The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-08-19
SERIOUS CHARGE
y0UhG WHITE MAN ARRESTED BY
PGSTOFFICE AUTHORITIES
He il Charged With Abstracting
Mail from the Postomce-Tt in
Alleged that He Took Letters from
the Box of the Armour x
Company and Tried to Have n
Check Caxhed

3. F. Bryan, a young man about "a
a of age and of respectable appear
ance, who has been clerking for Mr.. s..
F. Harmon at the Dixie Cafe, III Prin-
cess street, was arrested yesterday by
Deputy U. s. Marshal H. o. Knox. The
arrest was made upon complaint Of
United States Postoffice Inspector Davis
who secured a warrant from United
States Commissioner s. P. Collier, upon
information and belief that Bryan abb
stracted mail from the box of the Ar
mour Packing Company at the Will
mington postofice. The commissioner
also issued a search warrant and when
Bryan was arrested two postoffce keys
were taken from his pocket.
Bryan was taken before Commission
er Collier and a preliminary examina>
ton was a The witnesses examined
for the government were MIR. w. p.
Price, teller of the Atlantic National
bank Mr.. Eugene Woodward, book
keeper for the Armour Packing Com
pany, and Mr.. 7. E. Wallace, assistant
postmaster.
Mr.. Price testified that OH Monday
last Bryan came to the Atlantic Ma
tional bank n presented a check for
SIS or $40, payable to the Armour Pack
ing Company n endorsed Armour
Packing Company, per e." He declined
TO cash the check as it is an invariable
custom of the Armour Packing Corl
pany's branch house here to deposit all
checks n never to cash them.
Mr.. Woodward testified that mail had
been taken from the Armou Packing
Company's box within the past week
and that a key had been left in the box
Ly mistake or that it had been
lost. 1t was supposed rat some
n had found the key N the box and
distracted the mail. Complaint was
made Sunday to the postofice authori-
ties that mail had been taken from, the
box.
Assistant Postmaster Wallace testified
that complaint had been made by the
Armour Packing Company that mall
had been taken from their bcX.
1t seems that the bank authorities
notified the Armour Packing Company's
management that a check had been pre-
sented for payment and it was traced
to Bryan and hence his arrest folio we'd.
AT the hearing yesterday Bryan made
a statement in his own behalf. He
stated that last Saturday night, two
men came in the and took
upper He said that when they finish
ed n of the men presented The check
III fNy @ANSAS AoA IN apP~i IL GILL
went on to say that he told the men
that he didn't want to cash the check
but the man said he had no money and
he (Bryan) finally took money out OF his
own pocket and paid cash for the orf-
ference between the amount of the
check and the price of the suppers. He
said he did not now the two men but
thought he knew one as an employee Of
the Armour Packing Company. He
say after the bank refused to cash
the check he sent it 20 a doctor at
Rocky Mount to pay a bill. Being ask
ed how it was he lat two postoffice
keys in his possession, he stated
that he found them. Neither of the
two keys was the missing key to the
Armour Packing Company's box and it
is still unaccounted for.
Upon the evidence Commissioner Col
lier held Bryan for the November term
Of the United States district court and
required $500 bail of him.. He failed to
give bail and was committed to Jail.
Bryan was informed that if he could
give bail his bond would be reduced to
$500, n he hopes to be able to give
bond.
Bryan had no lawyer at the examina-
ton but later employed Herbert Nc
Clammy, Esq. He was formerly from
Rocky Mount and has been with Mr..
Harmon the past few months. Mr..
Harmon says he had the utmost conf
dence in the u man and believes
that he is telling the truth about the
presentation of the check by the two
men