Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-04-03
R0BBlNG THE MAIL.
Mrs. Annie Morton of West
NewfeId So Charged.
Taken to Portland, Where She Plead
Guilty and is Bound Over.
Story Of Her Crime and How Caught BY
Inspector Snow.

| ION, assistant pOSt1llStreSS dt NeSt
Newtield, was arraigned before United
States Commissioner Bradley, in Port
land. Thursday. on the charge OF en-
bezzlement. She pleaded guilty and
| was bound over in $500 bonds to await
the action of the grand jury.
Mrs. Morton secured as bondsmen
| Esreff II. Banks. ex-postmaster of
Biddeford. who is relative of hers.
| The story of her crime was told as
| follows by the Portland Argus Of
| April ,:
Wednesday night United States Of
J ficers went to West Newield, to arrest
an unfortunate woman who has been an
assistant to the postmaster at that
place.
For months Post Office Inspector w.
b. Snow has been in this State. AMI his
attention vas first called to the West
NeWiieii postoilice about one year
| ago.
There was a fire in the office at the
lime and the greater part of the con-
tents of the postofficc We're burned
There We're suspicious circumstances
N'iiitCN W. Win tti'' nv So inspector
Snow wa>s sent down to investigate.
He learned that a MIS-. Annie Nor
ton was in charge of the office at the
time. The postmaster was Mr.. Frank
w. Corson. Il farmer, who owing to a
| stress OF other business did rot attend
| to The duties Of the office
1t did not take the inspector long to
learn that there was shortage in
| that office.
| At first it was said that the amount
| was SIS.
| So the inspector hit upon scheme
to trap Mrs. Morton, who is a grass
! widow, and who he thought knew
| alout the money.
| The inspector wrote a letter over in
| New Hampshire at East Wakefield
addressed to r. H. White & Co. and
| addressed to that firm in one of its
printed envelopes.
| The envelope contained four dollars
in marked bills and a 50-cent piece in
| sffXer The inspector also caused to be
sent a package containing marked
pocket book, said pocket book being
| marked but containing no money.
| The inspector followed the pouches
| from West Newfield to East Wakefield
and back. and early in the morning
upon the arrival of the stage at West
| Newfield he was at the post office in
time to intercept the pouch and he
| found that the letter addressed to r. PHI
White & Co. had not been sent
| Neither had the packag containing the
pocket book been sent
+ The inspector then thought it was
l a hDl1f time IN act hA ~
| the East Wakefield Office and inquired
where the postmistress was.
He was informed that she was at
breakfast.
The inspector waited and Mrs. Nor
ton soon returned and he went back to
West Newfield
What became of that Letter addressed
to r. II. White & Coz" asked the in
spector.
What letter." she asked
This is no time for fooling,'' said the
inspector, you know we'll enough
what l mean"
The postmistress lifted up a book
and pulled out the letter addressed to
r. H. White & Co.
why didn't you send it along?"
asked the inspector
why in handling it felt as if there
was money in it,, said the postmis-
tress.
AS there was only a tWo-cent stamp
on the envelope she thought there had
been a mistake and that somebody
would call for it.
But where is the package, LADY,"
asked the inspector.
''Oh, yes, there was a package left
here. but l thought it was left through
mistake"
The inspector then asked where her
money order cash book was, and she
replied that it was at her home.
well then send to the house and get
it, said the inspector
The woman did so and it was found
that she was $4i6S2 short.
She produced $52 when she should
have produced $o00S2.
In the meantime the post Office de-
partment had been appraised of some
peculiar letter writing. The informa-
ton came via this letter:
The Third Assistant Postmaster Cen
eral, Washington, d. c.:
The person writing the endorsed let
ter purporting to be postmistress at
w est NeNlleIO- Me-, Is WfltlnS 70
number of people OF means such letters
as the one now sent you. If your office
wishes to take cognizance of the mat
ter you can easily find out whether she
is q fraud or not. Yours.
JAMES J. CONE.
The annexed correspondence follows:
To the Honorable II. A. Maxwell
Fourth Asst Postmaster General:
Dear Sir-I send you herewith a let
ter dated the Eth of March, addressed
to me by James j. Cone of Canon City,
Col, with an accompaniment which he
seems to think involves the use of the
mails for fraudulent purposes by one
Annie Morton of West Newlield, Me
Mrs. Morton in her letter processes to
be postmaster at West Newfield, but
this seems to be a misstatement, Mr..
Frank w. Corson appearing upon the
records of your office as holding that
position. Respectfully.
MADISON DAVIS.
Third Asst. Postmaster General.