The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-05-24
MEN WHO STEAL MAIL
A PoSTOFFlcg INSPECTOR TALKS OF
A RECENT CANVASS.

During the past six months our me
have had more work on hand tha
woEld seem possible fer such a limite
number TO handle, said Colonel M. II
Wheeler, chief of the postofiice inspect
ors, recently.
"We have just completed thorough
inspection of all presidential postoffice
IN the United States in addition TO on,
regular case work, which alone ordi
narily keeps the inspectors going Ola,
and night.
There are nearly 1000 presidential
postoifices i'll this country, and some are
very large offices. While it may seen
easy 10 say make an inspection of IN
Office, yet il is quite another matter tC
properly complete. For instance, take q
large Office like New York city or Chi.
cago. To make thorough inspection of
such an Office requires the constant serv-
ices Of half dozen good inspectors for
a week or so. This will give all idea of
the task which confronts an inspector
when it becomes necessary to check up
big Office Of the first class. We had
trouble with the st. Louis Office because
the cashier tried to conceal deficit of
some $i5, 200. but the inspectors finally
got down to the facts and the money
was collected. In several other offices
we also found something of the same
nature, but in every instance we have
collected the amount of the shortage
and the government has not lost dol
lar.
: "Tbe postofiice burglar gives us a
great deal of trouble. His advent in the
annals Of crime is but recent, yet he is
a type peculiar to himself, and it would
seem he has come to stay. Postoffice
burglars, as a rule, are the most desper-
ate characters, possessing every cum
ming and alike ready to seize on any
chance to lift bundle Of stock or
crack safe-any method suits them
IL 1t will enable them to get the boo
die. The plunder is usually in postage
stamps, which are disposed of through
the medium of fence, the burglar
seldom realizing more than 40 per cent
OF the real value of the stolen stock. yet
with this heavy discount the occupa-
tion seems alluring and consequently
keeps our men constantly on the alert.
This class OF depreciation became so
common that I found it necessary in
1894 TO call especial attention to it in
my annual report and recommend to
tho postmaster general that series of |
rewards be cffeIed for the apprehension
OF these criminals. The suggestion was
adopted and has materially aided our
men in feyTeting ont the perpetrators.
We now have an annual appropriation
frcp coHssess for this purpose, and for
the past three years the number Of bur-
glaries has fallen of in q slight degree. |
That the burglar is still at work, how
ever, is attested by the fact that 53
were captured during March and April,
although my opinion is that the general
result foS the fiscal year will show still
another decrease in the aggregate of
postofiice robberies.
IF fellow who has studied the &C.
nus had tho time and ability to put his
ideas on paper" Colonel Wheeler went
on TO observe, "a very interesting chap
ter in the history of crime could be
made from that unfortunate trait in hu-
man nature which suddenly transforms
the tried and trusted postal employee
into thief. do not believe there is
another service wherein so many cases
are fou.,1 as in the postal service of this
country.
/, "Of Course thousands Of men are EN-.
ploye3, 2nd il is but natural that weak
ones should find positions Of trust and
then go wrong. But we still have an-
other class - men who usually work
from the lowest positions in an Office to
the highest; men who have been known
for years to be as honest as the day is
long. Suddenly we receive complaints
of losses or Of discrepancies, and then
1t becomes necessary to apply the test
In great many instances. however, we
find the trouble to be in quarters differ
ent than expected, but frequently the
facts show that another name passes to
the page Of dishonor, prison and ruin.
when thief once begins operations
on the mails, the element Of chance is
too great to resist, and it is that one
fact which leads to his ultimate discov-
cry. This is the hardest and most try
ing part Of an inspectors duty, for fre.
quently it happens he is called upon to
test man whom he has known for
years to be all that an honest man can
be; yet withal duty is plain, il harsh, |
and nothing but duty remains to the in. |
spector's choice.
Those cases are very distressing,
and the desperation which actuates |
some Of the principals when discovered |
is truly lamentable and pitiable in the |
extreme. have received reports Of some
men attempting suicide, Of others who |
attacked the inspectors with murderous
intent In several cases postmasters |
have killed themselves outright upon
The discovery Of some crookedness, and |
] now recall one instance wherein q
postmaster killed himself i'm most bru. |
tai manner by using q butcher knife. |
These are only the extremes, however,
and as arule these people are very doc
lie and tractable upon discovery. Dur
ing March and April we arrested 13