The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-12-30
LEROY HARRIS.


master. He made the postmaster believe
him to be an inspector of the money or.
der department.
The postmaster and storekeeper was
the leading citizen of the place as we'll.
A few days before the arrival of Harris
in the town that section had been visit
ed with severe Atlantic snowstorm.
All the farmers had been "snowed ill.,,
and Saturday was the first day they had
reached the village in any great num-
bers. So it happened when Leroy Har-
ris reached the office and store the post
master was doing rushing business.
He found time, however, to hear Har
ris' story. Harris told the postmaster he
was an inspector and exhibited several
imposing looking official documents to
show that what he said was true. The
purpose of his visit, he said, was to
close the money order business OF the
Noroton Heights postoffice, because it
was doing such small business. The
postmaster said it was matter of in
difference to him whether the money
order portion of the office was continued
or not, and that at any rate he could
not spare time from his mercantile bust
ness to check up with the inspector. He
invited him, however, to go into the
office and do the business himself This
was Just the opportunity Harris wanted.
He did as he was invited. He checked
up the business, packed up the blank
money orders, advices and special de-
partment envelopes and the Office stamp,
and officially declared to the storeful OF
folk that the money order department
of the Noroton Heights postoffice was
closed. This news spread quickly IN the
town and had become old when some
one of the patrons of the office received
money order. and the postmaster re-
ceived the advice which tailed with 1T.
The order was presented for payment,
but the postmaster refused it, said he
had no money to pay it, and besides his
office was not money order office. The
patron uttered kick and insisted on
having his money and worried the post
master SO much that he finally wrote to
Washington, explaining all the circum-
stances, and requested them to remove
their "dod gasted" old postoffice from
his store. In this way the swindle was
first discovered.
While this was going on Leroy Harris
sas most diligently employed. de titled
ouths money orders, payable to him.
self, lad forwarded the advices TO 10
differeit postoffices between New YORK
and Chicago. Harris made out some 4o
orders for $100och, the highest amount
for which an ordr can be drawn and
in all the advices inserted the clause
waving Identification.
y He forwarded tle orders Ill depart
ment envelopes anG then started out to
collect them. The offices on which he
had drawn orders wee sprinkled on the
map in every state fr,m Connecticut to
Illinois. Orders wert drawn on Fort
Wayne and Valparaiso, Ind; Decatur,
Joliet, Peoria AID La!alle, Ills. Five
days after his departure from Norotoi
Heights Harris presented himself at tine
Lasalle postoffice and asked payment on
two orders for 500 each. The Lasalle
postmaster did not have the money &c
pay them both. He paid one, however,
and Harris waited for the Office to take
in enough to pay the other order. Short
ly after noon ON the next day he re-
oeived the mouey for the second order
md alwcsts = Se same hour Captain
otor at Chicago, was
le on the oredulous
Master.
'egraphed to al