The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1904-07-09
MJ7 MkNE MREI7NRC
ME 4 SILL HMER
ALLOWED RAY. OSCAR 4 SMITH. ACCUSED OF RoBBso TIE
MAILS IN SEATTLE posroFFleE TO ESCAPE RELEASED
DISHONEST CLERK AFTER "a HAD CONTESTED

with a self confessed criminal IN
their hands and Al ths syideuos
necessary TO hold him. rostefflee In
snsrtofs Wsyiana and fIasin al
lowed Hsf. oscar A. Smith o. &C.
eanv Wednesday nirht. although he
had signed = written statement that
be had for months been rubhiaa ths
mails in ne ioeal paatoffiee shsrs
he had been employed Tot shout q
year TIE inspectors had full power
70 hold ths thief Until thu arrival 81
q United Etafea marshal ard could
have summoned aug oue Il several
deputy mafshais b tsierhans With
ia fcw minutes
Instead = holding the man as
they should have done. thsY permit
tel him q a. home 20 BID his wife
rnaahy and naw offer oniY IT, feehls
excuse that theY 1td not have an
opportunity 90 at a warrant from
the United States commissioner. II
thsf hRf desired 60 ailos NJ smith
10 Sc he wtfr and break the news
af bic arrest 20 her. thsy could have
accompanied him "a the mission. ~
have had one ~ ths deputy Hafshaiu
DE- ~. hut apparently such eouras
never occurred a. them
Instead 90 this fhsy allowed ths
criminal 10 a. 90 liberty and return
v ben hs feit like o. Smith tors
the opportunity offered him nntur
ely. an8 made good his sseaus The
inspectors have failed 90 perforn
their dutY and another example q
TIE loose manner tn which the NJ
attic postoffice ia run has been
given.
smith vas caught red handed. ~
stole 90 cents and two toHtAHf
stamps from n letter Addressed "a
the Bon Mhfrhe and Went "a rra.
taufant where he spent the mouss
faf supper The Inspector secured
the marked 60-oeut piece and went
back 90 the offee where smith was
81 work and confronted him with
tbe evidence. The preacher pestof-
flee clerk a. knoWisdrcd his guilt
wrote out confession and delivered
over 90 the inspectors the tive
stamps he had taken from the let
ter
lie acknowledged that he bad been
following this practice for about a
year BE said he had been tempted
and could not resist be was willlne
"a suffer the consequences 81 his
crime Then be made good his 90.
cape from the hands % the tn.
aneetors whose duty u was 90 aes
that De was punished where Smith
iH nos IL a mystery
After allowing their prisoner "a
escape the inspectors next morniun
called up the United States mar.
shBfs office. which WAS az their Dis.
posHl the night before when the
man secured his liberty ffum then
30 easily. After wnfklnE Tor solid
year 20 catch the euiprit who had
Lsen robbinF letters. the officers who
had worked 30 hard and long. al
lowed him to get away after Rivinf
them al the evidence they needed "a
convict him
other United States officials ssy
that the inspectors had the right "a
datnin smith after his confession
until a deputy marshal could BE-
reached. This would have been aH
easy matter. The law allows even
private citizen. who has proof that
a crime has been committed. 90 de-
tain the offender. and II private clti.
zena can do this. what excuse can
men vested with the authority o. me
United States government offer Tor
permitting "a self confessed criminal
TO gat away from them7
According 90 the stories told b.