The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-12-30
TO PREVENT MAIL ROBBERIEs.
New Regulations Established by the
Poetoffice DEPARTMENT.

The frequent robberies OF the mails have
caused the postoifice department to make
more strict regulations for their proven
ton, and the following circular has been
sent ont by the department and repeated
by the Northern Pacific railroad, with in
structions 10 all employees who handle
mails to be governed by it:
The pos,ofice department holds all persons
iatrusted with the handling OF the mails re-
sponsiole for any losses that may occur through
exposure to theft while in their charge, under
section 5.s74 OF the Revised Statutes, which
reads as follows:
Any person who shall have taken charge of
the mail and shall voluntarily quit or desert the
same before he has delivered IL into the post
Office at the termination OF the route. 10 some
known mai carrier. messenger, ageut, or other
employe of the postofice department author
lied to receive the same. shall be punishable by
fine of not more than $500, and by irnprison-
ment for not less than three months nor more
than one year.
mails Entrusted TO your care is therefore sppar-
ent, and you will be expected to give this duty
strict attention at all hours during the day and
night This is especially necessary at junction
points where mails are transferred from one
line or train to another, and you must see to it
that mails which to be held any length of
time for the train by which they are to besdis-
patched, are at once taken to a safe and suitable
place, where depreciation will be rendered ini-
possible.
To the end that all Irregularities in the re-
ceipt aud dispatch OF locked pouches of United
States mail may be promptly Investigated and
losses By depreciation or otherwise speedily
detected, you are required to keep list of all
such mail pouches due TO be received at and
forwarded from your stations, or TO be carried
in your cars, and TO promptly report by wire to
your respective superintendents all shortages
that are not properly accounted for.
You must see 10 it that al mail pouches due
10 be forwarded by every train are delivered 20
the mail car or train baggagemaa (as the case
may bel. aud In case you are short a pouch you
must deliver IN place OF the same one of the
enclosed blanks, properly filed up and addressed
in the same manner as the pouch which you are
short il ordinarily labeled. this shortage slip to
go through and to be handled in place OF the
short pouch. 1t will be noticed that the cause
for shortage on the blank is given as "Train late
and failed to connect" This 10 for your con
vcnience, As the shortage is nearly always due
to this cause, but in case the shortage is at
tributable 10 other causes such as mail not
brought from postoiiice," or messenger late
and missed train,' etc, etc, you are expected
to draw your pencil through the printed cause,
and give the correct explanation on the slip.
Please bear in mind, every pouch due to go
forward must be sent out without fail or a short
age slip delivered in place OF IT, and every
pouch due TO DO received by you must be
&C we'd accounted for by shortage slip, and
III every case where you fail 10 receive the pouch
or shortage slip in its stead, the shortage is to
be reported by wire 70 the proper official fer in
yesligalioG.
The interests of the general public demand
that ali possible safeguards be thrown around
the mails in transit, and it is expected that all
postal ard railway employees will cooperate to
make depredatious impossible.