Arizona republican., 1898-08-07
BOLD STAMP ROBBERY.
A Clerk in the Chicago PoSfoffiCe
 Has Skipped.

officials have just unearthed a daring theft of postage stamps in the Chi cago postoffice. A total of 1000 l. cent stamps have been stolen and the Ithief-a trusted official of the postoffice at Chicago-has decamped.
 It is an interesting story, this theft. and shows deep cunning on the part of the culprit and skillful work on the part of the officials here
 In 1896 the stamp agency here in Washington was notified by the Chi cago postofice that it was short in 1 and 2-cent stamps, that it was short for S2,o0e worth of 1-cent stamps and $4,- 900 worth of 2-cent stamps After the usual red tape the consignment was made and the postmaster at the windy city was charged with s6,00O.
 A short time elapsed, when a tele-
 gram came from the Chicago office announcing mistake in the shipment. Instead of s4,O00 worth of 2-cent stamps, but $2,OOO worth had been re- ceived. A letter following the tele- gram announced the mistake evidently due to one package which, while pur- porting to contain 2-cent stamps, real fly scontained 1-cent stamps. The shortage was 100000, or representing i$2,o30. The stamp agency here denied absolutely making the error, and the bureau Of engraving and printing showed conclusfvely it was impossible for it to make such big mistake The case dragged fer some time, until finally it was dropped and the post master allowed credit for S2,000 which he averred he never received But this did not satisfy the officials here. While they could not prevent the entry which balanced the postmas- ter's account, they nevertheless be- l1eved that there had been stealing somewhere along the line. No postal inspector at that time was even called in to. investigate, and soon the matter was forgotten But the stamp agent here felt the stigma that had been put upon it by the action of the depart ment and the contention of the Chi cago postmaster, and resolved to change materially the method of checking. so that in the future 1t would be practically impossible for such a
 mistake to occur.
 ! This is the way he arranged it. When an order came in for 1-cent stamps he required that the seal of the agency inclosing the package be of the corresponding color of the stamps. This was also required of the other denominations He even went further. checking with a correspond 1rg colored pencil the packages. His ' labor seemed in vain, for months 1 lapsed into years and discrepancies occurred. The Chicago office was par ticularly watched, but the clean re- port and the even way the office had
 of doing business disarmed suspicion and pretty soon the incident of 1896 was almost entirely forgotten.
 l short time ago, just as summer
 came along, a requisition came from the Chicago office for stamps. It was ] for exactly the same amount as had
 been asked for in 1896. and the agency clerks here were reminded of the in- cldent once more. The superinten- dent. as was his custom. continued tc
 check with the stamp colored seal and
 the .cOlOred pencil. The stamps were
 sent away by the next express and for l weeks nothing was heard. One day +0ward the latter part of June a tele-
 rlam arrived at the postofice derart- nent announcing mistake of s200C in the amount of stamps sent. It
 was from the Chicago office and the
 suspicion that had been smolderine
 since 1896 broke out into a flame. Tel egrapllic inquiries disclosed the fact
 that the loss was identical with the
 one Of two years ago
 1 A package of 100000 2-cent stamps l had turned out to be a package Of l.
 cent stamps. Was it a mistake this
 time? the officials asked each other.
 The stamp agency said no, and fol- lowed up it's denial with a request That 1 the bundle be immediately returned
 After few days back came tne bun
 dle purporting to be the orieinai pack
 age without even the seal broken On the first glarce it did look as # a rois-
 take had occurred. and the postuffice
 officials thought there could be nc
 doubt Of it. Not so with the starr
 agency.
 The surerintendent saw at a glance his pencil mark stopped short where
 the encircling stamp met it. This
 was strange, since it had always beer his distinct purpose to have the pen Gil mark run entirely through the
 stamp. more minute investigation
 disclosed the fact that the binder stamp was not the proper color of tn, pencil mark. A magnifying glas showed that the original stamp hat
 been covered by another stamp ant
 that the package had certainly bee,
 opened. These views were communi cated to the proper officials and tn, department immediately instituted al investigation through one Of the post
 office inspectors
 At first he said there could not DOS lsibiy be anything in the case Hat
 not clerk in the Chicaeo postoffic, called him in one day when opening
 a package of stamps, and showed hin
 through the ends the denomination o the contents, andS had he not with hi
 own eyes seen, after his attention hat
 been called to it by the clerk, that tn
 encircling stamp had not even beer
 broken. He explained further hoy
 the clerk in question had called hi
 particular attention to the package
 with all it's markings, and how he hat
 satisfied him that the stamp had no