Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1901-07-29
MAIL THIEF NABBED.
Inspectors Captured Rob-
ert L. Sumner Early This
Morning,
NIGHT CHIEF CLERK AT DEfOT.

limos a year. an | especially since last
February, the merchants and people In
general Of Albuquerque have been con
planning tn the pCstoflicc officials that
their mail rcmittanCes to eastern firms
and friends would never reach their
destinations and they were being sub
Jected in consequence to great annoy
nee.
The complaints were so numerous,
that the department mt Washington
sent out this positive order to Chief
Inspector sullivan. of the Denver d.
vision: Catch that thief" and In
consequence of that imperative de-
mand P~ostoifice Inspectors Doran and
Smlthers We're detailed on the case.
The " inspectors arrived In the
city last Thursday night and i'm.
mediately begun their Investigations.
having this and that man who handled
the mails either at the local p~ostoilce
and from the mail box at the depot I'M.
der suspicion. They worked on the
case day and night since last Thurs.
day, and this morning. at 3 o'clock.
with indisputed evidence OF his guilt
on his person In the finding or resealed
letters. they arrested Robert l.. Sun.
ner, the night chief clerk ut the Santa
re railway depot. lie signed his sigma
turc of confession to many depreda-
lions, and was promptly locked up in n
cell ut the county Jail.
The inspectors believe, from the
number of complaints which have
reached them and the department
since Sumner started his thieving, that
nearly n thousand letters have been
stolen and hen destroyed by burning
IL. tho uNAsH. - sI.- la.,s . .-..
Office, aud as "A low estimate over ST.
400 In money distracted from the let
tors. A few days ago sumner, among
other letters taken from the depot mail
box, distracted one of the Wells, Far
go Express company's which contained
fourteen express money orders and
these he burned up.
II Is stated tina during the past
month over $50 letters, deposited in
the depot mail box, have beer tamper-
cd with, burned up or rosealed, and
that the fellows stealing for last
hundred dollars.
summers plan was to look over the
letters left on the Office desk of the
depot baggage room after the mail had
been taken from the depot mail box,
hiAh w h'ih bu'h ~ huilbtl VI ltlltlN
from n train % another, giving him
plenty of time and opportunity To do
his work. When he opened letters and
found therein the actual currency he
would pocket the money and destroy
the envelopes and letters. II the let
tiers contained checks, drafts or money |
orders, he would not hold these to
have them casheI for fear of being
1afaRfaH lntt would Iaatpnr thap. shn |
anne AS the letters and envelopes. II
he opened letters without value he
would reseal them and mail them on
the outgoing postal cars for their des- |
t%inations.
The inspectors are to be cOngratu-
lated On bagging this thief, and right
here is a good opportunity to say that
they We're ably assisted in locating
and capturing the right mar by Fred.
FurnOn. deputy United States mar
shall; Ben. Williams, special railway |
and 4. w. Pate, the railway
agent, who We're On deck at the depot
and watched the maneuyers OF sun |
ncr, which finally landed him behind
the bars OF the county jail,
In his work last night Sumner gave |
himself completely away. as the let
tiers found at the baggage room office
would indicate. There were fifty odd
letters In bis charge. and OF these he
had opened, resealed and destroyed
about thirty. among which were two
letters. In one of the test
envelopes there had been placed
A 81 bill and IA silver half dollar. This
VAS addressed to n lady in Santa Fe, In
OF the sheriff there, who %proyiuos-
~ had had stolen from n of her let
.ers s.. The other test letter was Id
dressed to the wife OF a Ration gentle
who had had stolen from a letter
addressed TO her a few days ago a $40
dill. In this letter was placed a 81 bill
and two silver quarters. For some rea-
son Sumner did not take the decoy
nOney-he was after bigger amounts
tut in replacing the money and reseal-
ng these two particular letters he got
silver In the wrong envelopes, and
scheme worked so well that Sun
Ter, on being accused Immediately con
The rumOr that he had considerable
money on his person when arrested IL
mistake, and Summers acquaintances
are wondering what he did with the
stolen money, unless he has sailed"
4 away. He IL reported not to have
gambled, but would occasionally touch
he flowing bowl and In consequence
get drunk.
Agent Pate, in talking about Sumner
his morning stated that he filled the
of night chief clerk at the de-
and attended TO the transfer. lie
about 33 years Of age. has a wife
md two children, residing at No. 5l5
Broadway, and was a No. l man
20 attend to the duties assigned him at