The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1897-02-10
SOLD STOLEN STAMPS.


A Clerk In the General Land once at
Washington is Arrested on Serious
Charge.
NEW YORK, Feb. AFTER years of
hard work it is now said that the post
Office authorities have succeeded in
running to earth a band of thieves
which has been robbing the govern
ment of stamps at the rate of $100, 900 a
year for many years back, The first
arrest was made Wednesday in this
city and it will be followed up, it is
said, by the arrest of the others in the
gang. The man who was arrested is
Hamilton F. Coleman, clerk in the
chief clerks department in the gen.
eral land Office in Washington. He was
arrested on telegram from Washing
ton. Over $1,000 worth of stamps were
found on his person. The stamps are
known as periodical" stamps. They
ranged in value from one cent to 500.
A number of these sets of stamps
are sent to each postmaster every year.
When publishing house presents 1000
pounds of published matter, for in
stance, the postmaster gives it a re-
ceipt for the postage paid and cancels
stamps amounting in full value to that
sum. These stamps are returned can
celled to headquarters in Washington.
A new issue of these stamps was or
dered in 1894. Before that time an is.
sue had not been made since about
1875. The collectors of postage stamps
are eager for the stamps and always
have been, and the stamps have been
stolen and sold to them. The face
value Of set of the stamps is $9O4.47
The market price is said to have been
almost twice that much, so that the
thieves who have been stealing them
have been making small fortunes.
1t is against one of the statutes of
the United States to have these stamps
in ones possession, the supposition
being that as they are never for cir
culation and not intended to leave the
hands of the authorities, the persons
who have them must necessarily have
stolen them. Coleman was taken be-
fore Commissioner Shields Post Office
Inspector Morris made an affidavit that
Coleman had received these stamps
from one Randolph j. Albrecht, and
that he had them in his possession in
violation of the law. The commission.
er set his examination for next Wed.
nesday and fixed the bail at So, 900.
Coleman said he was innocent, that
the stamps were his property and that
he could prove his innocence. The de.
tectives in this city said they knew but
little about the true nature of the story
behind the arrest. They refused to
tell who Albrecht was.
Coleman has friends in this city.
From what they say it appears that
the stamps found upon Coleman were
sold to Rudolph f. Albrecht, local
dealer in stamps, about three weeks
ago, by A. G. Townsend, philatelist,
of Washington. When Mr.. Albrecht
sought to dispose of the stamps, in.
quiry as to how he came by them was
instituted by the philatelic papers.
"hOLC uiu buCoO oIdulp6 COuG
from?" these papers asked. at is
against the law for Albrecht to have
them"
Then Mr. Albrecht took counsel with
friends and wrote to Townsend about
the matter The result was that Cole
man came to this city to take up the
stamps sent, which he did and was ar.
rested few moments after he had re.
ceived them from Mr.. Albrecht.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 4.-Post office de.
partment officials refuse to discuss the
arrest of Coleman. He practiced de.
eeption to get away from his desk and
go to New York. Tuesday morning he
presented telegram to his chief clerk
which announced that his father was
dying and the chief granted him leave
of absence.