Barre evening enterprise. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-1898, 1898-04-22
OFFICIAL PAUL PRYS.
POSTAL SNEAK THIEVES OF THE
FRENCH GOVERNMENT.

Opening Letters--With q Little Patience
They Overcome Gum, Sealing Wax or
Metal Fastener.
The incident which occurred in the
French cham Der concerning the viola
ton Of the secrecy of q letter addressed
to N. DclcasFe by high official of the
ministry Of marine bas stirred the pub
lie, which ia surprised that such pro-
ceodings take place under the third ro-
public. Created in 1880, the cabinet
Ioir was a permanent office under
Louis Philippe and Napoleon III, WHIT
used and abused it in order to learn the
political secrets of their opponents. 1t
was generally believed by the public
that the office had long been suppressed
by the present government But after
the incident mentioned those who still
believe in 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 imprudent as to write their in
most thoughts concerning any politician
in power will lie wise no longer to i'm
ngine that letter which arrives ut its
destination apparently unopened has
net loen read by a third party. AS is
we'll known, it is also easy for an of1i-
cial to learn the secrets Of the telephone
by applying lis car to tho receivers at
the central tGice, and 10y so doing to
intercept phrases which are both in
structive and amusing. Tt now appears
that tho rcstcf1ice officials also give
themselves Up to tie delicate pleasure
of satisfying their curiosity.
They employ 20 different methods in
order TO assuaeo their professional in
cuisitivcrees. If en- envelope is closed
in tho ordinary manner Iy thin layer
Of gum, toy have the choice Of two
systcms--v hcn tho paper is tough and
strong t.cy zip with great Irccaution
q very thiM 1T nCt cutting llaGe be-
tween the two CCnlaed parts, and with
little practice they are seen able TO
separate tie paper without any tear;
when tic tnvt lope is thin and brit
tie they open it by the primitive and
hcmoly means Of steam. These proceed
IllES GlO tAllLIJNI.J anu lllC NOl
rcsrcndonce Of many masters and mis-
trcsscs las often been slyly treated in
tie sfl O way ly al inquisitive domes-
tic. IEis industry requires very little
skill, and the Only capital nect sary is
u small amount Ct patience. he more
suspicious individuals fastcn their let
tors with sealing wax and imagine that
they arc consequently perfectly safe
from Gry surrcptitiCus alta X. The
officials Ct tie cabinet noir, however,
are ret 60 easily defeated. Iy judi
ciously hendirg and twisting the part
of the roper surrounding the seal they
gradually dttach the latter, which final
Il very thin layer Of paper adho1ing tc
| it. After exam iEirg Tie Ccntents CT the
letter they replace tho seal intact at the
exact place which it previously Cccu-
pied, and both the sender and receive!
Of the letter remain in biissful ilno-
rance Of their maneuvers.
Other CorlcfrCndentss even more sus'
ricious, GRE not satisfied with gum ano
wax, hut supplement them by small
metal fastener, which is guaranteed by
fits inventor to render any tampering
with lotterimrossible This, although
its efficacy is tar from that promised by
the stationers, certainly complicates the
work CT the intrudng oficial, lie rises
| to the Circumstance, however, and aftel
carefully removing the stan p and max
! ing cross cut Cn the square from
which is las ECtn removed he intro.
duc,s q sIuall steel inst1un ent with a
special heck at the extremity. 7 his
hook strips q Cclntr Of the letter, and hy
care fully tN visiting the sheet found the
ettnl Of the instrument it can Ia finally
extracted without any apparent INJURY
If by chance Gao note PAPER Is refractory
and cannot be twisted ewing to itastCut
ness, the operator cuts tie tntlle length
of one side Ct the envelope. The con
tents no easily obtained in this man
ner, Eut the reclosing Of the envelope
requires mich delioaoy CT Workmanship
and Is, III taet almost worthy of al
artist About q miliimetGr CT each Of
the cut edges is carefully folded Inward
gummei and rGssed tcgetEIr until dry
This phase Of he work, although rather
Gifit nit to Il novice, is seen acquired BY
practice.
There gro many other tricks employ
ed, some Ct which speak volumes fol
human ingenuity. 1t sometimes hap
pens, nevcrthe less. that q letter batlle
all tho skill ard experience Of the entire
department. In that case their means
are rough and ready-they suppress j
altogether. he exterior appearance G.
the letter addressed to M. Delcasse be
trayed tho work Of the Cabinet Noir
This roves net lack Of skill Of those III
trusted with such an important Int I'm
de1htnl duty, but simply negligence. -
London Globe.
Tho Critic Answered.
An acute critic calls attention II
what he styles an incloganco in a lead
ing article of Tie Eliot. 1t is that il