The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-08-22
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
PRESENTS STRONG CASE
AGAINST HARVEY S. ROGERS
DENIES ANY KNOWLEDGE
OF CONCEALED LETTERS
Postoffice Inspector Gregory Relates
the Manner in Which He Trapped
Rogers With "Test" Letters-Postage
Stamps of Various Denominations
Found in Rogers Room.

United States Commissioner Abbott
yesterday held that the evidence sub
mitted by the government against Har-
vey S. Rogers, a Minneapolis mail clerk,
on the charge of "secreting and en-
beZzling from the United States mails"
was sufficient to warrant the defendant
being held to the federal grand which
convenes in this city, Sept. 2. Bail
was fixed at $4,000.
The preliminary hearing was taken
up yesterday afternoon before United
States Commissioner Abbott, Assistant
United States Attorney Al J. Smith ap-
pearing for the government, and At
torneys Bond and Armstrong for the
defendant.
The first witness called for the gov
eminent was Postoffice Inspector Har-
Vey I. Gregory, who arrived in st.
Paul. Aug. 6, and reported to Chief In
spector Fosness, who assigned him to
the case Aug. Z, during which time up
until Aug. 10, he had labored assidu-
ously with remarkable success.
Trapped by "Test" Letters.
Without referring to notes, depend
ing entirely upon his memory, Greg
DRY gave detailed report of his ac-
lions for the two weeks in which he
worked on the case. He told how in
the presence of Assistant Superin-
tendent of Mails J. G. Walker, he had
prepared the test" letters with which
Rogers was trapped.
The letters were directed to Eta M.
Nichols, Sandstone, Mimi, and John C..
Deaktn, Shakopee. Mimi The former
contained two 81 silver certificates.
end the latter four 81 silver ceftif-
1cates. These letters were mailed reg
ularly in the office, and should have
been dispatched on certain trains dur
ing the afternoon. Inspector Gregory
was waiting at the trilins when the
mail pouch from the postoffice arrived,
and on going through the contents
these two particular letters did not
show up.
This led to the suspicion of Mr..
Rogers, as he was the person who
handled these letters after they had
been mailed at the Office by Assistant
Superintendent Of Mail Walker. who
watched the letters through their pro-
cess of reaching Rogers; after they
had gotten into his hands the vigil
ance of the assistant superintendent,
so far as the letters were concerned,
ceased,and from then on he devoted
his attention to watching the actions
of Rogers.
Thirty-nine Letters Concealed.
Rogers while at work wore a large
apron with pockets in it, and when
he finished his labors for the day he
was seen to roll his apron up and in
stead of placing it in his own locker,
he placed 1t in the locker of one of
the other clerks. Assistant Postmaster
Hughes, learning through Inspector
Gregory that the "test" letters had not
been dispatched on their regular
trains, called Rogers into his private
Office and asked him regarding his
methods of dispatching mails.
= Rogers told of the manner he had in
Il handling the mails which was in ac-
cord with the regular instructions.
= While Rogers was closeted with the
assistant postmaster, Inspector Greg
DRY appeared on the scene and ac-
cused Rogers of having intercepted the
test letters. This Rogers stoutly
denied. He was searched, but nothing
was found on his person. His apron
was brought in, which he identified as
belonging to him and the one he usu-
ally wore, and in it was found the two
test letters together with thirty
seven others.
Stamps Found in His Room.
Rogers denied any knowledge of how
the letters had gotten into the pockets
of his apron He was then taken to
his room and everything there was
searched, which resulted in the find
ing of 1886 in postage stamps of vari-
Gus denominations. He claimed that
these stamps had been sent him by his
mother and others, while he was in the
Philippines with the Thirteenth Min
nesota.
Col. c. Nice. Reeve and John IT.
Chambers signed the bail bond.