Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-01-20
nO1nsNc lErrER.aOxEs.
The Arrest NJ q Young Man solves q
Myseery thas Has Bafflcd Detectives.

Myssery tuos htos Baf1cd Deeecstsess
For several months rooberies OF ietter-boxes IN
this city have been reported 20 the Post-ofnce
Department here The robberies were 70
adroitly committed that for long while the In
spectors who were assigned 20 investigate
the matter were bafried Last evening
however. the mystery was cleared, and an
arrest was made by Inspectors Wallace p. Ryan
and VIM b. smith. The culprit proved TO be n.
J. Roxbury, hoy about eighteen years old. living
With his mother at lios . street. The
complains OF robberies began I'm April last
and came from persons occupying Offices In
the building 1905 y street Letters were
REroErrp As MISSING
or as having been tempered with, and everything
private letter-boxes In the hall OF the building,
When inspectors smith and Troy began 10 inyts-
tigate these depredations they ceased In June.
however, similar complaints OF loss detention OF
street An examination OF some letters, The dates OF
whlch showed that they had been detained indi-
Gated that they had been taken nom the boxes,
opened, then resealed, readdressed and remalled
in street letter box, in some cases several DAYS
after they had been taken. When these facts be-
came known the owner Of the Kellogg building
made IL impossible for any one not
having key TO get at their contents
About the middle OF December last complaint was
made that the street lettef-box, corner Of 18th
ana Streets had been tempered with. The In
spectors thereupon began
10 WATCH FOR THE THIEF,
but he was adroit enough TO escape detection
then Inspector Smith, however, learned that
young Roxbury had been employed during April
by the frm of Riggs Whitley, who had an ONCE
In the building 1oo8 + streer, and that he was
In May the nrm moved 10 the Kellogg Building,
and Roxbury went with them. The next month
the complaints came from that building.
hak faf..r OF
Roxbury procured specimens OF his handwriting,
and comparison OF them and the writing ON the
re-addressed letters confirmed their suspicious
CAUGHT AT LAST.
Yesterday they concluded that they had sum.
Gent evidence TO justify them In making arrest
Inspector Troy took Roxbury to a room In the
Post-Once building, and had him write letters and
figures both with pen and with pencil These fur-
lher samples OF writing gave still stronger EVIL
oence OF quit. Roxoury, however,
DENIED HIS GUILT
and wrote statement in which he sought to I'm
piicate a colored boy. His room at his house Wal
searched by Inspector Troy and Mr.. James T. Bell
superintendent OF the city delivery who aided the
inspectors In working up the case out nothing wa:
round That offered proof OF his guilt. Inspector
Smith then procured a warrant from United state.
commissioner Mills, and was about 10 serve it on
RoXbury when the latter asked permission u
write letter, and sitting down wrote long state
ment
ACKNOWLEDGING HIS GUILT.
Commissioner Mills held him in g, 600 bail TO ap
pear this afternoon for a hearing.
1t Is not known how great the loss has beer
through RoXburys depredations. It Is SUP
posed that when he opened a letter and found II
contained no money ne sealed IL up a nd remailed
IL lie acknowledged having taken a letter frou
tue letterbox corner or 10Th and II streets and ex
tractlng three dollars from IL. He extracted the
letters from the boxes by means OF a contrivanct
OF his own made OF paste-board, which he could
sup through the "drop" or silt In the box.
Assistant District Attorney COyle aDpeared
before United States Commissioner Mills Tor the
Government and Mr.. W. A. Cook for the defend.
ant. The charge OF abstracting letter was taken
IN.
THE TESTIMONY.
Mr.. w. A. Cherry testified TO putting a letter in
the box at 10th and III streets In August last, and
identified the envelope. on cross-examinatior
witness said there was s. In it for the party e
whom IL was addressed. IL was a regular letter
box, and he did not know how IL was gotten out.
Mr.. james L Bell, Of the Post Once, was asked
10 look at the marks on the envelope with the des
OF proving that IL was not taken up I'll the seconl
delivery, but objection was made.