Omaha daily bee., 1902-09-25
ACCUSED OF STEALING MAIL
Two Private Soldiers of Fort OrSOk Held to
Federal Court.
EACH CALLS THE OTHER A P~REvARIcEToR
Evidence Before United States Com
missioner Shows that Registered
Letters Were P~urloined
from POstOHce at Fort.

John A. Palmes and William B. Holbitter,
private soldiers from Fort Crook, were yes
terday bound over to the United States court
by Commissioner Anderson to answer to
charges of embezzling from the mails. A
~bayonet, a rife, a chapel. a church organ,
a chaplain's trunk and a color sergeant all
entered into the scope Of the testimony.
The hearing was further enlivened by
the fact that each man endeavored to shift
all the blame on the other. They were
handcuffed together, so sat before Commits
sioner Anderson side by side and close
together. As soon as Palmes had finished
his story Of the affair Holbitter calmly an
nounced that it was all a lie. He then told
his version and at its conclusion Palmes
said that was all a lie.
Ag a further complication It was de-
veloped that Palmes was already a prisoner,
being at the fort on a sentence for deser-
ton, which does not expire till next June.
In fact, Holbitter was acting as a guard
in charge of Palmes as a prisoner at the
time the alleged purloining of the mails
occurred. Palmes said that Holbitter was
the leader in the matter, and, despite the
guards denial, the commissioner held both
over. Palmes will go back TO finish his
sentence at the fort or else to wait till
arrangements can be made with the War
department to let the United States court
have him sooner for trial. Meanwhile, Hol-
bitter goes to Douglas county Jail on $500
bonds to await the call of the grand jury.
PaImes Tells of the Theft.
According to Palmes' story. on September
5 last he was at work cleaning up the
hallway of the administration building at
the fort. Holbitter was his guard. The
postofice is in, the hallway beside the stair
way. High gates guard the pigeon hole
boxes, so there is no way to reach them
from the floor. but by going up the stairs
a little way one can look over inside.
Palmes says Holbitter asked him to heip
take a registered letter they could see IN
there. Palmes was willing. so Holbitter
went up the stairs and by using his gun,
with bayonet fixed, was able to reach the
pigeon hole and sweep the letter out to
where Palmes could reach between the stats
Of the gate and get 1t.
Then they went upstairs into the chapel
unoccupied at that hour, and opened tht
letter. 1t contained a IS bill. They burned
the letter on top of the chaplain's trunI
and threw the ashes inside 1t. They
then went to the canteen and had the bill
changed. Each took half, and they bought
tobacco and other supplies.
Coming back to finish the work, Holbit.
ter had a bunch to get another letter, and
they did. This contained but 10 cents
They grew careless and did not burn tn,
letter, but put 1t under the organ in thu
chapel, where it was found later and intro.
duced as testimony today.
Palmes' careless talk at the guard hous,
at night exposed him and his guard. TIVE
soldiers had been wondering why theii
money did not come and the post ofnceri
were at a loss TO discover who had beer
pilfering the mail boxes. Color sergean
Sheehy went into the guard house last Fri
day TO pump a prisoner about anothe
matter. From the next cell he overheard
another prisoner say that Palmes haI
plenty Of money now because he was rob
bling the mail box. This was two week
after the theft.
One Man COnfesses.
Paimes was confronted with an accuse
ton and confessed everything At once. II