The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-01-28
RoED ING THE MAILS.
Tho inseni' aus Plan of a Merry Post
Onlco Thief.

Tho inseni' aus Plan of a Merry Post
Onlco Thief.
.,"e &c some pretty tough cases."
SAID an ri post-ofIice inspector, but It
mas peer my fortune to run down every
case on which was set to work"
W. iat was the most difficult case you
ever handlcd?" asked the reporter of
the Cincinnati Timcs-Star.
1t happened while was Stationed ct
= lea, \. y, about seven years ago"
/ .pIied the Inspector. "Niany letters
containing veluablcs had boon missed,
land by dint of hard work we managed
to trace the job down to one clerk, u
shaved-faccd young fellow of about
twenty-five years. He was Il clerk who
distributed the letters into the boxes of
the carriers.
"As said, we managed to get this
far on tho case and then set my trap.
had dccoy letter containing a twenty
dollar gold piece mailed from n country
town in Connecticut to n prominent
stove dealer in Utica. The letter failed
TO reach the carrier promptly. and felt
we had our Inan solid at last.
II wnitcd for him until the dinner
hour and as he came out OF the office
uccoStcd him. He came with me, and,
look us closely rs ! might, | failed to
detect any signs of uncasincss in his
features; they were perfectly ilnmobilc.
lie walked with me into the Office of
the postmaster md submitted to
thorough search, but no trace Of the
letter or twenty dollar gold piece was
found on his person.
10 say | was dumfounded is draw
ing it mildly. He appeared to be very
indignant. But. whether l was right or
wrong at the time, the petty robbcrics
came to y sudden stop. No moro com
plants were heard of for month
Then they began again. This time was
bound | would not fail, so | set IL watch
OH my man.
"Cnc day when was about to give
up the case in despair noticed the fell
low tearing up an envelope and drop
ping it to the floor. When he had Como
l picked up the scraps of paper and
after hard job managed to piece it.
was dishcartcncd when | saw that the
envelope had been addressed to himself
l WAS about to walk away when q
thought struck me.
IL came down the next morning be-
fore the young clerk came to work. and
'H'NAOAASN oSli CChtlltl IL rack,
free from observation. but in such q
Position that | could sec the fellows
every action. I 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 as many
envelopes and seal the envelopes Then
knew my suspicious wore correct
went to the carrier who carried tho
letters to the mans home md secured
the four letters addressed to the fellow
himself.
"'llavc you carried many letters like
this?' asked him.
Yes sir. the carrier said. Il carry
-Four or five day
Then | called the fellow into nv
Office and told him VIC had determined
to hare the mail of the clerks delivered
1T the Office to tighten the duties of
the carriers. then told him that I
had four letters for him. and handed
him tho missivcs | had received from
the post-nan. The fellow turned pale,
and was on the verge of fainting when
] asked him to open and read the letters
in my presence.
with trembling hands he did so, and
inside tho envelopes addressed to him
self found four valuable letters ed
dressed to a big wholesale house He
broke down and confessed that he had
been stealing for about six months and
that during that period he had alb
str;.ctcd nearly fifteen hundred dollars
from business letters. lie had spent
the money in gambling"