Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-06
CRIMINALS POST OFFICES.
Elaborate Methods Arranged for Send
ing Warnings.
From the New York Times.

From the New York Times.
So elaborate and ingenious as to appear
almost incredible are the methods by which
professional criminals communicate with
their accomplices. Nobody knows better
than the rogues themselves that by sending
their messages through the ordinary chan
nels they place both their liberty and their
plans in jeopardy. But 1t is so important
that they communicate with one another
ewiftly and secretly. to elaborate some
9cheme of rascality or to give warning OF
danger from the authorities. that the clever
criminals set up peculiar post offices that
are distinctly their own.
The United States secret service agents
and the United States postal inspectors
run across a large number of varied sys-
TENS of this kind. From the stories they
tell of post Offices they have discovered,
It appears that nothing is too audacious for
1nen playing a game the loss Of which
means for them a term in stripes behind
the bars.
"Out IN Iowa few months ago" said
secret service man who was transferred re-
Gently to the New York Office. myself and
four of my associates were detailed on
battling case of counterfeiting. The state
bad been flooded with spurious coins and
come less cleverly made bank notes. and
later it appeared that the same stun was
going into all parts Of the country. We
couldn't locate the plant. and 1t was evil
dent that the work Of manufacture and dis
tribution was being directed by maste;
mind that was wise enough never to so
near the plant
There was a suspicious newcomer in
small town on the Mississippi river, who
attracted our attention. He was a man OF
come education and very reserved. He
lived in fine style in one of the best houses
In the place. We watched him for nearly
month. There nothing to give any
force to our suspicion, but we kept him
under eye. He never got a letter at the
town post office that he was not willing
that any one should see. In fact, he very
frequently read them on his way home and
then threw them carelessly Into the street.
They were innocent-appearing notes, all OF
them, containing not clue.
Every morning at about Z o'clock
young milkman went to the mans house
and left a quart tin of milk. The milkman
was newcomer, too He had arrived about
q week before the other fellow, and had
bought out small dairy with money which
he said had been left him By his father
upon his death stout cook at the fine
strangers kitchen always TOOK the can Of
milk and handed the young millSman the
can that had been left the day previous.
These cans as we learned afterWard,
had false bottoms in which letters were
placed-letters TO and from the fine appear
Ing newcomer. The letters were from the
men who were operating the plant (Which
we subsequently uncovered in a town
eighty miles away. and from agents In
various cities who were showing the queer.
The answers were the mastor minds in
structions. The milkman and the cook
were faithful accompices. The milkman
had been set up in business there for the
sole purpose of delivering the correspond
ence that directed the whole works"