The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-26
HkRnls,s rosr oTrIos sW1vDln.
mseaiiSa " the rnFeuiess Rosue,s Disoharrs
from the Prison In Jel,st.

ENon the 50. Louts Globe. Democrat.
JOLIET, Ill.,, Dec. 1s.-In the criminal history
Of this country there arc few parallels to the
case Of Leroy Harris, n convict released from
tho Joliet prison this morning. Harris was the |
originator of a novel plan to rob tho Govern
mcnt, by concoctinR q scheme for swindlIng
the Post Offices OF the country that was 30
skillfully carried out that ho had obtained
some $1,000 Of Uncle Sans money before any
one knew q cent was missing. 1t took six days
to carry out the plan, and when he drew the last
money he had apparently done everything he
had planned and had abandoned the work,
leaving, as Il seemed, not n clue to his identity.
Harris visited tho Httlo town Of Noroton
Heights, Conn.,, where q credulous general
storekcepcr was also the Postmaster. He
made the Postmaster believe him to be an in.
spector of the money .ordor department. 1t was
n clever ruse no worked on the old man. which
can DO compared only with his success in carry
ing out his plan and the sensation no created
when he, was later arrested at Buffalo. n. Y.
leading citizen OF tho place as well. few days
before the arrival Of Harris in the town that
section had been visited with a severe Atlantic
in and had worked n couple of days breaking
roads and, burrowing q, way into town, .Satur-
lasSo in any great numbers, and they kept the
Postmaster and his wife busy handing out mail
Pened when Leroy Harris. with his cool New
York check, reached the office and store, the
fact. the best days trade for many a week. Ho
found time, however, to hear HAIRLESS story.
and nSir Exhibited STbie d' several eSeSaiAf i@po %f Wie X pnaicciai
documents to show that whit he said was
t true; t The n, p%rpos opd Of his hss y y ne os f fSid N %ss 10
Heights Post Office: because it was doing such
a small business; Tho Postmaster said 1t was
a matter of indifference to him whether the
money order portion OF the office was continued
or not. and that at any rate he could not spare
TO- go into tho office and do the business him:
S %antod this he w' did 'u ss the hS %aa invita-. Harris Hs
checked up tho business. packed up the blank
envelopes, and the Office 81 stamp. and tofiiciaiiy
declared, to the s%toreful Of folk. that the money
SIies d %ps aIoend. OF h the MSfot tbis H neSs sp rosi
Quickly in the town, there we're some who asked
for money order; in the following few days. and
no money orders for sale. and added that he
was glad OF II, because 1t was a nuisance, and
the remuneration wna small.
This news had become old in the town when
some ono of the patrons Of the office received n
advice which tailed with 1t. The order was
presented for payment, but the Postmaster re-
besides, his office was not a money order office.
The patron uttered a kick and insisted on hav-
inS h't that %oh he san aaH w wrote to sn %a a1SiMtoSet c 50
planning all the circumstances and requested
them to remove their "dod.gasted, old Post
o'hNS aioh, Ao o'o's" eAo ""y VAN "aeN
was first discovered.
While tbs was going on Leroy Lei S,, Harris Ri. was ,Ss
ysrded, the sdy tessI 70 dfteen different Mt Post
In a money order the name of the payee is
never written. the orders always reading, pay
order is signed by the remitting Postmaster.
In the advice the name of the payee Is always
cation can oI be- waived, and in these Cases it is
always SO indicated on the advice. Harris
made out some forty orders for 800 each. the
highest amount for which an order can be
drawn, and in all the advices inserted the clause
waving Identification.
yelopes and then started out to collect them.
The offices on which he had drawn orders were
n%ecticut to Illinois, Orders wore drawn on Fort
WAYNE and VALPARAISO, Ind. Decatur. Joliet
p psG I an rom as'SN!l Orot nli f HsisS days Hssri his pre- %s
scented himself at the Lasalle Post Office and
ffkef ha p ? Post on s%e d Gdd nos h foT S she m saSS
Harris waited for the office to take in enough tc
next day he received the money for the second
order, and almost at the same hour Capt. Stuart
s swindl Ies On the N % aeasfHf eis Eas P &Stnnss OF 'n'
stuart instantly telegraphed to all money
% S.asS @n'f flights hts'n adrice a1' 2 Ge0 learned sar ed'' that
two orders had Just been Gashed at L a
facts he" he COULD siti' and then put It'll the secret SCI Service
men on the hunt f.. the criminal. HarEi'
paTtse NTH ad { s,ish to h It's d GS ilmIPl and Of ihi Si as
"0ne of his legs is shorter than 1t ought TO be-
The , secret !. service men We're r., soon 500 on = q hot no
partment who was known to have a leg that was
shorter than it really ought to be. 1t vas
merly been chief clerk at Station L in New
ton tailed exactly. and he was tracked and
finally run to earth at Buffalo. but was not cap
r rnisaed until Sefo9 "fte the " t fifhsi states G x%s as
sioner. and when asked to stand up and hold VI
and held the court and officers at bay Will,
he backed out OF the room and dartet
skipped to Canada, but was. afterward ut
re ted at Niagara Falls and taken to Chicago
where the United States Court convicted anC
sentenced him to n ~tive.year term at Jolie
Prison. When arrested Harris had nearl!
So, 600 concealed on his person, which wa
taken from him by Inspector Stuart. Harris
recently brought suit against the inspector t
recover this money, claiming it was not thu
money stolen from tho Government, but thu
case was decided against him.