Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1891-01-16
RoeeINo THE MAILS.
The Ingenious Plan OF . Merry Post
OmcO Thief.

Tie IDEoulous Plan OF . Merry Post
Omeo Thief
1--WE get some pretty tough cases."
Gaid an old post-0nice inspector, "but 1t
hos been my fortune to run down every
case on which was set to work."
What was the most difficult case you
ever hnndled2" asked the reporter of
the Cincinnati Timcs-Star.
ut happened while was stationed ut
Utica, N. Y, about seven years ago."
replied tho inspector. "Many ietters
containing valuablcs had been missed,
ind by dint of hard work we managed
to trace the job down to one clerk, q
sAnved-faced young fellow of about
twenty-five years. He was clerk who
distributed the letters into the boxes of
the carriers.
GAS said, we managed to get this
far on the case and then set my trap.
had decoy letter containing twenty
dollar gold piece mailed from = country
town in Connecticut to n prominent
stove dealer in Utica. The letter failed
to reach the carrier promptly, and 1 felt
we had our man solid Mt last.
81 waited for him until the dinner
hour and as he came out of the Office
accosted him. He came with me, and,
look as closely as 1 might, 1 failed to
detect any signs of uneasiness in his
features; they were perfectly immobile.
lie walked with me into the Office Of
the postmaster and submitted to O
thorough search, but no trace of the
letter or twenty dollar gold piece was
found On his person.
ITO say I was dumfounded is draw
ing it mildly. He appeared to be very
indignant. But, whether was IT, hit or
wrong ut the time, the petty robherics
came to o sudden stop. No more COM
plants were heard of for q month.
Then they began again. This time was
bound would not fail, so set q watch
on my man.
"One day when / was about to give
up the case in despair noticed the fell
low tearing up IN envelope and drop
ping it to the floor. When he had gone
picked up the scraps of paper and
after hard job managed to piece it. 1
vas di5heartened when I saw that the
envelope had been addressed to himself.
] was about to walk away when a
though. stru tx me.
~ came down the next morning be-
fore the young clerk came to york, and
stationed myself behind letter rack,
free from observation, but in such a
position that l could see t. = fellows
every action. / saw him take several
stamped and addressed ENVELOPES from
his pocket and walk over to the stamp
ing Table and cancel the stamps. Dur
ing the course of the morning saw the
fellow slip four letters inside of Us many
envelopes and seal the envelopes. Then
knew my suspicious were correct. l
went to the carrier who carried the
]cttors to the mans homo and secured
the four letters addressed to the fellow
himself.
"'HaHe you carried many letters like
tbig?' asked HIN
"TYes SIR the carrier said. Il carry
four or i've n day
"Then called the fellow into my
Office and told hnI we had determined
to have the mail of the clerks delivered
ut the. o1ice 10 Tighten the duties of
the carriers. l then told him that !
had four letters for him. and handed
him the missivcs ] ha received from
tho post-mun. The fellow turned pale,
nad was on the verge of fainting when
askoI him to open and read the letters
i'll my presence.
"With trembling .lnds he did so, and
inside the enveiDH's addressed to him
E~f l found four valuable l>tters adj
dressed to a big wholesale house. lie
broke down and confessed that he had
been Sealing for about six months end
that during that period he had abb
atrac&ed nearly fifteen hundred dollars
from business letters He had spent
tho money in gambling"
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