The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-12-05
STOLE A PosToFFIcE.
How the Burnett Brothers of Okla hona Played It on Uncle Sam.

One of the strangest cases of alleged fraud has 'he seea Brought to light through the instrumentality of Postonice Inspector R. M. Hosford of Wichita and Fl A. Beoee of Oklahoma City It is story that is stranger than fiction. that is recited in dispatch from Oklahoma City.
 County. He had regular commission as such from the Postoffice Department. He conspired with his sIR is, S.sn a set the post offica at that place. Both running country stores at Bain and Longwood, postoftiees
 R. F. Burnett proposed to his brother to sase the initials in his commission and sub bain and insert Longwood. It was 2 unique and daring proposition and the brothers fell in with it. They did the work 90 cleverly thai when G. W. Burnett went to Postmaster e. H. Pellman at Longwood and told him that he had been appointed to succeed him. Mir. Pellman turned the office over to nm without protest. He could not doubt that he lad been removed in view of the commits sion Burnett showed to him.
 Stors last lure and has continued there ever since After this bold stroke 1t was necessary Eo deceive the Postoffice Department at Wash lngtonf This was also accomplished by G: " Burnett forging the name Of George A. Fei,- the department. The postofice at Longwood continued to be run in this manner for several months, the department not knowing that Mr. Pellman had ceased to be postmaster.
 To complicate matters R. F. Burnett appoint ed the Longwood usurper assistant postmaster at Bain and the usurper in turn appointed R. F Burnett assistant postmaster at Longwood After this they actually sWopped postonices, R. F. going to Longwood and G. W. going to Bain
 When Postmaster Pellman turned over the postoffice at Longwood to Burnett, the fraud ulent appointee, he turned over with 1t all stamps money orders. supplies, and cash on hand Burnett used these for his own ad- vantage.
 The two brothers entered into a conspiracy to defraud on a larger scale. They ordered goods at Kansas City. Memphis and other wholesale centers, and when the bills matured they placed money to the amount due in reg istered letters, sealed and mailed them before witnesses The envelopes. of course. would be riied in the office, and when they reached the wholesale houses in bad shape all that would be in them would be a note stating that the sum due was inclosed In this way they committed considerable fraud.
 At one time the Burnetts became alarmed over their own actions and skipped the coun- try, going into the Cherokee nation, where they remained for several weeks They soon ventured out again and resumed their offices and their old methods.
 While they were absent somebody made com plaint against them, and that is what first at tracted the attention of the department to their cases and caused the investigation that led to the above facts.
 Both men were decoyed into Ponca City where a confession is said to have been ob- tained from them after being arrested. The confession is said to be a story of the weird and wonderful details, containing some very extraordinary romances. It Is stated how the conspiracy was conceived and executed, how the commission of R. F. Burnett was changed in favor of G. W. Burnett, how freely the old postmaster gave up his oHlce and other in- cidents of the conspiracy.
 The authorities say that no two Of the tn- numerable postoffice frauds in the history of the department have been exactly alike and that this one is different from any crime here tofore committed It was in effect, they say,