The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1902-11-07
ROBBED MAIL BOX
Youth Brought Here Today TO Answer
a Grave Charge.
Large Sums of Money Extracted From
the Fulton Leaders Mail By
the Boy.
Is IN JAIL AWAITING TRIAL

Deputy u 5. Marshal George
Saunders arrived in the city this morn
ing from Fulton with Will Cooper,
age II, who is under arrest charged
with a serious crime, that Of robbing
the United States mails.
Yesterday morning Mr.. Mott Ayres,
editor Of the Fulton Leader. and Mar
shall Robertson caught Cooper in the
Fulton Leader postofiice box, extract
ing mail which did not belong to him
and which he had never been given
authority to do. Marshal Robertson
Immediately arrested the youth and
held him for Deputy Saunders who
arrived yesterday afternoon late and
took charge of him.
Cooper formerly worked for the
Leader and in this way learned the
com bination OF the postoffice box.
Mr.. Ayres had been missing mail from
the box for some time and finally be-
gan watching with the above result.
The Fulton Leader says of the case !:
"This morning Marshals Walker
and Robertson hid themselves behind
the postcfiice petition and waited for
Cooper to come in after the mail.
Mr.. Beadles put all the letters in the
box, but first took q list of them. A
few minutes later, Cooper came in
and going to the box took out about
two-thirds of the letters and left the
others to allay suspicion. The officers
saw MIN, out let him go outside and
gave him time to leave, ard open all
the letters. In about a half hour OF
Ger Robertson arrested Cooper in front
of Church's candy store and carried
him into the postoince. He was
searched and bunch of postage stamps
were found on him. He was asked
what he did with the letters, but at
first denied getting any Of them. But
when told by Robert Besdles that he
had list Of all letters put in the box,
and that the officers saw him open the
box and take the letters out, Cooper
admitted his guilt and said he had
taken the letters, but had torn them
all up after taking out the stamps
from some Of them. He then went
with the officers and showed them the
letters he had stolen today and Monday.
Cooper has undoubtedly secured
big lot of money. as his depredations
have been gong on since July or Sep
TENDER. A morning mail seldom
brings less than five dollars in curren.
cy besides from fifteen to thirty dol
lars in checks, drafts and money or
ders. One party, J. W. Ennis, of
Markand, Mo-, sent $40 in currency
and it never reached the publishing
house. Over two hundred people have
written complaining that they had
sent the concern money. Among the
money orders and letters found was
also one for Percy Mcdowell for 90
from Troy, Tenn, so it is possible
that other firms have also had their
mail boxes robbed by Cooper. The
date of the Troy money order was Sep
TENDER 2, and goes to prove that
Cooper has been stealing for some
months back.
Cooper was employed by the Dali
" Leader as a collector until about
three weeks ago and since he was dis
charged, the publisher has discovered
that he collected several accounts and
failed to turn III the money.
Cooper is son Of Joseph Cooper
of this city. His father is foreman
of an Illinois Central railroad bridge
gang, and Is a hard working man, who
is we'll liked by everybody who Knows
him.
The trial of the case is set for Mon.
day before Commissioner Gardner, and
Cooper was committed to Jail in de-
fault Of bond. As he has already &C.
knowledged his guilt he will likely
waive examination and be remanded
until the 18th when federal court