Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1899-05-28
OPENED MANY LETTERS.
a n.szaErmaa ca shs sSi.hi~-- C-rsr-l
Read Osfs inis TrsaA...

hszzaErmal ca ths uishir-a g-rtrsl
Road Gets Into Traal...
Chicago. May IA desire 20 inves.i-
gate the contents u letters intrus,ed 10
ms care a. baggageman % a Michigan
Central train running between Chicago
and Grand Rapids was the cause q the
downfall Il Lens washfurn. who il
now IN the custody ~ the United States
posia' authorities charged with robbing
mail sacks Of portions n their coutsLia
such Is the reason he himself givea
The prisoner has been in the employ
Of The Michigan Central for Is years
and was regarded a. a Trustworthy and
upright baggageman. He has made bis
home In New Buffalo. and Il said 10 be
the only support Of two elder sisters
He was given hearing before United
stats 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
10 furnish sureties 20 this amount he
wa given into thelrustoey Of the United
states marshal AMI locked up In the
county jail There he will remain until
fall a. least a. he was held 10 the Octo-
Der grand jury.
II Is estimated by Major Stuart pos
tai inspector. and his assistants. J. J.
Larmour and d. L Fraser. that Wash
burn opened fully 5000 letters during
his trips from Chicago and Grand Rapids
since October. 1897. He claims that he
did not profit IN financial way through
his misioing. but was prompted by an
uncomfortable desire 10 read the con-
tents Of every letter given into his
charge. He says his stealings In money
will not exceed t2OO. but this portion Of
hts confession Is doubted by the postal
authorities who claim 70 b. certain that
Washburn rihed letters containing Oh
In two days. In addition 70 si2 In marked
bills which were found in his possession
AZ the time Of his arrest
The prisoner was most submissive
when taken before the commissioner.
When The postal authorities had finished
relating the details Of his arrest and the
methods which be had adopted 10 take
letters from the pouches Washburn ad.
United The very thing and asked 10 b.
given trial Immediately and sent C
the penitentiary without delay In the
written confession which was offered in
evidence bur not made public. the pris.
oner 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 b the commissioner
Washburn denied that he had made a
practice d stealing money from the lot.
ters which lac opened. Some Of them.
be said were sopathetic that he inclosed
the money IN another envelope and for.
warded them 20 the address given. Al.
most a score u these letters which had
been readdressed were offered In eyi.
dence at the hearing Washburn &C.
knowledged further that he greatly en-.
loyed reading the love letters and Others
u touching nature This form Of
mania. he said. had continued for over
IL months.
Although Il may he true that Wash
burn stole no more than 500. the postal
authorities claim that he DESTROYED
drafts and checks amounting % several
times that sum While he NAV have
secured money and money orders. which
when converted into cash. amounted 10
$1,000 or $4,000. and may have return
ed b needy persons an amount reaching
$1,000, Il Is estimated that he destroyed
commercial paper representing thou
sands %; dollars
On April the government abolished I
the system - waving Identification on
the signature on the back Of money or.
ders Consequently since Aprili Wash. |
burn has not carried on a thriving busi. /
hess Prior 30 that time il is estimated
that in six cases out Of ten. Identified.
ton was waived on orders.