Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-05-01
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE,
INTERPRETING LETTERS.
examination of II. II. Landes Before
Judge Buckley Yesterday.

Examination of II. II. Landes Before
Judge Buckley Yesterday.
The case of the People VS.. H. NJ Landes
came on for hearing in the Police Court
before Judge Buckley at o'clock P. NJ.
yesterday, and all three charges against
housekeeping to bride United States
officer, intercepting mail matter, and fraud
ulently obtaining mail-were taken up
and heard together. W. a. Anderson ap-
peared for the defendant and the people
were represented by City Attorney Church.
assisted by u. S. Postoffice inspectors
James w. Erwin and R. R. Monroe.
George A. O'Brien, James W. Erwin, r.
r. Monroe, L. w. Farrell and W. S. Leake
were sworn and testified. The evidence
for the prosecution was to this effect: The
defendant approached mail. carrier O'Brien
on Tenth street and asked him if he could
change routes with another carrier named
King. O'Brien asked him if it was in re-
latlon to mail matter and he said no. The
carriers suspicious were aroused and he
made an appointment with Landes to meet
him on certain night, when he would
give him an answer. He then reported
the matter TO Deputy Postmaster Leake
who told MIN TO work him. Accord
ingly he met Landes and told him that he
could make the change. Landes said there
was letter addressed to Henry Moore
that he wanted delivered to him at the
Union Iron Works, and gave 0'Brien ten
cents for q special delivery stamp for
its delivery O'Brien sent the letter to
him and at the next meeting Landes ex-
pressed his satisfaction, but said that be
did not want any more letters addressed to
Moore, but that he wanted all the letters
addressed to certain young lady, coming
from Ohio, and wanted him to go to the mail
boxes at Ninth and NJ and Ninth and O
and give him all letters addressed to ]. W.
Boyer, Cincinnati, o. 0'Brien told him
that he would. Leake then wrote decoy
letter, inclosing two 81 greenbacks, and
sent It through the regular course. 1t
came into 0'Brien's hands and he took it
up to the house where he had his meetings
with Landes. United States Inspector
Monroe, Mr. Leake and officer Rider were
concealed under the house so as to hear all
that passed between them, a board having
been removed from the floor for that pur-
pose. Landes came, and O'Brien told him
that he had letter addressed to the lady.
but that it was registered and that he did
not like to part with it. Landes insisted
on taking it anyway, saying that he wished
to show 1t to some one else. He took it
ana afterwards returned and gave II to
O'Brien, whereupon he was arrested.
The letter sent by Mr.. Leake, written on
a typewriter, was as follows:
CINCINNATI, O., April II, 1885.
MY DEAR AMELIA: The articles that you re-
quested me to purchase for you have been
shipped to your address, by the American Ex-
press Company, and hope. ere this, they have
been received.
After paying for the articles and all charges
on them there remained balance of 81, which
please find inclosed.
am suffering from a severe cold, but hope
be free from it in a short time, when | will
te you at length. Yours as ever ]. W. B.
When Landes returned the registered
package the money was still in it, but the
Letter had been changed. 1t was addressed
to AMELIA" instead of My Dear Amelia"
and was in other respects the same as the
original, with the exception of this addi-
ton
Please answer Immediately, stating
whether you have received articles in good
condition or not, and also state what have
given you. / will explain in my next"
After the close of the testimony for the
prosecution the case was continued for ar
gument until Wednesday at l o'clock. Mr..
Anderson said that he will show that no
offense had been committed, because the
letter had been intended for Landes and he
had received and opened it.