The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-09-24
TIE DETECTIVES. NAP.
rI"w Inspector sharpe stirk- ri"r Tl'ro'Sii
the Post oilisc. Thieves.

Iinw Inspector s!,,pr .tirt- ri"r Through
the Post ''!isS Thieves
Chiet Inspector Sharp, the head c
the detective service in the Post Gi!icl
Department, resigned bis Office scvcra.
weeks ago to engage in private bH>ine,s
His resignation Was accepted, to Tx
effect on September !. lis record i
itut Of capable officer. lie is IN "'a>t
Tennessee man, tall and spare in stature
and in appearance and manner the typl.
ca! detective. During the war he was a
Union nlan anil did good service. .As q
department officer he has been terror
to rascalr, ana has hunted many Of them
cut of the s2.Ticc, e7e1 then they were
sheltered by stron:: political influence.
Some wear; ago, for instance, Vernon!
Inspector was discovered TO he conniying
q post Office rascaliy in that State, and
was discharged. The man had been a
hcnchman Of Senator f.dmnuls and the
Senator called at the Post Office Depart.
ment to see what could be done. The
Postmaster General asked the Senator
and the Inspector into a private office
and told Col. Sharpe to explain. which
the Inspector did very fully.
"And you recommended the mans
discharge ?" asked Mr.. Edmunds, harsh.
Yes, did," replied Col. Sharpe
"and had known the mans claracte::
sooner would haze bounced him mouth;
7"Well you did just right, said I'd
munds and left.
One of the most important duties Of
the Chief Inspector is to detect railway
postal clerks who steal letters containing
money. 70 accomplish this Col. Sharpe
follows simple bat ingenious system,
which be explained the other day to the
writer.
"To CATCH these thieves" he said, 81
had constructed q large railroad map OF
the United States, which hangs in my
office. Now, supposing man mails s.
letter in Boston for Kansas City contain
ing $5O-a very bad practice, but people
will do it. The letter never reaches It's
destination, and pretty soon we &c, 6.
complaining letter stating the clrcum-
stances.
",iow, if the supposed case were AZ
isolated one, wc probably could do moth
ing. The letter going from Hoston to
Kansas City, would pass through! thlr'?
or forty hands, and it would be useless 10
try and fix the blame. But the Boston
mans case is not isolated. Every day
we get from one to forty similar com.
plants from all over the country, ANA
this fact as you see, enables lis to locate
the mischief.
"First, we ascertain exactly when and
where the missing letter was mailed and
its address. Then We are ready for the
map spoke Of. take the Boston mans
letter and bunch Of si:;,ilar conplain'a,
and then I begin to stick pins i"to ny
map, know Just the route which letter
would take to go from Boston to Kansas
CITY and | stick pins along to sketch out
this course. Then I take up the next
complaint. Perhaps this is from man
who has lost money transmitting it FROM
Mobile to Chicago. Very well. ! trace
out the line such letter would take.
The third, perhaps, was sent from New
York to San Francisco, the fourth from
New Orleans to Buffalo, and the fifth
from Saginaw City to Philadelphia, and
SO on. Now before very long the map
begins to look quite interesting. The
oins are strewn all over the country, hut
re notice one track-say, for instance.
between Chicago and Cleveiand-wher2
AL the lines unite. That's where TIE
chief is.
'knowing now where the stealing Is
going on, we advise our most trusted man
IN that division--we have to trust some
BODY, YOU know that there is trouble
in his section, and tell him to keep a
sharp look out. We inquire into the
habits and associations Of the CLERKS,
and we are, perhaps. able 10 spot the
nan at once. AT other TINES it is more
difficult. But we always fetch him.
Detection is certain"
"But don't the clerks know OF tais
system ?"
"Perfectly WE'LL" replied coIone!
Sharpe.
"Then why do they steal: ~ was asked.
"Ah, there you ask me too hard a
question" said the Inspector. "pm sure
car! tell. only know they do, and
The history of almost all eases is the
same. 4 postal clerk will be tempted
and will steal letter that he feels las
money in it. For the next few days he
is scared to death. He thinks everybody
reads the guilt in bis face, and he is
certain he will be caught and put in
prison. He resolves never to steal anoth-
er letter, and possibly he does not. But
generally in about q month or two months
ais fear and remorse have worn of.
Evidently he has been caught and is not
suspected. a good chance comes and he
steals another letter. This time he does
not wait a month before he tries it again.
And before long he is stealing all the
letters he gets hold Of which contain
money. About that time | am sticking
pins into my map. II is sure death.
Sometimes we get more than one, as
ishers will now and then land two or
three fish at once when the biting is very
lively. Nc caught three in two weeks
once in different parts Of the country
when we supposed we were after only
ore.
"But why do men keep on stealing
when they see Others Caught. all under
stand that the machinery Of detection is
50 perfect" ," again asked the reporter.
~. said before, replied tle lnsp2e
ar, that car answer, excepting tAi,
way: Every rosue thinks himself a
little smarter than anybody else Tie
sees tha! others are caug lit, but thinks
hat he is too cunning and can cover nj.
tracks. ."-Atw York SIN.
Nlnn e.. Ni.-:.:nr..