The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-28
WAS MRS. BRYAN CURIoUSi
ARRESTED ron OPENING LETTERa
IN HER POST OFFICE.

The Penses OF sIiddIencid, Mnsa.. HAD Ceupfi.
cations In Love and Church Aanirs ssa
Henry rense says That Mrs. Brynn Took
Sides as rostmistress ana Opened Letters.
CHESTER Mas, July 27.-A woman's ~curiosi.
~ is the motive which is said to have actuatod
Mrs. Mona l., Bryan, Postmistrcss at Middle
neld, TO open letters in transit through her ONCE.
She was arrested this morning In that hamlet by
United States Deputy Marshal Waters on Q
warrant from the office of Commissioners Fiske
In Boston.
Mrs. Bryan is 80 years old. She went from
Florence, near Northampton. to Middlehold
nine years ago and married william II. ltowcn.
Both Mr.. and Mrs. Rowen went to work for J.
{. Bryan, who was Postmaster and owncr Of the
grocery store In which tho Post Office was situ-
atod. Bryan sold out the store to liowen. who
was appointed Postmaster under the Cleveland
Administration
ltowcn died suddenly last October. He was
sick only one day. Mrs. Rowon was appointed
acting Postmaster, furnishing s%uroties. Six
months after her husbands death Mrs. Rowen
married ID. c. Bryan. brother OF the Postmaster
for whom she and her first husband formerly
worked. The crcmon was performed on April
%. 1897. Bryan is u mail carrier on the star
route" between Bancroft Post Office and Mid
dloicld. In June his wife was appointed Post
mistress OF Middlofcid.
Asher Peasc and son are farmers In Middle
field. They mako maple sugar and syrup. Henry
3. Pease. the son. Is the complainant In this
case. He notified the department that his mail
was being tempered with, md Inspector White
made a preliminary Investigation, which salts
fed him that the complaints were founded on
facts. He put In test letters and they wore
opened. Inspectors White and Snow then inter
viewed Mrs. Bryan.
II ia nlle,raI that abe Arat d,niol tho oponin~
Of letters, then admitted 1t t~earfully whom con-
fronted with the evidence OF the decoy. Mira
Bryan was brought to Chester and taken to
Springfield cid. She denies that she confessed to
the Government inspectors, and says that the
charges are the result OF conspiracy. She do
clares that she will fight the case to the end.
Two years ago Albert Pease, a brother. OF tho
SS99 n m pM n,cntm was = sMyEiSsSSP Mai dSss, company mp Who T h1s Miss Miss
moved to Dalton, md the townspeople were in
formed that Miss ,Meacham gave Albert the
Gertrude Jones. daughter OF the West Worthinst
ton Postmaster.
to find out whether Albert was engaged TO May
or Gertrude. and how bis love affairs were get
ting on generally. Albert married Miss Ger
A church quarrel is also mixed into this case.
Up to last August the Rev. L. c; kimball was
stands opposite Tp o the POST ONCE. lie Became I'M.
popular With a certain faction headed by the
taken by the Rev. Herbert A. Youtz. The
church Is badly split in consequence and a large
party threatens to secede and organize q now
society.
A young woman in the Kimball household was
courted BY ono Of the Pease boys, but she did
not like him well enough to marry him, and the
kimballs became estransed from the Peases,
Mrs. Bryan favored the retention of Pastor Kim
ball. The Peases have not bought groceries at
her store for a long time. making 1t q point to 20
six miles to Chester for their family supplies.
Mrs. Bryan is under $500 bonds. She receives
no salary as Postmistress, her remuneration
coming from stamp sales, which amount to
about 500 n year. The complainant. Henry
Pcase. was President of the Middlefeld Chris
tian Endeayor Society last year. Mrs. Bryan
was taken before Commissioner Rice in Spring
field by Deputy Marshal Waters. She pleaded
not guilty, waived examination, and was or
dered to furnish bonds in $500.
Ncwhall Smith. who had come from Middle.
field with her. furnished the surety. Then Mrs;
Bryan went home to Middlefeld. The United
States Grand Jury will meet In September In
Boston and listen to the evidence against her.