Morning journal and courier., 1890-03-07
rnAePnp BY 4 pRcox.

|. ..ssar Carrier John '. OsBrien Ar- rsstea Tor opening Letters Contain. 1nr NI NIoney-Numerou Thefss for she Past Year-work of Inspector w. N. AlpauGh.
 A few days after Postmaster Sperry re- sumed control of the New Haven postoflce lady living on Grown street reported to him that she had not received letter which had been sent to her from Wallingford short time before containing % in bills. She said shs had lost letters In ths way before and that ono of her neighbors had also lost letter which contained money. She stated that she had reported the fact to Postmaster Euslish, but had been unable to obtain any satisfaction whatever. Several of her ac- auaintsnces who had lost letters containing money had also similarly reported the fact, but nothing, to their knowledge, had been done to investigate the loss. t@
 Postmaster Spsrry was much disturbed by these complaints. His apprehension was also increased by new complaints which came in from route No. 25, upon which the Hrst lady who had reported the loss of letter resided. The carrier upon this route was John J. O'Brien, who lives at No. l27S
  tsrmined to make . thorough investigation of tho case, much as he disliked to think that any of his letter carriers had been concerned in criminal action. For this purpose he notified the postoface author ities and Inspector w. Fl. Alpaugh of Bos- ton was sent to this city from the headquar- ters at Boston last week Thursday. He heard the story and determined to trap the carrier by what is called test or decoy let- ter. He was confident that Letter Carrier O'Brisn had been systematically robbing the mail which was placed In his charge fol delivery but he wished to secure conclusive evidence of O'Brien's guilt.
 Accordingly decoy letter was sent to fictitious address upon O'Brien's route or | last Friday morning. It contained $5 and should have been returned by O'Brien te Superintendent of Caraiers Butler at 1( o'clock on the same morning. This was moi done by. o'Brien and nothing va
 coa :coa ssr ssSm s' ssus ''is n tn. ans:ns way yesterday morning by the inspector and nothing was likewise seen of this letter | with It's contents-$5 in bills-after 1t hat been given to the carrier for delivery. | This was sufficient evidence for the in spector, and yesterday afternoon O'Brien wa called into Postmaster Sperry's office anf charged with this system of robbery. He e first denied 1t and told all sorts of contradic tory stories. When confronted with the evi dsnce which had been secured he persisted in his denial and eontradicted himself severs times in trying to account for the disappear anoe of tho two letters.
 Inspector Alpaugh left the room to sum mon Deputy Marshal Lovejoy, and while b was gone, O'Brien confessed to Postmaste Sperry that he had opened the lettsrs an stolen their contents. He declared the were the hrst letters he had ever stolen | He w.s as.esssd by Deputy Nsrshall Love icy and taken before United States Com ] missiouer Newton who released him upo $500 bonds furnished by his father, Joh O'Brisn. A hearing of his case will be hel before Commissioner Newton on Saturda aftsrnoon at 9 o'clock.
 O'Brisn has been letter carrier for nearl four years, and the records of the office sho that for fully year there have been frequer complaints from different portions of hi route that letters have not been receive which contained money in various sumt The authorities believe O'Brien has sya tematically robbed the mails since last Jun ct the least.
 The promptness with which Postmasts Sperry has investigated this matter hss bee . source of much praise to him by the pos ofiice authorities, and his action cannot br be fully appreciated by those people wh have lost valuable letters and those who vel liable to have lost them on this route. IL spector Alpaughs work was prompt an effective. He has examined the New Have oface closely and has nothing but the warn : est commendation for the results of Postma ter Sperry's work since he resumed contr
 of the office.