Iuka reporter. (Iuka, Miss.) 1888-1894, 1892-05-05
! HOW UNCLE SAM is ROBBED.
ihe interesting Game of INSPECTORS
Against Postal Thieves

ooHuopG Vi une thomson houston
| Electric Company in New York, was
Tor four years a postoffice inspector,
and recently, while in Cincinnati he
| told a Times-Star reporter some of
his experiences in the mail service.
Il was reading the other night, "
! said Mr.. Clark, "of some of the skill
ful means adopted by the postal
thieves to rob the mails of Uncle
Sam, and / realized that some of the
most novel stories of thieving had
been omitted by the inspector who
gave the stories.
Now, just imagine, if you can,
now money May be extracted from. a
letter without opening the envelope.
Remember, the envelope is sealed. 1t
IS almost impossible to imagine how
such thing can be done, and yet it
has been done several times, and once
very successfully by clerk In a New
Jersey postofflce. For many months
reports were received by the depart
ment OF large amounts of money be-
Ing extracted from letters which close
examination showed never to have
been opened. AS may be easily i'm
agined, the inspectors who were set
to work on the case were dumbfound-
ed, and knew not where to start in to
ferret out the thief.
ut is a well-known fact that when
once man starts in to rob the mails
he generally keeps on with his thiev-
ing until he is caught. So it was
with the thief in this instance; his
persistence brought about his cap
ture. 1t would not interest you much
to know how he was captured, but
how lie extracted the money is the
pointer. You know that nearly every
envelope is left at both ends without
any mucilage with which to seal the
flap Our man would feel letter,
and, If he thought it contained
money, would press the top and bot
ton together so that he could just get
glimpse of the interior of the en-
yelope, Then, taking two needles
fastened together at the ends which
he held in his hand, he would insert
the other ends, and, nipping the bill
as though with pair of pinchers, he
would deity roll the piece of cur
rency about the needles and then
take out his money. 1t was estimated
that he had secured nearly 81, 900 in
this manner.
Several of the inspectors had
funny experience in the New York
Postofiice few years ago. Letters
had been disappearing rapidly for
few weeks, and no clew could be
found to the thief By hard work,
however, the boys managed to trace
the stealing down to one of three
clerks who worked in a corner in
which they were screened from OBJ
servation. After considerable thought
ON the subject one Of the boys rugged
up scheme which he was certain
would succeed, A big box of stamped
envelopes was secured, and half of
the envelopes removed. Then trusty
boy, who was employed in the office,
was put in the bottom of the box and
covered over with the remaining half
of the envelopes.
Several holes were bored in each
side Of the box, so that the boy could
see all that TRANSFERRED. Then the
end OF a spool of thread was given
him, and by unraveling the remain
der OF the spool, communication was
established between the boy and the
three inspectors, who awaited sig
nal In their room, just off a balcony
about twelve feet above the main
floor. The time hung heavily on the
inspectors hands, and they decided
to play game of poker. The game
grew interesting. There was jack
pot on the board, and the hands to
open it had been dealt.
"I'll open it for 81, said one.
"'It'll cost you 50 to draw cards.
said another.
"I'll just make that 49, remarked
the third.
well, sir, the two began betting
heavily, and in the middle of their
excitement the thread, which was
tied to the finger of one of the play
ers, was jerked Here was a how
d'ye-do. Over $40 on the table, and
they had to attend to business. But
they knew their business, and left the
game, rushed down stairs, and to the
envelope box.
Which one was it, Jimmy?' one
of the inspectors asked of the boy in
the box.
The Swede in the corner NUT
tered Jimmy in reply.
1.-THE fellow to whom Jimmy had
referred was placed under arrest and
taken to the room in which the POST
office inspectors conduct their searches
of persons suspected of having stolen
mail secreted about their persons.
The fellow was searched from head to
foot, but not trace Of the stolen let
ter could be found upon him. Mysti-
fed beyond measure, the inspectors
released Jimmy from his hiding place
and told him that he must be mis-
taken.
Did you look in his shoe? asked
Jimmy.
"Here was a point that had been
overlooked, and the inspectors re-
turned to their search. In the shoe
of the fellow were found three let
tiers. He had a habit of scratching
his heel, and when no one appeared
IN ha watchipu him he would elm a