Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-11-22
NAZVELL'S REPORT
The Fourth Assistant Postmaster.
Generals Annual Report.
SEVERAL CAUTIONS TO The PUBLIC.
Gen. Maxwell Urges tbs Necessity Of In.
creased Appropriation for Payment Of
Rewards Looking to the Conviction
Of Post Of1cs Criminals.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1.-THE annual
report Of B. A. Maxwell, fourth assist
ant postmaster-general, has been sub
mitted to the postmsster,general
There are three divisions under his
charge appointments, bonds and COM
missions and post Office inspectors and
mail depredations. The report covers
the period for the fiscal year
ended June 80, 1894 Tho total
number Of post Offices In opera
ton In the United States
on that date was e9,sO5. OF these eA3y7
were fourth-class Offices and 3,42s press-
dental; the net increase over the pre-
vious year being l,+O2. During The
year S,l36 post offices were established
and 1,734 discontinued. The total mum.
Der Of appointments during the year
was 49, l66 and the total number Of
cases acted on 27b6O, Of which s,06S
were in cases Of removals The en-
ployes in the postal service handled
lt,O5O,554 pieces of domestic registered
mail during the year with the incon-
siderable loss Of per cent. In every
Its
Gen. Maxwell, in bis report smpha-
sizes the necessity shat The public
should report every depreciation ppoa
the mails whether 1t relates 10 regis.
tered or ordinary matter and guarantees
for every complaint received The ear
nest attention Of the department. Dur
Ing The year SO, ST. complaints were r.
eeived affecting the ordinary malt,
sl,lSl of these referring 10 letters and
aS,6o6 to packages.a decrease OF l.sSa,ss
compared with last year. The figures
given In the report touching upon
burglaries, burnings, wrecks etc., show
1850 burned and 1921 burglarised, ~
increase in dspredations and casualties
Of this nature, ss compared With the
previous year. The report treats Of
collections Of money made through The
post Office Inspectors and u n shown
that such collections during the year
amounted 10 ele5, 1904, IN increase
over the previous year. Gen. Maxwell
cautions the public against sending
valuable enclosures In the foreign or
dinasy mail for, while the international
mail facilities afforded under govern.
ment protection have the entire conf
dence Of the people, the records made
Of such mail in transit are mesger and
greatly diminish the possibility Of
tracing articles and locating losses.
The number Of arrests for ohenses
against the postal laws was zoos The
total number Of post Office burglars sr-
rested was 1851 and 3S4 Of the arrests
were persons not connected with the
postal service.
Gen. Maxwell urges the necessity of
increased appropriation for the pay
ment Of rewards and promising the
best results looking to the conviction
OF such criminals.
The report concludes with brief
history OF several Of the most impor-
tant cases successfully prosecuted dur.
ing the year by inspectors, among the
number being that Of the trial and con.
viction Of Rev. G. r. Howard, n Jack.
son, Tenn. the Leroy Harris cssa; The
attempted robbery Of the mail ear a
the Kansas 4 Arkansas Valley rsil.
road at Seminole station; the appfs.
hension Of the letter boz thhves,
Tiller, Stratton and Bstwia;
the Charles Ford case Of Port Huron,
Mich; the conspiracy Of Robsrt Lee,
Texas, and the well known Organised
gang OF swindlers that for . time opss.
ated 80 successfully In North Csrolina.
/ In addition 10 the recon mcnd tons
on the subject Of rewards Gen. Max.
we'll urges the necessity OF more strin,
gent statutes bearing upon The green
goods and obscene matter.