The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-08-06
A SHREWD sWINDLE.
leroy Harris Empersonation OF
PostofIice Inspector

Postofice Inspector.
former postofhce inspector yesterday
in discussing the Hamlet case. recalled an
imposture by means of which a man nam
ed Leroy Harris. who pretended to be an
inspector, got possession of large sums Of
money In six days he obtained more than
$4,000 and then disappeared He was ar
rested later and has just finished his term
IN Joliet prison. The story as the ex-in-
speetor told il follows:
Leroy Harris obtained possession of an
inspectors commission and other papers
and visited the little town of Noroton
Heights, Conn, where it so happened the
postmaster was the keeper of the general
store. Harris told the postmaster the pur-
pose Of his visit was TO close the InoneY
order business OF the postoffsce. as il was
doing such a small business that the de-
partment was not justified in continuing il
1T so happeHed that some days before
the country had besn inflicted with first
class blizzard and the worthy Connecticut
farmers had just succeeded in burrowing
their way to the general store al Noroton
Heights. In consequence the postmaster
was very busy. and. as he was making
more money on the orders for calico and
sugar than he was on the postoffice and
lis money orders, he declared he didn t
care If the department closed the money
order business and the postoffice along
with it,
$50 Harris took possession of the money
order business of the postoffice, balanced
the books, collected what money there was
in sight, and quietly disappeared with the
money, books, stamps, and other parapher-
MALTA employed III the business.
Some days later a money order was re-
eeived by a citizen of Noroton Heights and
he presented it TO the postmaster for pay
ment. When refused he insisted, until
at length the postmaster wrote to the
Postmaster General demanding that he
should remove the postcfice from his
store. The Postmaster General referred
the letter to the Fourt Assistant, who
smelt rat and put boEa-fide inspector
on the case.
Meanwhile Leroy Harris was exercising
his ingenuity in getting money orders
cashed. There is a 800 limit on money
orders, so Harris filed out forty or more
orders On different offices for 500 each
On the money orders the statement reads:
Pay &c the person named in my letter of
advice, while in the letter of advice the
name OF the person is given, although iden-
tification is waived al the Request of the
remitter. So Harris filed out fifteen money
orders and advices and forwarded the lat
Chicago. The Offices were sDrinkled be-
tween Connecticut and Illinois. The let
tiers OF advice were filled in and sent in de-
Partment envelopes, so the postmaster who
received them never entertained a suspi-
cion but what they were regular orders
Captain Stuart inspector in charge at
Chicago. was notified OF the swindle at
Noroton Heights and asked the postmas-
tiers in his territory 10 look out for the
two orders at Lasalle. ILL.,, and put the Sc
cret Service on the track Of the criminal.
Harris was slightly lame and walked with
a limp. 1t was learned that a man with
such leg had formerly been chief clerk al
Station L. New York city. and that he could
not then be found Harris, however, was
finally located in Buffalo and taken before
q United States Commissioner for examina-
ton.
When he was requested 10 hold up his
hand 10 be sworn he held Up his hand all
right but in it was a revolver OF large
calibre with which he covered the COM
missioner and postoffice inspectors while
he slowly backed through the door. He
fed 10 Canada. but later was recaptured
81 Niagara Falls and taken TO Chicago.
where he was sentenced to FIVE years in
Joliet
About 81. 500 was found on his person
when arrested and later he brought suit
for its recovery, claiming it was not the
property OF the Government, but the case
went against him.