The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-17
OLD P. 0. OFFICIAL A THIEF.
HAFF, SUPERINTENDENT or FOR.
EEGN MAILS, TRAPPED.

Prisoner Had Been Employed - Years In
the Pest OfFlce-N0 Apparent Reason
Why He Should Steal-He Had No
Vices and Was Trusted Implicitly.
Alexander Half. Superintendent Of For
eign Mails and for twenty-four years a
post office employee. was arrested yester-
day for stealing money from the mails.
There is no means of telling how much he
has stolen, but it is believed that the amount
Is not large, Post Office Inspectors Boyle
and Meyers made the arrest. Boyle has
known Haf since he started working in
the post Office, the two having been clerks
together years ago. and there was an af-
fecting scene when Boyle made Half pris-
oner. Haff refusedIto make any statement
and the inspectors are at loss to explain
what he did with the money. as they say,
he has no vices.
For the last six months the Post Office
Department at Washington and the de-
partment here have been receiving COM
plants that letters containing money
intended for persons in Norway, Sweden,
and Denmark never had reached their des-
tination. These letters were sent from
all over the country and passed through
the foreign mails division in this city. Most
Of the letters that went astray contained
small sums Of money and were from chill
dren and friends to parents or other folks
in the old country.
In all, about 200 complaints reached the
postal officials. and these complaints were
turned over to Inspectors Boyle and Meyers,
who began an investigation in the branch
office at Morton and West streets. where
all the foreign mail is handled. This sta
ton was established about three years ago,
when the foreign mail became SO big that
1t couldn't be handled at the General Post
Office. and Han was put in charge OF 1t:
There was not blenish on his record, and
he was considered just the man for the
job.
When the inspectors began their inves-
tigation Boyle was little diffident in ques-
tioning Half Il have known him twenty
five years said Boyle yesterday -and no
one would suspect Half Of doing wrong"
Han had under him 1873 men, about forty
OF whom were employed distributing let
tiers. Although they didn't know it, every
one OF these forty men was under scrutiny
a long time. After following a clerk to the
station one morning the inspectors found
Han working, although 1t was only o clock,
and he was not due until an hour later. A
clerk said Mr., Half got around early TO help
them get the mail for Denmark, Sweden and
Norway of.
Then the inspectors sent two test letters
containing marked bills. One OF the letters
was marked registered" 1t sometimes
happens that registered letters get in with
the regular mail, and they are supp osed to
be turned over 10 the registry department.
This one wasn't. The inspectors yesterday
sent four more test letters, one Of which
was marked Registered" Not long after
that they called on Half, who was fustered.
He interrupted the inspectors and pre-
tended to call clerk at the other end Of
the room. Take these papers downstairs"
he said. but the clerk was too far of to hear
him, and Half added: -To save time, guess
III take them down myself"
Meyers followed Half. and caught him
tearing up two of the test letters which had
been mailed in the morning. They also
found 81 in marked bills which had been sent
in the letters. Haff broke down and wept
when he was brought before Commissioner
Shields. Inspector Boyle cried also, and
Commissioner Shields was affected Half
waived examination. and was held in So 900
bail. He was taken to Ludlow street Jail.
Haf's home is at SIS West n5th street.
He has wife and five children, one of whom
is in the Normal College.