The herald., 1894-05-14
MR.. VAN DUSEN'S WRATH.
THE GROSS ABUSE OF UNCLE
SAINTS MAIL SERVICE.
A Peculiar Glass OF Criminals Hard
to Oatch-A Recent Instance of
Their Depravity-some of
Their Traits.

get very nice salary rs post
MASTER" remarked Postmaster Van
Dusen to HERALD reporter yesterday
"5ut when 1 see things like this, il
makes me almost disgusted enough to
quit the SERVICE" and he threw down a
scrap of paper upon which there was
some writing.
The language upon the paper was a
scurrilous. attack upon business
woman living in the city. 1t WAS q COM
binstion OF billingegate, indecency and
filth hard to beat. In it the writer
tated that he had followed the woman
for years and proposed to follow her /;
that he finally intended to kill her, and
che should prepare for her fate. 1t was
couched in the most offensive terms, and
upon the envelope aside from the ad-
dress was vile epithet.
This it was which attracted the atten-
ton OF Postmaster Van Dusen. He took
the letter personally to the address given
and found that it was correct. He asked
the lady to open it in his presence. which
she did, and read the incloeure, handing
it to him.
After reading it, Mr.. Van Dusen
asked her if she knew the writer, and
she said she thought 80. lie endeavored
to obtain some clue go that he might
bring him to justice, but the woman
seemed to be Indifferent to the threats
made, and with the best intentions in
the world to do even more than his
duty, the postmaster was obliged to
retire from the field vanquished.
'Thie is only one of hundreds OF such
letters that we catch in transit" con-
tinued Mr.. Van Dusen. "The extent
to which the United States mails are
used for the purpose of venting epites
and employ the cowardiy arts of the
anonymous scribhler, is beyond the
conception OF anyone who has not had
to attend to such things. OF course the
great majority of such letters we csnno t
intercept, because they bear no distin-
guiehing marks. The magnitude of
this abuse OF the great mail system OF
the country can only be guessed st from
the few examples that from time to
time come to our attention.
These are only brought to the at
tention of postoffices by some outside
sources. such as police inquiries or in
advertent ear marks left by the dirty
fellows who operate in this manner,
which give US clue to work upon in
detecting them and bringing we'll de-
served punishment.
The postodice inspectors, with all
their cleverness and experience-snd
ther are a clever set of oificials-fsrret
out but email percentage OF the abuses
OF the mails, of This character.
"rhey are distinct class OF criminals.
We recognize them by their ear marks
at first glance. Pusillsnimous and
timid, although possessed of the basest
instincts, they try to work on the fears
OF people for purposes either of black
mail or out of a spirit of revenge, which
they are not courageous enough to
carry out in any other manner.
There is also another class who use
the mails TO convey unspeskable nasti-
nese to young and Innocent girls with a
view of cotrupting them and making
them an easy prey for the persons who
have marked them for sacrifice.
Zone OF the greatest tiou bles we have,
as | expect the police also have, in get
ting appraised Of such cases, ia the disin-
cination of parents to subject them
selves and their daughters to the I'M
pleasant notoriety sure to follow an at.
tempt to mete out Justice to the perpe-
traitors, who also are smart enough to
bank upon it for safety.
Occasionally a man is found who
sinks such considerations for the public
good, and then we generally get the
man. Once caught it is easy to convict,
as rule, the evidence nearly always be-
ing conclusive. During the past few
years the Los Angeles postoffice has
been peculiarly fortunate in catching up
with such cattle, and the sslutary sever
ity of several long thems of imprison-
ment has made them exceedingly care
full and wary.
1.-THE arm Of the government is quite
long and when the inspectors obtain the
slightest clue they follow it to the utter
most before giving up. There are In
stances in my own Office where they
have been months IN tracing up some Of
these fellows, to the exclusion almost Of
everything else. y
Then you really think there are many
such letters passing always through the
mails?"
Undoubtedly. OF course our power
is very liaBited with letters. The Sc
curity " the tasil service is very sscredly
guarded bv the govern ment, and it ia
this very thing that such persons take
advantage Of. A great deal of my time
10 occupied in loaking after such ebuses,
more than an outsider would think.
The depthe TO which human nature Can
sink are known by postmaatars
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