The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1893-01-07
THAT LETTER THIEF.
A Wheeling Letter Carrier Stole the
Famous 0hley- Stalnaker Letters
from the Mail and Gave them
to the ''Intelligeneer.

1t is necessary in arranging and
carrying out a political campaign
for those persons tacitly or officially
intrusted with such affairs to hold
correspondence one with the other.
The Democratic leaders in this state
did that thing last fall. 1t was right
and proper, in the interest of more
perfect organization that this should
be done. Very well then,
Hon Randolph Stalnaker, of Wheel
ing. is good Democrat. He has
good judgment and is a man of af-
fairs. This same good Judgment,
coupled with his honest motives,
we're called upon by the state can
paign organization of the Democracy
in consultation. He had some cor
respondence with Chairman Chiffon
and Secretary Ohley. Very well then
The Intel;tgencer is the name of a
repn blican paper published in Wheel
ing. As is natural, it is the political
foe of the Democracy. That paper
was in the business of doing all the
harm il knew or could devise or could
find advice about to do Democracy
People stood sometimes in open
mouthed CONSERVATION and astenish-
ment at Some of the fairy tales it was
wont to put in circulation. They
were sometimes to utterly awfully fla.
vored with the essence of miraculous
Jules Verne fiction to be relied upon,
and the reader, after the stroke of
surprise would pass away, could
smile and say, cit was only dream"
Then the Inteltiqencer got to dream
ing large, robust, West Virginia
mountain dreams, and its editor was
fast rising as a star in the literary
school known as the wierd, uncanny
and wraithful. Very we'll then.
There is-beg pardon, was a letter
carrier in Wheeling whose combined
Anglo Teutonic name is Harry Hous-
er. Now Harry is republican and
thief. Sons charitable people will
say that the fact of his being a pol
ished highwaymen is not consequen-
tial to his political utilization. but let
that pass. Harry stole letters from
The mails. In fact he stole every
thing he could get his hands on, and
having been politician of consider
able magnitude, popular man, trus-
ted BY everybody, held in office by
secret societies and IN every way was
good fellow so thought, every body
WAS amazed when he was caught
stealing, still more so when they
found that his neat little system of
speculation had reaped the abundant
harvest OF ever one thousand dol airs
He was not arrested till about the
middle of last month, the circum
stances of which are now familiar To-
al orr readers, hut wait
During the time when the cam
paigu waxed the warmest the Intel
igencer came out one bright morn
ing with an illustration on it's first
page that Was bo.aS in Democra
cy's camp. or rather. the paper fond
ly imagined it was * was fac sim
lie OF letter written be Mr.. Stall
maker to Mr.. Chilton. II nus :. polit-
zeal Letter. 1t was commented upon
from end to end and side TO side of
the state. The great question was
how did the Inteitigencer get hold of
that letter The good people of the
state had scarcely recovered from
their shock of surprise. when that pa
per cane out with a picture of another
letter, this time one from Mr.. Ohley
to Mr.. SJalnaker Very bad then.
That triumvirate of Democratic
leaders, Messrs. Stalnaker, Chiffon
and Ohley, we're unable to unravel
the mystery surrounding the means
by which the little, laughing Inteiii
gencer had secured the letters. The
people to whom these letters were
addressed had never received them,
of course, but they were genuine
The paper laughed on and the peo.
pie kept on wondering. So well did
the paper hide its tracks that it was
thought it never would stop laugh
ing, but along came the election, and
that buried the laugh in the yearn
ing, cavernous tomb of general dis
aster. Very well then.
Harry Houser continued to veal
;. the neat uniform of U. S. letter
carrier. The people still wondered
about the letters. The intelligence,
never smiled again. The triumvir
ate still figured. Everything was as
it should not be.
1t has been noted in a previous
chapter Of this romance that Harry
Houser was great Republican. II,
stood right in with the Intelligence,
gang. and they drank from the same
canteen at odd convivial times L
was a happy little group, and th'
people may have been envious of tn,
perennial felicitous existence tina
obtained to it.
1t was in the bleak December, oil
well do we remember, when 'Harr,
the letter carrier member, was hus
tied halting before the squire. Their
he did little bond give, all he ask
ed was to let live, and the convict
he will he with, shame and dis
grace to his noble sire.
He was caught stealing. His bous
. was searched. There the mys
terry of the Stalnaker .Ohley Chiltol
+, letters was cleared up. They wer
found in Houser's house. Very wei
then.
The Inteiligencer is boldly charg
ed with knowing of the letter thefts
These private letters had been use'
by that paper as political capita
J 1t looks as If the paper knew a grea
5 deal shout them. In fact, when |
published them it knew they wcr
: private property. They were foun'
9 in Houser's possession, after frs
I having been used by the paper. |
t may be that Houser gave them t
another man, and from him the
l were pictured by the Intelligence
but there will he tale to sell latel
Houser has not been tried yes. Whe
he is something may turn up.
3 The Testimonials