The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-09-11
GOOD STORIES OF II PRESENT DAY


A Post OMce Inspectors Interesting Cases.
Copyright. 1899. BY Charlie. p. Leui..
In my time tsaid n little old man still In
Government employ I have helped to send n
great many men to prison. and in each and
evcry case there were reasons why my SYM
pathies went out toward them. My line for
over twenty-five years was that Of Post Office
inspector. and yon know what that is. An in
dividual may show mercy to n dishonest en-
ployce. but tho Post Office Department never
does. The guilty man is punished. no mat
ter what influence Is brought to bear.
There aro two chief reasons for this.
In the first place. the employees OF
the Postal Department are people OF
intelligence aGd OF more or less social
standing. They know what Is required OF
them. They know what will follow any dere-
liction of duty. In the next. II punishment did
not follow exposure. the masses would have no
confidence in tho department. The idea OF
every Postmaster-Genera Is to give ovory clti-
zen of the Unitcd States such perfect conf
dcnce in tho department that he will dare to
place q ten-dollar bill in n newspaper and for
ward 1t to n friend located In the most obscure
hamlet. While l use that only for nm illustra-
ton. let me tell you 1t is 4 very common way
of sending money. 1t is estimated TINT moro
than 81 100000 is thus mailed overy year.
Before tho day OF postal notes. money
orders. and the registry system. people used
TO enclose bills in thoir letters. There has
been no falling off In tho custom. It is calcu-
lated that ono out OF every ten letters mailed
has at least a ono dollar bill in 1t. Tho sum
total for tho year runs up into millions. The
percentage Of loss is very small, but the object
IL to mako it perfectly safo to send money in
this way, and that can only be done by oblig-
ing every employee OF the department to be
perfectly honest. The percentage OF dishonest
people is very small. and yct on their account
all tho honest ones must DO watched. | know
a mhn who has sent way over S5,OOU per
year by letter every yc9r for tho last seven
pencd that others have been robbed on tho
very first attempt.
There are many rsaHsons why q man steals
knowing that the chances are ninety-nine to
ono thai lie will be discovered. must be either
S Srsy aes and Yet, when You Sea'' take K Il tho ' eas S" OF a
Post ONCE employee you generally find that
h j%r Is n az jn to t.ln t| psFs09 Tb end lod had 10 2 s .Cms:
n lesiiTe for luxury; Il you will, take upthe
during the last 1--WE, years. You will discover
on shs e yseh ai,S ssa %6 ,nsy 9Sn wifi # t then nb haa
tho SAM state OF affairs In. the ease of inside
men, There are. no doubt. plenty OF employees
iTurthcr. hut it is also true that aitsr the Ice is
once broken II person seldom holds up until
exposure comes. Letters containing money
are easily spotted" by the handlers. no mat
ter how much pains you 60 to to conceal the
contents. suppose y letter arrives for some
bred a day from all over the country. Tho
"fcel" Of this letter reveals Its contents. I'll
stolen. 1t may contain n fve-dollar bill or only
there Is any complaint. and when the merchant
writes that he. did not receive 1t tho sender
argue that come clerk In the merchsnt's ONCE
stole his money as that it was taken ny a
postal employee. II. Is tho merchant who finally
moves. After receiving a score OF such com
plants he ~consults the Postmaster. and the
case Is given to an ms pector.
/ had a case In n western city Ave or six
years ago which astonishel me. even though I
was old in the business and seldom surprised
over anything. A boy had come into the Office
years that he was at last made assistant chief
clerk. lie had the absolute confidence of post
master aud all employees. During Ills time