The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-07-29
HEARING IN THE MoNTRosE
PosToFFIcE GAZE.
Government Adds Little of an Incrim-
mating Nature to the testimony
Previously Outlined in The Trib-
une-The Defense by Its Cross-Ex-
animation Tends to Show That
Postmaster Stoddard and Clerk
Mack Are Quite as Much Open to
Suspicion as the Accused.

ters, took place yesterday afternoon
before Commissioner George d. Tay-
lor at his office in the Liberty building.
The evidence of the government tend
ing to establish the facts outlined
previously in The Tribune was pre-
sented and when the prosecution rested
the defense simply asked to have the
bail continued and the case set for the
Scranton term, mex. March. This was
done. A. b. Burns. fathcr-in-law of
the accused, continued rs bordsman in
the sum of 81 1000.
Those who expected 10 hear some
new and startling testimony from the
governments side were wholly disap-
pointed. Nothing more than the cir
cumstantial evidence. r'inted in the
papers at the time of the arrest. was
brought out, and this was shown by
the defendants attorneys to be not al
together without its weak points.
The governments case was COM
prsed in this: Bostwlck usually at
tended to the registered letters and
admits being the one. and as far as he
knows the only one who handled the
decoy letter which was rihed in tho
| Montrose postoffice some time between
5 o'clock in the afternoon of July and
o'clock in the morning of the next
| day.
| DEFENSE IS A DENIAL.
The defense is a plain denial of all
| knowledge of the theft. augmented by
| evidence to show that Postmaster w.
r. Stoddard and Stamping Clerk Fred.
| Mack also had access to the letter and
| that each was alone in the office for
| more or less extended time during the
period that the letter remained in the
| office. 1t was even shown, by an ad-
| mission, that Postmaster Stoddard
went to the office at II o'clock on the
night that the letter was there. There
was no intention on the part of the
| defense to shift the accusation to the
postmaster's shoulders, but simply to
show the possibilities of others having
committed the crime. Mr.. Stoddard
was accompanied by Attorney Little
| when he made this visit to the post
office and remained only a few min
| utes.
A number of the close friends and
relatives of the accused, including his
wife and her father, A. r. Burns, one
of the most prominent men of Mont
rose, were present at the hearing. In
spector Hugh ]. German and John d.
Myers, assistant United States district
attorney, were the only representatives
of the prosecution present. The de-
fense was looked after by eX-District
Attorney w. ID. Ainey, of Susquehanna
county, and Attorney Milton w. Lowry
c. II. Crocker, postal clerk on the
narrow guage road running between
Tunkhannock and Montrose, was the
first witness called. He told of In.
spector German mailing the decoy re.
gister letter on his car on the after.
noon of July 6 and witnessing the
opening of the letter uDon it's return
to his car the next morning. 1t con.
tained a s. and four 81 bills when II
| was mailed and when il came bach
after having gone through the Mont,
rose post office the s. bill was missing
His attention was called the in
spector to the fact that the registered
letter was stuck to the inside of thu
registry envelope in which it was en-
close, evidencng, as it was intended
to show, that mucilage had been useC
on the package during the time tha
it was in the Montrose post office.
Inspector German. the next witness
described in detail his work on tn
case and particulars of the sendn,
Of the decoy letter. The first com
, plant of losses from letters goin,
! through the Montrose Office was trans
mitted to him from the chief inspec
tors office at Washington, on July 2e
! 1898. a few weeks after Postmaste
, | Stoddard with Mr.. Bostwick, his as
sistant took charge.
COMPLAINTS CONTINUED.
The complaints continued to come Il
right along and up to the time of MI
/, Bostwick's arrest they numbered abou
twenty-five. The pifering range
from II cents to 800. Sometimes tn
whole enclosure would be taken ou
of a letter but in most instances onl
, a portion would be abstracted. Near
ly every letter that was rihed wa
directed to Burchardville, Rush, Ell
Lake, Springville, Heart Lake or som
! | other small office connected with Mont
: rose by star route.
= The circumstances and the nspeC
> tors long experience in such matter
, told him that the pilferings were oc
2 curing at night in the office i'm whic
I the mail to and from these smalle
towns was made up. a couple G
weeks We're spent by the inspector a
p Montrose looking into the manner /
which the office was conducted and tn
personal habits of the postmaster an
his two employees.
I. He then made up a decoy letter an
sent it through the office. 1t was ad
dressed to Stephen p. Henry, of Forks
ton, and purported to be from Spring
Vile, which, two post offices inter
change mail through Montrose. TIL
letter and the registry envelope er
closing it were postmarked at Spring
vile with the date type removed frol
the stamper leaving the date blanl
in order that the inspector might us
it at any time he saw fit
on July 6 his plan was matured an
after inserting the proper date in II
, postmark with type which he has 9
q hand for just this purpose. he enclose
the letter in the registry envelop
. sealed it, ana boarding the postal ca
l at South Montrose, deposited 1t in II
a Montrose pouch and followed the pouc
to the Montrose office.
5 The next morning, at Sis o'cloC
s when the pouch from Montrose to Il
narrow guage postal route was return
i ed, Inspector German was at han
D Agent Croker opened it In his car b.
fore the train started out, the deco
d letter was there as expected with Il
o rest of the Forkston mail. On the su
face It appeared to be in exactly II
same condition as when it was plac,
in the Montrose pouch the previous a
ternoon, but when II was cut open al
letter extracted ard also cut op
the $5 bill was found 10 be missing.
Z IT WAS OPENED.