Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-11-13
DOM nae the mails very much. Here is
a sa,nnle warning they send out:

II Won wish 10 como ana see me senn the
following telegram; snail unaerstand 1t
ond w,Il send full instructions how l can
be fornd lint distinctly understand. I'M
10, no consideration ever send me letter.
for / won't receive IT.
Copy of telegram you arc to send:
IN A. HlnJold, Nec oxford, Adams County,
Pa:
Trademarks copyrighted, parties sold
out and left.
p. S.-Nevcr send night kilograms; If
possible always send your message In the
morning between and IL O'CLOCK.
TIE "x. D." MARK.
"Tbev know the mails are watched all
the time by the post-oflice secret-service
men. while the telegraph company, be-
inc a private corporation, keeps their Sc
cret and serves them without asking
questions. In fact. the relations OF the
telegraph employees and the green
goods men are such that kilograms d.
rected to them in Newark are forwarded
70 a secret address known only to the
operators there. Besides, there Is no
law against using the telegraph lines for
an improper purpose, while there IS
against the mails for such purpose.
So the preen-goods men much prefer
TO have messages from theirclients come
to them over the wire, except when, as
in this instance, they can bride post
Office EMPLOYEES to do their bidding.
When a man is found to be using the
mails for improper purposes. as ~ this
o,so he letters are marked X. d., and
carriers and other employees are In
structed by q circular not TO deliver such
letters TO the parties to whom they are
addressed. Each employee initials that
circular to show that he has seen 1t
and noted its contents When the car
rier routes up his district previous
70 setting out with his letters be does
not take the X. D. letters out; he lays
them aside in the post-oiiice to deliver to
the postmaster for the secret-service men,
Recently 200 letters addressed to the
qreen-goods men came into the post
Office from various parts OF the country.
Now. | suppose that in New York there
are only about three green goods gangs,
comprising about twelve men. but
these 200 letters bore something like
seventv-fve different addresses. These
mon are constantly changing ad-
dresses, and many OF the dive saloou-
keepers stand in with them. So 1t came
about that our carriers, which ] estimate
at seyentv-fye, had these 200 green
goods letters divided between them, and
as sixteen of them did not leave these
letters behind in the post-oiiice or bring
them back ct the end of the trip, The
fair inference is that they delivered
them. These men were summoned for
investigation by myself and Inspector
! Hartshorne in the presence OF Chief
Wheeler and General Superintendent
Morgan.
COT s. A WEEK ron 1T.
Eight Of them confessed that they
bad delivered the *. D. letters, and
that thew we're paid 10y the green-gooda
men for doing so. Five dollareperweek
was the usual pay. The money was
always lett in an envelope for the letter
carrier at the address at which lie de-
liyered the *. d.. letters. l don't
know whether the department viii fol-
low these men any further. They are
guilty Of violating the law, and could be
prosecuted as public officials guilty OF
bnbe-taking. / cannot tell you any OF
their names rs yet