Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1901-08-03
MAIL THIEF NABBE0.
POstofice Inspectors Captured Rob-
ert |, Sunder Early This
Morning,
Right CHIEF CLERK At DtPoL

II
/ February the merchants and people Ne
general ~ Albuquerque have hccn com
/ planning 90 the pCstoiilcu officials that
their mail rvmittunCcH tu eastern firms
aud friends would never reach their
destinations and they were being sub
! icctcd in consequence to great annoy
nncc.
The complaints wore 90 numerous
that the department at Washington
sent out This positive order Co Chief
Inspector sullivan. of the Denver a.
vision Catch that thief" and in
consequence of that imperative De-.
mand Pugtollcr Inspectors Uuran aud
Smthoru we're detailed ON the case
The two inspectors arrived ln the
city last ThurlGay night and im
mpdiatoly begun their Investigations.
having this aud that man vino handled
the malls either 10 the local pustufigc
aud from The mail hos at the depot un.
der suspicion they worked on the
case day and night since last Thurs.
day. and this morning. 40 3 o'clock
with niisputcd evidence Of hts guilt
on his person iu the finding or rcsoalud
letters. they arrested Robert T.. sun
nor the night chiof clerk az the Santa
Pc railway depot lie signed his stigma.
tufc uf confession Co many doproda.
lions and was promptly locked mp in a
cell az The county Jail
The INSPECTOR believe. from the
number ~ complaints which have
reached them ana the department
since sumner started his thicying that
noarly a thousand letters have been
stolen aud then destroyed by burning
in the stove Ut tn depot baggage room
once. ana aH low estimate over 81.
900 in money distracted from the let
tors. a few days ago sumner. among
other letters taken from The depot mail
box. abstracted one OF the Wells. Far
go Express cumpany'a which contained
fourteen express money orders aud
these be- burned up.
II is stated that during the past
month over 300 letters. deposited In
the depot mail boz. have been tampor
cd with burned up or rcsoalcd, and
that the fellows stealing for last
month alone viii amount Ia several
hundred loilars
Sunnor'R plan was to look over the
letters LETT on thu Dillcc desk of the
depot baggage room after the mail had
been taken from the depot mail box,
and 10 hold back % number Of letters
plenty OF time and opportunity to do
his work. when he opened letters aud
found therein the actual currency he
would pocket the money and destroy
the envelopes and letters II the let
tors contained checks. drafts or money
orders. ho would not hold these 90
have them casheI for fear OF being
detected, but would destroy them the
same as the letters and envelopes. II
he opened letters without value he
would resonl them and mail them on
the outgoing postal cars for their dcs-
tinations.
The inspectors are TO be congratu.
lated on bngging this thief. and right
here Is a good opportunity 10 say that
they were ably assisted in locating
aud capturing the right man by Fred,
Fornon deputy United states mar.
shall: Ben. Williams, special railway
officer. and T. W. Pate the railway
agent. who were On deck at the depot
and watched the maneuyers of sun
npr. which finally landed him behind
the bars Of the county Jail
In his work last night Sumner gave
! himself completely away as the let.
l tcrs found al the baggage room office
would indicate There were ATTY odd
letters In bis charge. and Of these he
had opened regpaled and destroyed
about thirty, among which were two
| "dccoy" letters IN one 81 the test
/ letter envelopes there had been placed
/ a 81 hill and a silver half dollar. This
was addressed 20 a lady In Santa Re, In
care OF the ghCrin there. who prcyiuos.
/ ly had had stolen from one uf her let
| ters S. The other test letter was adj
/ dressed 60 the wife Of "A Ration gentle
man. who had had stolen from a letter
addressed To her few days ago $40
! bin. In this letter was placed 81 bill
and two silver quurtcrs For some rca.
| son sumner did not take the dccoy
| money he was after bigger amounts
! but In rel facing the money and reseni-
/ ing these wO particular letters he got
! the silver u the wrong envelopes. and
the scheme worked so well that Sun
npr. ON being accused Immediately con
/ fcsscd.
The rumor that ne had considerable
money on his person when arrested is
a mistake. and Summers acquaintancoa
are wondering what he did with the
stolen money. unless he has 'HaitHd
Il away Ne is reported not to have
! gamhlod. hut would occasionally touch
the flowing howl and la consequence
get drunk
Agent Pate. Ia talking about Sumner
this morning stated that hc filled thf
position Of night chief clerk AT the de-
Dot and attended 90 the transfer flc
Is about 33 years Of age. has wifi
and two children, residing a. No. 5ld
south broadway ana was No ] mhn
to attend 60 the duii". .aaignru aim M
the depot. ;ic was quick aud a hustler
al his work and Mr.. Pate vas greatly
surprised when the Investigations into
the RtralinEs were fastened upon sun
nor. tie came bore, some say direct
frnm the klondikc whore he lost a few
hundred dollars in mining about eight
cen months ago. relieving sam. John
son. who resigned as night chief clerk
sumner H. originally from Moheriy Mo.
whore his mother brothers and sister
now reside
HOUND OVER
! The preliminary hearing nf tobor
/. sumner. who was arrested early tins
morning uy government officials tul
. ahstfacting money from letters mailed
at the depot took place this Afternoon
! at the court house before Unite,
states Commissioner H. a. Whiting
aud he was bound over 90 await th'
, action of the next United states gran'