Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-08-03
TUFTS CONFESSES.
Had Been Rifling Letters More
Than a Year.
BREAKS DOWN WHEN CONFRONTED.

HoSSo"co inspectors HAD Been working
on the Case for q Long Time, bot Did
Not Suspect Tufts Until Recently
Caught with Marked Bills In His Posses
sion. q
The arrest of B. F. Tufts, one of
the oldest postal clerks on the c., K.
!. +. road, at Chicago on Wednesday
night, has caused great sensation
in the railway mail service of the
Sixth division. His associates or
the line are astounded over his down.
fall, and his superior officers have
been sadly deceived in a clerk in
whom they had every confidence.
The story of his operations and ar
rest is given as follows by the Chi
cago Herald:
After working nearly quarter of
century in the railway mail service
Benjamin F. Tufts, or Ben" as
everybody called him, has been az
rested for robbing the mails and has
confessed his guilt.
| With head bowed down and hands
clasped behind his back he paced
back and forth in front of the in spec
tors who had been on his track for
weeks and had finally brought him
to task. He knew all of the inspec-
tors personally, for, in years gone
by, he had often helped them in run
ming down men who had BETRAYED
the trust imposed in them. This
made his own position still harder to
bear. But, worse than all. he knew
that wife and children were await
ing his homecoming, while word of
his arrest and disgrace was on its
way to his family and friends.
Tufts was head postal clerk on the
Chicago. Rock Island & Pacific rail-
road. running between Chicago and
Iowa City, Iowa. He had held this
responsible position over twenty
years, had grown gray in the service,
and was one of the best-known men
handling mail matter. He received
his first instructions as postal clerk
away back in 1871 from James Stuart,
then chief clerk on the Rock Island
postal line, but now chief inspector
and one of the men who caused the
arrest. Tufts home was then and is
now at Wilton Junction, Iowa, where
he is well known and regarded highly.
He is known throughout the state as
well, particularly among railroad
men and employees on passenger
lines. He is brother of ex-Con-
gresham Tufts, formerly of Iowa,
but now resident of California.
Complaints of Losses for Two Years.
just how much money Tufts has
secured from the mails is not known;
probably he does not know himself
Il have been doing this thing a year
or two, " he said TO Captain Stuart yes
terday, ..but l don't know where til c
money has gone"
Complaints about the loss of letters
from the Rock Island and lines trib-
utary thereto commenced to come in
about two years ago. Captain Stuart
devoted much time to the matter,
but was continually baffied in his
search for the guilty person. Sus.
picion fell on various postal clerks,
but for long time Tufts was not
under the ban. Last week Captain
Stuart called Inspectors Christian
Larmour, Mercer and Price to assist
him in the case, and after careful
: and extended search it became ap
parent that Ben" was the man who
had caused all the trouble Their
traps were set.
Tufts reached Chicago at 2:3t
Wednesday afternoon on a regular
run. Before going to the postofiict
he visited the barber shop at Gore'
hotel and was shaved. paying with ;
E marked bill. as was afterward learned
He reached headquarters about ;
O'Clock, first drawing his pay. it be
y ing the first of the month, and thel
e reported at Superintendent Troy
office. Meanwhile the mail that haC
come through under his care bat
been sorted by the inspectors down
stairs. 1t was discovered that let
tiers with money inclosures-mone,
that had been marked-were missin q
The inspectors fastened to Troy
Office and arrested Tufts. The lat
ter did not appear greatly surprised
although at first protesting that h
was being subjected to an indignity
While being searched, however, h
slyly dropped some bills on the car
pet, with the evident hope that the
would escape the eyes of Captai
Stuart and his men. But the bill
were found, as were others known t
have left Iowa in the mail.
Acknowledgements of Guilt.
Then Tufts was taken to the chic
: inspectors office, where he acknowl
edged his wrong-doing. He fel
chagrined and disgraced and eA
pressed the greatest contrition whe
speaking of his wife and children
As to the amount he had stolen. tn
prisoner would give no estimate fur
Their than to say he had been rifin
letters for year or two. Nor woul
he say how the money had bee
spent. 1t is thought he has secure
large sum in the aggregate. proba
bly, running into the thousands
Tufts said he never bothered wit