The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-04-14


the charge of certain. permanent officials
under the direction of the home secretary
and the prime minister for the time be-
Once. and once only. in recent years, has
a minister of the government allowed him
self be drawn into making statement
which admitted that the secrets of the
postoffice were used for political pur-
Such an admission was made in the days
OF the nrst dynamite scare wnen an di 13s
the government of tampering with the cor
respondence of certain Irishmen. Lord
John Manners IN reply, eNaded the Dues
ton in ambiguous manner. but indiS-
postoffice act which empowers the post
office authorities to open and even con-
might reasonably suspect covered some in
fringement of the rules of the department.
distinct branches, the higher and the
and the G d1ts Of the the p af9sr ve are
frequently. as it has to do with the prose-
the postoffice. The great bulk of the rob
berries committed inside the walls of the
postoffice are attempted by the younger
hands and it is for that reason that every
newcomer is occasionally subjected to
keen watching from quarter that he
least suspects.
Quite unknown to him. he is kept under
the observation of keen-eyed watcher,
secret alcove almost within touch of the
s9rter e1bsensehr or i i n6f
and analysed, and it would take a very
game and escape detection.
On the continent the correspondence of
private individuals is liable to the scrutiny
of the police other government agents.
and no secret is made of the fact. But. on
the other hand our officials write ,; mug
while all the time they are perfecting the
fine art of opening letters without leaving
any traces of the operation
Like most clever arts. that of opening a
plicity itself A glance at the quality of
the stationery decides the operator on the
means to be adopted. Some kinds of pa
per will bear the steaminS process with
out leaving any traces. and in that event
having been examined and, if necessary.
copied, they are restored to their envelope;
which is regummed. the flap FURNISHED
with 4 bone instrument
Contrary to general belief the sealed
perl a piece of new bread kneaded into
firm ball is pressed on the seal and the
DDS have been attempted in taking the
design of seals. but the one we have quot
best for the purpose. the bread being clean
and less liable to leave any trace of tam
hardened soon the seal has been
modelled and when the contents i o. the
closed and resealed with the dough mold
envelope 1t IS cut open me operation Is
d delicate one and TO any but an expert
end of the. envelope is held firmly between
. two fiat pieces of wood. The edge or the
Of an inch. The expert passes the back
of his knife rapidly over the end. rough
0nlnS anu HdIlenlnB II. WINE al SqddllN
quick pass with the razOr-like edge cuts
the envelope open. When the contents
are replaced the edges of the envelope are
stuck together with hair line of powerful
gum. submitted TO pressure for a few min
utes. and not in the secret would
guess what had been done.
So long as the flap and seal appear in
tact the receiver is invariably satisfied
Now and then suspicious correspondents
place sand, powder. hairs or other n mute
objects inside the envelope by way OF rest,
but this does not trouble the experS a little
bit He is the lookout for that kind
of dodge. so IS careful to open the en-
Nelope over a large sheet OF pure Wnlte
paper. When these tests fall our they
are carefully collected and restored
The officials in the detective department
can tell some funny stories of their own
astuteness. When the charge of tamper-
ing was made by the Irish members, one