The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-10
BAD OLD MAN RACE
How He Doomed the Postmaster
Business Unlawfully.
AND GOT T1LL1E TO WED HIM
That Fooled the Lady and
the Pastor.
w.w York s., s..ct., ss-vso..

Ksw York Sun SuscEaI Sorvsos.
Omaha, June 1o-s. r. Race, a patri-
archial appearing old man with sr1owwhite
hair and beard, is In trouble with the
federal authorities. Until recently he
was postmaster at Curtis, Frontier coun-
ty, and under his management the. office
made phenomenal squirt in stamp sales,
was advanced from the fourth to the
third class. and postnaster's salary was
increased accordingly. But now he is In
disgrace.
The story thus far Is almost fundamfn-
tai in simplicity, but there are other ram
ihcations that somewhat complicate it.
The cancelling stamp was turned over
to Race in 1895, at which time the
postofice at Curtis was Of the fourth
class. Indeed. the sales of stamps
scarcely warranted the maintenance OF
an Office there at all. There had been
a partial drought for two or three years;
times were hard, and about half the popu-
lation of the town had left for more
favored parts.
One day Race received letter from
the postal authorities at Washington call
ing his attention to the fact that there
had been falling off IN the receipts Of his
office. It was then decided to boom the
sale of stamps. It would serve double
purpose-increase his salary and please
the postal authorities. .g:...
He ordered 5000 worth Of postage
pay for them. When they arrived he
made a trip to Omaha to purchase goods
with which to replenish his stock of gen
eral merchandise which shared the Same
| room as his postof1ce. He paid for the
goods with postage stamps.
A few weeks later he repeated the OPP
Grafton, and, after the lapse of another
fCrt rS IN al hn S111
was that in six months his office was ad-
vanced to the third clas and his pay was
increased from $50 a month to $65 a
month. '.. EE -,
Even then he was not discouraged, but
made payment on farm. all in two
cent postage stamps. -. -
About this time the postal authorities
at Washington began to prick up their
ears. Somehow the stamp sales were out
| of proportion with the stamp cancella-
lions. There was a disparity some
where. Things did not look right. Post
Office INSPECTOR J. D. Sinclair of Omaha
| was sent to Curtis to investigate.
| The remainder of the story was told
in the nature Of confession by Race to
| District Attorney Summers yesterday. A
| fuller account, howere, is given by
| Inspector Sinclair. whose version; is as
| follows: -,--.~ -. -: =.
AFTER Race had been postmaster
about year he fell in love with a young
woman aged 49,. named Title Hartwell.
She did not reciprocate his affections,
however, and try as he would he failed
] to elicit an Affirmative answer to his
| proposals Of marriage. He then hit upon
| a scheme that was as ingenious as his
| plan for raising the grade of his post
! office. He represented to Title that he
was rich, that he was in the last stages
Of consumption, that he was bachelor
Ii "a ,111r,, fN h e
! estate, that he loved her and wanted to
make her his heir. >-- ~. %-
'1n response to message from him,
! she went to his house one day and found
| him in bed, apparently Ill and in bad
| way. ~'S@+~. - . :: - j.. =.
! he assured her. What do you think Of
| my proposa1?' =. -" ~
| "Tillie Contemplated his broad acres
visible from the window, his hectic flush,
his sunken eyes (for Race knows how to
use grease paints, having been an actor
in his younger days, and the shadows
were deep and his graveyard cough, and
her heart softened toward him. When he
told her he owned a, half interest in the
! farm across the road she felt that she
| almost loved him. She said 'all right,
but when he insisted on the wedding be-
ing that night she demurred. His pulse
| still seemed strong. Hasty marriages
were IN DAD LdSCe, Suo WOu4O wall d
| week. ill., -. .-N:, >. -. -. L. =
THAT night the old man thought out a
! plan to have the nuptials celebrated
within twenty-four hours. He got little
rubber bag Of soft, thin material and
| filed it with beet juice. --'} -, .:
1.-THE next day he sent another message
to Title, this time saying he was dying,
and to come at once and bring minister.
She obeyed. When he heard footsteps ap-
preaching he put the bag of beet juice in
his mouth bit one corner Of it, and be-
| gan to cough convulsively. -
| 'sWhen the preacher and Tillie saw the
| beet juice they became alarmed, having
heard that hemorrhages frequently pre-
cede death in such maladtes, SO sent for
a neighbor to hold Race in a sitting
posture during the ceremony. Mean
while the beet juice was holding out ad-
mirably. -s.. .. ,.. ...s.. ..s.....
"The next day Race was behind the
| counter Of his store, showing his bride
how to distribute the mail. But they
didn't live together long enough for TIL
lie to more than learn the location of the
| A box for: she left him in four days,
and a year later they we're divorced.".:
AS there is a law prohibiting the use Of
stamps as money by postmasters, Race
was indicted by the last federal grand
Jury. On Saturday he confessed his
| guilt, and on account of his advanced. age,
the lowest possible f1ne-$50-was i'm
posed