The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-01-03
THE SEATTLE PosTNTELLGENcER: SUNDAY JANUARY 1892


was severely hurt and los. an arm IN con-
sequence OF a wound N his shoulder: he
subsequently, received the whole OF the
government reward. as vel as snare OF
the balance OF the 5000. Reuoe smith -
N prison for life. Joe Jackson stabbed
one OF his guards n the jail a. JACKSON,
Mss, and ran I'D j spiral stairway 70 .he
top OF the building. Beng coVsTe -. vi
rides. rather than be taken ne deADeT-
ately Owed sixty fees % the stone 1oor De-
low and was smashed 70 pieces
Not less interesting than roooerleS OF the
mail by violence are those which are e.
fected by strstagem- One OF the most
remarkable occurred seven years ago az
Cedar Rapids. Ia L. was bitterly cold
nIght u winter, and the mal0ags Ta3tlns
for the train were piled upon truck on
the platform Of the railway station while
those who should have watched them were
warming themselves 81 the stove inside.
4 few moments later IL was discovered
that the pouch containing registered mat
Ter-lI letters in aal-was gone There
vas great excitement, OF course, and NOTICE
Of the loss was gslegrapRed 10 the possmas-
ter al Chicago. Inquiry developed the fact
that there had been SIS. 90 in the sack. in
cluding a hank note for sL0o0 from the
Cedar Rapids postmaster, which was gov
eminent funds
Within twenty-four hours two postoffice
Inspectors had arrived upon the scene.
disguised as horse buyers. They learned
that the man suspected OF having CON-
united the robbery was Z mail driver
named Robinson, who had brought the
pouches from the pOst0flce TO she station.
However, they made up their minds very
quickly that he was innocent and took
him into their confidence. They asked
him If he had ever heard anyone say any
thing about stealing from the post. and
ne CHANGED 70 remember that q hack
driver known as shorty" Lewis had once
suggested 10 him in a joking way that 10
TOD the mail would he very easy thin :
indeed. Shorty himself had been mail
driver. and vas sufficiently a. home IN the
p0stofiice TO De acquainted with the fact
that this large consignment Of registered
stuff was going out from Cedar Rapids on
the night OF the crime.
80 the two inspectors proceeded TO
shadow Shorty. still n the guise OF
horse buyers, they made friends with n in
ana became his boon companions. They
were with him II al hours, drinking with
him, playing billiards with him and max
ing themselves acquainted with the small
est details Of whatever he did. They
found out where every dollar he was paid
came from anu took note Of every cent he
spent. Although up TO tina; time he
had never been drinking man
4A14 N-sfE0 E1AAS OA hLAALGEEEs.
he nov INDUCED in those excitements
70 great extent. Il was as # ne was
nervous and required something 10 dis
tract his mind. Furthermore. il was no
ticed that he always paid for everything,
setting them Up for the boys az ali hours
Quiet investi gation Of his affairs revealed
the fac; that he had bought sewing
machine on installments and was paying
ahead for IL. Also. he was paying double
on house which he had purchased on the
same plan. and il was learned that ne pro-
posed 70 invest IN a saloon.
Having taken note OF all these things,
the inspectors made I'D their minds tina.
he was the guilty party. 1t only remained
10 secure the necessary evidence against
him. During his absence from home one
evening they wen. 10 his house and an
n0unced themselves 10 his wife in their
true character as postoffice detectives, say
ing that they had come 70 consult her hus-
band about the robbery. By her manner
they at once perceived that she knew OF
the affair. She said: ''Why. Nj Lewis
doesn't know anything about the robbery.
He was a. home on the night that 1t &C.
Cured"
Now this was al that was needed to
make the thing a certainty, because the
inspectors knew very well that on the
night IN question Shorty had not gone
home until g. m, but they said nothing,
and presently took their leave. However.
they did not return 10 the hotel. but waited
on the road for the man 70 come along
After awhile they saw him approaching.
running for dear life over the long and
lonely bridge, az the farther end OF which
his residence was. They had watched him
run IN this way on many q night. without
his knowing il, the suppOsition being
that he was thus in haste because
he was afraid, having guilty conscience.
They stopped him and asked him 10 so
back with them 10 the postofice, 10 which
there they told MIN who they were, saying
that they wished 10 question him about
the mail robbery.
You DIDN'T suppose that stole the
p-pouch?" said Shorty, trembling.
I'VE don't suspect IT," replied the in
spectors. 1--WE know it. This very night
We have been 10 your house. We have
breast OF Il. 50 the best thing you can do
Is 10 tell Us all about it. Where is the
money. and how much Of l. have you
spentE"
Shorty very quickly did as he was bid.
He took the inspectors 10 his house and
helped them dig the plumber out of the
coal where il was concealed. wrapped up
in calico dress. All the money was
found, save about $50. bat the money Or
ders and drafts had been DESTROYED. 4
valuable watch and chain had been thrown
into the river by Lewis, because he
thought IL dangerous 70 keep. He only
got one year in the penitentiary for tie
crime, and thus was solved a mystery
which babe fair 70 be most perpiexing.
ingenuity of high order has often been
exercised IN frauds upon the postal serv-
Ice. Perhaps the most successful scheme
In It's way ever worked was devised by a
postmaster in Idaho IN the year 1857. He
took his book of blank money orders and,
having chosen a fictitious name, drew or
ders under that name in favor Of various
banks in adjacent states and territories.
Ills adylces corresponding 20 these orders
were signed with his real name as post
master. Tnen he wrote letter TO each
hank. signing MS false name, saying
that he had drawn the orders in
their favor because he had expected
TO De travelling through their town and 10
te able 70 collect the cash thus deposited.
However. he had changed MS plans and
would re obliged If the banks would
kindly collect the money and remit i ~
registered letter 10 him at a certain posi-
ohce-uentiOning the posr0Ifica not far
from his own which received all its regis
tered mail through ms own Office To
complete the pan in every detail he ap-
pended IN each case 70 the fictitious letter
MS own certificate as postmaster that the
L'S-S person was the genuine renltter.
o. course the banks promptly obeyed.
sending the money by registered
mail ~ the postoltiCe indicated When the
r. -iste-ed letters addressed 20 the false
n:,ae passed through his own Office on
their way 20 their destination, he simply
F9oh.e1 shem. In this highly original
manner he secured nearly $4,000, skip
ping tAe-eGpon 20 Canada, The fraud
was discovered IN the department 81 Wash
= r ~
postmaster vas extradited on a charge of
forgery. the attorney general holding that
the Issuing OF . United States security
Without authority was torsery N q techni-