The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-08-05
LOOKS DARK
FOR SWANSON
PosToFFIcE CLERK ARRESTED
ON SERIOUS CHARGE.
STRANGE CASE OF SPITE
Charged With secreting Official Let.
ters to Make Trouble for
Others in Office.

From Mondays Daily Gazette.
Not to cupidity, as is the case of
most of those who have got them
selves into the predicament in which
he finds himself, does P. F. Swanson,
mailing clerk in the local postof1ce,
owe his downfall, but to desire to
make trouble for others.
Swanson was arrested yesterday af-
ternoon on warrant issued by Unit
ed States Commissioner Fraser at the
instance of Postoffice Inspector Perk-
ms. In the complaint the prisoner
stands charged with having robbed
the mails, and it is said that the case
against him is very strong.
The arrest is the elimination of
long and patient watch of Swanson by
Mr.. Perkins and was not attempted
until it was considered that no pos
sible doubt as to his guilt remained.
The letters alleged to have been taken
by him were all official ones, address
ed to the postmaster and as far as
known the accused did not take any
belonging to others, neither is it be-
lieved that he took any money or 9TH
er valuables.
Several months ago complaints be-
gam to be received from other offices
and from the department at Washing
ton that replies could not be obtained
to official communications. The COM
plants increased and finally some Of
the outside offices gave up all at
tempts to communicate with the local
Office and referred the matter to the
inspectors Of their respective dis
tricts. At about the same time Post
master Babcock also noticed that Of
fetal letters he wrote were not an
swered and grew suspicious that some
thing was wrong and likewise referred
his case to am inspector, who happen
ed to be Captain Perkins, who makes
his headquarters here. The captain
dlu not know whom to suspect, but
soon decided that Swanson, if any
body, was the guilty one, as he handl-
ed all mail received and dispatched,
and began to watch him.
One of the complaints from outside
offices came from Minneapolis and was
concerning money order that should
have been reissued here. A stranger
bought an order here for $50, payable
to himself, and then went to Mime
apolis. After his arrival there he
sent on an order to make the money
payable at Minneapolis, but never re-
ceived an answer. The Minneapolis
office began an inquiry and it finally
developed that the order for reissue
had been sent, but never had reached
the postmaster, it having been inter-
| cepted before it could get to him. Yes
terday the order was found among
other letters in Swanson's trunk.
! On top of this Inspector Perkins
received letter from the inspector
at St. Paul making inquiries concern
| ing letters directed to Emma Rich
| ards of Billings and to which no re-
plies had been received, neither had
the letters been returned to. the writ
er Notwithstanding that they bore
his return address. The st. Paul in
spector notified Captain Perkins that
the postmaster of the sending office
had sent inquiries to the postmaster
of Billings concerning the matter but
had been unable to receive reply.
Captain Perkins also learned that four
registered letters. sent from Wash
ington to the local Office and repouch-
ed at st. Paul direct to Billings, had
been held from four to ten days be-
fore being delivered and showed evi.
dence of having been opened.
| AS nobody but Swanson had access
to the mails upon their arrival Cap.
tain Perkins felt that he was on the
right trail and after continuing his
watch concluded the time had arrived
/ yesterday for making an arrest The
warrant was given to Deputy Sheriff
Robbins and he soon had Swanson in
custody. A search warrant was also
issued and the trunk of Swanson, who
has been sleeping in the Office. was
searched. In it no fewer than dozer
letters were found, some of them open
ed and others intact. Swanson made
no admissions and in answer to the IL
spector's questions as to how the let
ters had got there merely answered