The Portland daily press., 1892-10-08
A CLUE FROM THE CRESCENT CITY.
Inspector Hall Talks of His Connection
With the Reed Case.

Watching Inspector Hall in court 1t
might strike one that it is very pleasant
thing to be a United States post office
inspector, but the fact is the position in
wolves much hard work and many hard
words when cases get into the courts and
lawyers are working hard to clear their
clients.
"How do we get informatin?' said In
spector Hall last evening as he watched
for the coming in of the jury in the Reed
case. "Well, in all ways. Now take this
case of Mr.. Reed for example. | got one
day letter from an inspector in New
Orleans enclosing little circular. He
said there seemed to be good many OF
them flying around the country and that
they apparently originated in Portland.
II thought that somebody might be
trying little ten cent scheme and so to
try them sent my first test letter, di-
rected to w. Fl. Moore and enclosing ten
cents. TO my surprise q lottery ticket
was sent to me the next day. That was
the first step. 1t showed that some one
was on the ground that there was no de-
lay in filling orders, and it suggested
that there might be quite a business car
ried on in Portlend.
II might have forgotten all about it,
for we had larger matters on hand, but a
few days after | got an unsolicited letter
with the list of the drawing. I saw that
w. III. Moore was running his business
after the Boston fashion, and I conclud-
ed that / would investigate Mr. Moore.
Shortly after was called to Maine and
| to the border, where long line of bor-
der postmasters had got altogether too
| careless about receiving matter for trans
portation through the mails. The snug
| glers were sending large amount OF
! knit goods that way and were doing it
| with ease, being in some cases only four
miles from the border. After I got
through with that service | came back to
Portland and while in the post office
asked about w. H. Moore.
81 found that registered matter was no
longer delivered to either Reed or Moore,
and | also found that nobody knew about
Mr. Moore, although they were acquaint-
| ed with Mr.. Reed. 1t struck me that it
| might be well to look Moore up and to
see if there was such man at all. With
that end in view had the Houlton let
/ ter sent with the check for So. The tick
cts were sent at once, but the check was
not returned for payment What did
| that mean? just this. There was no
| body in Portland who could venture to
end orse the check.
'sThen managed to make certain that
| Moore was not in the city. Having found
that he was not in the city, had no diff
| ficulty in showing that his business was
| still promptly conducted. There was no
letting letters and orders accumulate
while Moore was gone. l had done
enough to show that someone was in
charge of Moore's business and was OPP
ening his letters, and l went on with the
investigation with what results you all
know"
Inspector Hall returned home on the
Pullman last night. His next field of
labor is likely to be somewhere in the
West. INSPECTORS are liable to be sent
| from one district to another and learn to
be interested in every section Of the coun-
try. The prompt action of the New Or
leans inspector led in a few months to
the working up of the Portland case.
Mr.. Hall may be able at any time to put
the New Orleans man in the way Of find
ing something of importance in his own
section of the South.