Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1892-04-29
HOW UNCLE SAM IS ROBBED
The Interesting Game of inspectors
Against Postal Thieves.

ku0 xuU6f68tIuR O8ln0 Oh inspectors
Against Postal Thieves.
William j. Clark, who is Superin-
tendent of the Thomson-H Houston
Electric Company in New York, was
for four years a postoffice inspector,
and recently, while in Cincinnati, he
told a Times-Star reporter some of
his experiences in the mail service.
II was reading the other night"
said Mr.. Clark, "of some of the skill
full means adopted by the postal
thieves to rob the mails of Uncle
Sam, and 1 realized that some of the
most novel stories of thieving had
been omitted by the inspector who
gave the stories.
snow, just imagine, if you can,
how money may be extracted from IL
letter without opening the envelope.
Remember, the envelope is sealed. 1t
is almost impossible to imagine how
/ such a thing can be done, and yet it
has been done several times, and once
very successfully by Il clerk in Il New
Jersey postotficc. 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 inn
agincd, 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.
"It is a well-known fact that when
once a 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 he extracted the money is the
pointer. You know that nearly every
envelope is left at both ends without
any m%ucilage with which to seal the
flap. Our man would feel Il letter,
and, If he thought it contained
money, would press the top and bot
ton together SO that he could just get
Il glimpse of the interior of the en-
velope. 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 Il pair of pinchcrs. lie
would deftly roll the piece of cur
rency about the needles and then
take out his money. 1t was estimated
that he had secured nearly $1,000 in
this manner.
Several of the inspectors had d
funny experience in the New York
PostOffice Il few years ago. Letters
had been disappearing rapidly for I;
few weeks, and no clcw could he
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 oh
s%ervatiOn. After considerable thought
on the subject n OF the boys rugged
up a scheme which he was ccrtai.
would succeed. a big box of stainpot
envelopes was secured. and half OF
the envelopes removed. Then a tr,lsty
boy, who was employed i'm the office,
was put in the bottom of the box and
covered over with the remaining hall
of the envelopes.
Several holes were bored i'm each
side of the box, so that the boy could
e all that t%ranspircd. Then the
end of Il spool of thread was given
him. and 10y u%nravcling the remain.
der of the spool. communication was
established between the boy and the
three inspectors, who awaited ii sig.
nal In their room, Just Off Il balcony
about twelve feet above the main
floor. The time hung heavily OH the
inspectors hands, and they decided
to play Il game of poker. The game
grew interesting. There was a jack
pot on the board, and the hands tu
open it had been dealt.
".lM open it for 81 said one.
"sItll cost you So to draw cards.,
said another.
In rs, make that So remarked
the thiltssonH2
SWELL, sir, the two began bettin.
heavily, and in the middle of their
excitement the thread. which was
tied to the finger of one of the play.
ers, was jcrked. Here was IL 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 downstairs, and to the
envelope box.
"sWkich one was it. Jimmy. one
of the inspectors asked of the boy in
the box.
The swcdc in the corner, ssnut-
tered Jimmy in reply.
"The fellow to whom Jimmy had
referred was placed under arrest and
taken to the room in which the POST
office inspectors conduct their researches
of persons suspected of having stolen
mail secreted about their persons.
The fellow was searched from head to
foot, but not Il trace of the stolen let
ter could be found upon him. Mysti-
fled 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.
~Hero ,vas , no;n+ +h,+ h,a -