claim
to have forwarded money without receiving
in return any of the goods ordered. So fire..
Quent became these complaints that Mr.
Powning made known the fact at the post
office. Detectives were employed to look
after certain features of the case. but their
vigilance effected nothing.
1t was at first suspected that some person
had obtained a duplicate key to Mr.. Powning's
postoffice drawer and was opening it sur
reptitiously. A close watch kept in the post
Office lobby upset this theory, for nobody save
Powning opened the box, though the letters
continued to disappear. In the meantime q
new lock was placed upon the drawer and de-
tective work was transferred to another phase
of the case For a fortnight the postofice
authorities have been on the watch without
any result other than the embarrassment of
discovering that despite their surveillance the
thefts continued without Interruption.
Though satisfied that the thefts really were
taking place, all detective expedients have
been equally Intellectual, until the postoffice
authorities have settled down to the opinion
that either there is no hope of cornering the
rogue, or else that the thefts are from the out
side.
called by Mr.. Powning to these alleged irregu--
larites some time ago, and that he had care
fully and persistenty investigated every
phase in the case, but as yet had been wholly
unable to find the slightest evidence of crook
edness upon the part of any man in the post
office employ. 81 can only say this" said Mr..
Boyd, that the boxes now in use at the post
Office have been in service for so iOng as to
they have been steadily in use, and we have
found that many of them are continually get
ting out of order, and think there is more
than bare possibility that these losses may
be accounted for in this way. Many of these
boxes have become so defective in their locks,
etc., as to have given us trouble with other
parties, but until this instance there has never
been any reason to suspect any crookedness
upon the inside of the Office We know that
n some instances keys in use at the Office
nave become so worn by long use as to nowfit
will be pushed, and inspectors
rom Washington are expected.