The herald., 1894-10-21
STORY OF A MONEY ORDER
How One Of the COmmOnweal-
ers Got in Jail.
1t Was All Owing to His Peculiar
Banking System.
The Postal Authorities Aiso Took a
Hand in the Affair, But We're
Lacking In Energy
and skill.

Commonwealer Ed Muller thinks be
has a grievance. When he walked out
OF the city prison the other evening he
quietly told the clerk that he bad been
very unjustly persecutsd," and he
used such indistinct, broken English
that the clerk could not do other than
agree with him, A day or two before
the nomadic Teuton secured hia release
he penned the HERALD list OF COM
plants as long as the moral law, all Of
which, summed up. strongly intimated
that he was a much abused man, and it
all came about by Muller's peculiar way
OF financiering.
LAST MAY MULLER
waa member of General" Kelly's on
washington army. He had an en-
nifty toward the present banking system
and it seemed to be universal among
the Commonwesl army to refuse to do
business with the banks. Just whether
the financial institutions we're any the
loser is q question. Anyhow, it came to
pass. according to MulIer's story, that
he had all OF $l5S5 when the army
reached Merced. AS he was cure OF a
living while travelling with the Indus-
trials he put into practice the principles
OF his cause and "soaked" his cash for
a postoffice money order.
Now mere is where the peculiar part OF
Muller's story comes in. He had the
order made payable to Hon. Thomas V.
Gator, in San Francisco, stuck it in his
pocket and wended his way south with
the army. At MoJsve the 275 Indus
trials, Muller among the number, became
the guests of United States Marshal
Covarrubas and we're later sent to Jail
by Judge Ross. The term of imprison-
ment OF the Industrials expired on the
18th inst., and Muller and his Gator
labeled money order were again free.
Last Sunday Detective Goodman of
the police department ran across Muller
acting very suspiciously. and took him
to the police station. An examination
OF his effects revealed the troublesome
money order, add as it bore the date of
last May the detectives began an invest-
cation, and locked Muller up the mean
while.
Inquiry at the postofice brought out
the information that come time in May
package OF letters was accidentally
lost from the railway mail car near
Merced, and only one OF them had ever
been recovered. Strange to cay, the
postoffice inspector could not or did not
find whether any of the lost letters con-
tanned the money order addressed to
the would-be Pcpuliet senator, and
while Muller was awaiting his fate
in the city prison the Merced postmaster
Was apparently asleep. for he did not.
at any stuge of the game, condescend to
anewer the numerous inquiries OF his
euperlors relative to the money order
that had been issued from his Office.
Dsgusted with the failure of the
postal authorities to find out anything
about the affair. Chief Glass ordered
Muller released, money order and all,
and the Commonwealth at once pro-
ceedeG to express his public opinion re-
garding the injustice of the law of this
great and Rlonous country. He ran up
against HERALD reporter and told how
it all happened, though his etory is very
peculiar, TO say the least.
He said it was all due to his peculiar
way of banking. He was AFRAID OF the
modern financial institutions and
avoided doing business with them.
When he had few dollars he would
purchase money order in the name of
q prominent man in the town where he
expected to turn up before the limit OF
realization expired on ths order, and on
reaching the place wouid tell the gentle.
man in whose name the order had been
drawn of the facts and ask him to draw
the money or. in case he did not care
to do this. he would send it back to the
postofice whence it was issued and COL
lect from the postmaster.
After hearing this man talk on banks
and banking the wonder comes to one's
mind how and why it is that the strings
of the immigration law are not frightened
up bit.