Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-04-28
OFFICIAL PAUL PRYS.
POSTAL SNEAK THIEVES or TIE
FRENCH Government.

Delicate Methods Employed By Them IN
Opening Lctters-with a Little Patience
They Overcome Gum, Sealing Wax or
Metal Fastener.
Tie incident which occurred in thc
french Chamber concerning the viola
tion OF tie secrecy of q letter addressed
to N. DelcGsse by high official Of the
ministry Of marine has stirred the pub
he, which is surprised :hat such pro.
ceedlngs take place under the third re.
public. Created in 1850, the cabinet
nolr was o Permanent office under
Louis Philippe and Napoleon III, who
used and abused it in order to learn the
political secrets of their opponents II
was generally believed by the public
that the Office had long been suppressed
~ the present government. But after
The incident mentioned those who still
beiieve III the secrecy of the post, Of the
telegraph or of the telephone exhibit an
incredible credulity which is extremely
rare at this fin de steele. Those who
are so lmprudent rs to write their in.
most thoughts concerning any politician
IN power will be wise no longer to i'm
asine that letter wlAh arrives at its
destination apparently unopened has
not been read by a third party. As is
well known, it is also easy for an off.
clal to learn the secrets Of the telephone
by applying his ear to the receivers at
the central Office, and by SO doing to
intercept phrases which are both in
structive and amusing. 1t now appears
that the postoiiico officials also give
themselves up to the delicate pleasure
OF satisfying their curiosity.
They employ 20 different methods in
order to assuage their professional in
| qulsitlvoness If an envelope is closed
IN the ordinary manner IS thin LAYER
CT gum, they have the choice Of two
systems-when the PAPER is tough and
strong they slip with great precaution
a very thin but not cutting blade be-
tween tho two 9uTmed parts, and with
n iltt!o Practice they are soon abs. TO
separate tho paper without any tear;
when tho envelope is thin and brit.
tie they open it by the primitive and
honieiy means CT steam. These proceed.
in6s arc extremely simple, ard the cor
respondenco of many masters and mis-
tresses las often been slyly treated i,
the sano way by an i3quisitiye Gomes.
tic. This industry requires very little
skill, and the only capital necessary is
small amount CT patience The mere
suspicious individuals fasten their let.
| tiers with sealing wax and imagine that
they arc consequently perfectly safe
from any srrreptitious attack. The
officials OF the cabinet noir, however,
arc net so easily defeated. BY Judi
ciously bending and twisting the par.
OF the paper surrounding the seal they
gradually detach the latter. which final
iy remains unbroken in their hands with
Il very thin layer CT paper adhering to
it. After examining the contents CT the
letter they replace tho seal intact nc the
exact place which it previously cccu.
| pied, and both tho sender and receiver
of the letter remain in LIigsful igno-
| rance of their n3neuvers.
Other correspondents, even more Gus
ploicus, ere not satisfied with gum and
wax, but supplement them by a small
metal fastener, which is guaranteed by
Its inventor to render any tampering
with letter impossible. This, although
Its ct1!cacy IS far from that promised by
the stationers. certainly complexities the
~ork OF the lntruding official. lie rises
to the circumstance, however, and after
carefully removing the stamp ard max
ing cross cut Cn the square from
which 1t has been removed be intro
cuces Q email steel instrument with a
! special hook at the extremity. This
| hook grips corner Of the letter, and by
carefully twisting the sheet round the
stem OF tie instrument it can be finally
extracted without any apparent injury.
Ii by chance the note paper is refractory
and cannot be twisted owing to its stout
Less, the operator cuts the entire length
OF one side Of the envelope. The con-
tents are easily obtained in this man
her, but the rcclosiug Of the envelope
requires i2uch Gelicaoy Of Workmanship
artist. About millimeter Of each Of
the cut edges is carefully folded inward,
gummed aud pressed together Until dry.
This phase of the work, although rather
difficult to novice, is soon acquired by
practice.
There ere many other tricks employ
ed, some Of which speak volumes for
human ingenuity. 1t sometimes hap.
pens, nevertheless, that q letter battles
all the skill and experience Of the entire
department. In that case their means
are rough and ready-they suppress it
altogether. The exterior appearance Of
the letter addressed to NJ. Delcasse be.
trayed the work of the Cabinet Noir.
This proves not lack of skill of those in
trusted with such an important but un-
derhand duty, but simply negligence.
London Globe.
Tho