Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-05-27
ARRESTED BY
U. S. OFFICERS
Baggage Man Who Opened
Letters of Others
WAS A VERlTABLE MANIA
In the Past Two Years He Admits
Opening Thousands of Them-.Did
Not Take Much Money.
WAS A VERlTABLE MANIA

Chicago, May 27.-The Chronicle says:
An innate desire to investigate the writ
ten contents of letters intrusted to his
care as ~baggageman of a Michigan Cen
trail train, running between Chicago and
Grand Rapids, was the cause Of the
downfall of l.. N. Washburn who is now
in the custody of the United States postal
authorities, charged with robbing mail
sacks of portions of their contents. Such
| is the reason he himself gives. The pris-
oner has been in the employ of the Michl-
gan Central company for is years and
was regarded as a trustworthy and eX-
pert baggageman. He has made his
home in New Buffalo. and is said to be
the only support of two elderly sisters.
He was given a hearing before United
States Commissioner Mason and after
admitting his guilt, was held to appear
before the federal grand jury in bonds
to the amount of $500. Being unable
to furnish sureties to this amount. he
was given into the custody Of the United
States marshal and locked up in the
county Jail. There he will remain until
fall at least. as he was held to the Oc-
tober grand jury. 0
It is estimated by Major Stewart,
postal Inspector, and his assistants that
Washburn opened fully 10000 letters dur
ing his trips from Chicago and Grand
Rapids since October, 1897. He claims
that he did not profit in a financial way
through his misdeeds, but was prompted
by an uncomfortable desire to read the
contents of every letter given into his
charge. He says his steS>bngs in money
will not exceed 5000 but this portion Of his
confession is doubted by the postal au-
thorities, who claim to be certain that
Washburn rifled letters containing $71
in two days, in addition to $12 in marked
bills which We're found in his possession
at the time of the arrest.
The prisoner was most submissive
when taken before the United States
commissioner. When the postal officials
had finished relating the details of his
arrests and the methods which he had
resorted to take the letters from the bags,
he admitted everything and asked to be
sent to the penitentiary Immediately. In
the written confession which was offered
in evidence, but not made public, the
prisoner admitted that he had removed
a lock from one of the pouches and had
a duplicate key, made in a lOcksmith's
shop.
In his statement to the commissioner
Washburn denied that he had made a
practice of stealing money from the let
tiers which he opened. Some of the COM
munications. he said. We're so pathetic
that he inclosed them money in another
envelope and forwarded them to the ad-
dress given. Almost a score of such let
ters which had ben re-addressed in the
defendants own handwriting were offer
ed in evidence at the hearing.
Washburn acknowledged further that
he greatly enjoyed reading the love let
ters and others of a touching nature.
This form of mania, he said, had con-
tinued for over IS months.
Although it may be true that Wash
burn stole no more than 5000, the postal
authorities claim that he destroyed drafts
and checks amounting to several times
that sum. While he may have secured
money and fnoney-orders, which when
converted into cash amounted to ST., 900
or 500 1000 and may have returned to needy
persons an amount reaching $40, 900, it is
estimated that he destroyed commercial
paper representing thousands of dollars.
On April of this year the government
abolished the system Of waving identif-
cation on the signatures on the back of
money orders. Consequently since April
l Washburn has not carried on a thriving
business. Prior to that time it is esti-
mated that in six cases out of every ten,
Identification was waived on money or
ders.