Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-03-13
A POSTMASTER ACCUSED.
SERIOUS CHARGE MADE AGAINST e
F. 6OGeRT, WlLkESeARRE.
Government Detectives Trap Him While
in the Act of Reading Letters Address
ed to Business Men-Sensation Created
by His Arrest-Under 81 900 Bail.

by His Arrest-Under $4,000 Bail.
Postmaster Edward f. Bogert, of
| Wikesbarre, was arrested about mid
night Thursday night on the charge of
tampering with the emails by United
States Inspector Hugh German and two
acting as clerk in the postoffice, and
soon after the Baltimore and Washing
ton malls had been distributed Thursday
night he saw Mr. Bogert take some
letters from the various boxes, go into
his private Office and pull down the
blinds.
The detective then gave the signal
for Inspector German and the other de-
tectives to enter. They came in quietly
and the three went at once to Bogert's
Office and entered. They found him at
his desk with, it is said y three letters
addressed to prominent business men
before him. Al were opened.
He was escorted to his home, and later
Deputy United States Marshal Bacha-
rach served warrant. The hearing
WdS iltiu III u nIbtu DldltS NOIl
Hahn's Office at 3 o'clock Friday morn
ing, and Mr.. Bogert was held under
$4,000 bail, Attorney John 4. Lenahan
becoming his bondsman. The warrant
charges him with opening letters ad
dressed to Liddon Flick, editor of the
Times Inspector German took charge
of the postoilice, and later Mr. Bogert's
rooms at the Leadcr office, of which
paper he is the proprietor, were search
ed.
Mr. Bogert'S paper next evening said
the public should not criticise until all
the facts are known.
Experts are at work on Bogert's
books. 1t is not believed he took money
from the mail that passed through his
hands. He had been led, it is said, to be-
lieve that scheme was on foot to oust
him from office, and he imagined he
knew the parties who were at the bottom
of the plot. He blames number of
Republican politicians, and it was the
letters addressed to those parties that
he is alleged to have opened.
HOW BoGERT WAS TRAPPED
1t is stated that complaint was made
to the government some months ago by
business men that some letters were
never received, and that some looked as
if they had been opened. Two secret
service men were detailed on the case
under Inspector German, but for some
time they found it difficult to get one of
their men into the office without arons-
ing the suspicion of the postmaster that
he was being watched. Some weeks ago
Mr.. Bogert complained to the postal au-
thorities that his force was not of suf-
iicient size to handle the mail expedi-
tiously, and requested that he be given
an extra man.
The department said an extra man
living at Scranton would be put on.
This man was one Of the detectives, and
he started work on the night force two
or three weeks ago, and since then, it is
said, has kept constant watch upon
Mr.. Bogcrt.
Inspector German was very reticent.
He said, however, Il believe Mr..
Bogert has been under suspicion for sew
eral months, and complaints arrived at
the department frequently. 1t took
considerable time to work up the case,
and much credit is due the young man
who performed his part on the inside"
WHY THE ARREST WAS MADE.
II. 7. Gregory, one of the two post
office inspectors from Washington and
who collected the evidence and made
out the arrest, said:
"H. j. German, the other inspector
who was detailed by the government
to work on this case in conjunction with