The Meeker herald., 1897-11-06
GAVE UP THE MONEY.
$4,000 MAIL PACKAGE REc0v.
Erred.
AoagAtoa. the Thief, Gives In 70 Hia
Old Mothers Entreaty-Detaiis Of Hi
Crime.

Cheyenne, WyO., Oct O.-Walter II.
Houghton, who confessed yesterday
to stealing registered package from
the United States mails containing
$4,000. this morning gave up $l4,1OO
Of the money to United States Marshal
McDermOtt. and decided to throw
himself on the mercy of the court. In
the hope of receiving as light a pun
ishment as possible for his crime.
Mabel Hunt. alias Mabel Foster. who
Is In Denver. will be prosecuted by the
United States authorities for taking
1900 from Houghton. knowing the
same to have been stolen.
The story Of the riding the registered
mail pouch, as told by Houghton in
the presence OF United States Marshal
McDermott. United States Attorney
Clark. United States Commissioner T..
j. Fisher. Postoffice Inspector A. =.
Frederick and City Detectives Burlew
and Loomis is in substance as follows:
Some time ago the woman May
Foster told HoughtOn that II at any
time he should come upon something
good In the mails and could take 1t 10
do so. and promised TO marry him upon
that condition. He was at that time,
of course. ignorant of the fact that
she had already one husband.
On September Both. when little
ways out from Cheyenne. Houghton
discovered that he had in the car a
registered pouch for which he had
given no receipt. and Immediately
realized his opportunity for carrying
out the Foster woman's suggestion.
After a slight struggle with himself
he decided to do the thing. and about
half way up the divide. before reaching
Sherman. he cut open the pouch. but
did not examine the contents until af-
ter the train had passed Laramie. The
registered package containing $4,000
and one containing the watch and
jewelry lay In the bottom, and on top
of these were twenty-fou other pack
ages OF merchandise. among which
was an unregistered letter enclosing
500 in bills. This. with the valuable
packages. Houghton left and began
to destroy the evidences of his crime.
The merchandise consisted chiefly Of
dry goods from Chicago firms. The
only way to get rid Of all this and the
pouch was to burn them in the stove.
and this he did. but there was so much
OF the stuff that he was Obliged to
empty the pan three times along the
route At last everything was de
stroyed except the copper rivcts and
the rotary lock. The lock is little
machine that registers Il new number
every time the pouch is opened. and is
used 80 detecting any tampering with
the mails along the line. as the num-
her marked at the starting point Is
noted by the clerk of the postoftice
from which the mail bag starts and IS
compared with the figures counted Mt
the end Of the run.
The problem of how to get rid Of the
bits OF metal seemed n difficult one.
hut was finally solved by the young
thief as the train passed over the
North Platte near Fort Steele before
reaching Rnwlins. He dropped them
into the river.
AZ soon as HouEhton got back tn
Cheyenne he went to his home, at Zig
Evans street. and hid the money In
the chicken house. where 1t was sub
seouently recovered with the exception
Of 500. which he gave to May Foster.
The 500 from the unregistered letter
Houghton spent for himself.