The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-09-24
MAIL OF THE MILLIONS
ANNUAL REPORT OF FOURTH
ASSISTANT POSTMASTER
GENERAL.
STATISTICS OF THE SERVICE

There Are Now 10000 POstofFices in
the United States, 2, ,f22 OF them Hav-
ing Been Established Durins the PAST
Year-En the Matter of New Post-
offices Oklahoma Leads and Virginia
FoIlOws-Remrka0 Die Increase in the
Number of Train Robberles.
WASHINGTON, d. c., Sept. 23.-The
annual report of the Fourth Assistant
Postmaster General shows that the num-
Der Of offices in operation in the
United States on June 80, 1895, was
70,004 Of these Sc, $50 were fourth
class Offices and 504 presidential, being
an increase over the last fiscal year of
259
During the year 2, 422 post-of1ices were
established and 2, 163 discontinued. The
total number of appointments for the
year was 13, 342 and the total number
of cases acted upon 17,688. The num-
Der of changes made on account Of
deaths of postmasters was 769.
During the year the greatest increase
in the number of post-offioes was IN
Oklahoma with 629 Virginia follows
Sc and Indian Territory with go. Nine
teen States show a decrease in the mum
Der of po3t-offices, the greatest loss oc-
curing in Kansas -53; South Carolina
losing A, and Iowa and West Virginia
80 each. Fifteen other States show
loss of from 9 to 81 each.
50, $40 complaints affecting the ordin-
ary mail were received during the year;
81, $40 referring to letters and 27, 697 to
packages. This shows an increase of
1909 over last year Ofthe total Of com
plants received, 46, 481 have been inves-
tigated No loss occurred in 1864 of
these causes. Some special classes Of
cases to which the inspectors are giving
much attention are those Of robberieS of
post-offices, burning OF pOst-offices,
wrecks of postal cars, and highway rob
berry Of mail messengers, mail stages and
and railway postal cars; and the figures
submitted in the report show that the de-
predations and casualtiet ms these classes
of cases are gradually on the increase, al
though the increase is not so uniform as
during the preceding year. A gratifying
decrease in the number Of pOstofice
burglaries is noted, but highway robbery
of the nails has increased somewhat.
Train robbers have grown more bold and
row do not hesitate to ply their voc2tions
in the older States and near large cities,
one of the most daring of last years
train robberies, the Aqua Greek case,
having cen committed within few
miles Of the City of Washington.
Under the head of foreign cases the
report emphasizes the superiority Of the
registry system of the United States over
that of most foreign countries.
During the year there were 2, ,240 ar
rests for offenses against the postal laws.
of which 175 were p0stmasters, forty as
sistant postmasters, fifty clerks in post
Offices, twelve railway posCoffice clerks,
thirty seven letter carriers, fifty two mail
carriers, and twenty eight were employed
in minor positions in the postal service.
The concluding pages Of the report
are devoted to series of sketches of
important cases. Gen. Maxwell uses
strong language in referring to the
escape of Killoran, Allen and Russell
from the Ludlow street jail, New York,
their apprehension having been a matter
Of great Importance to the department.