Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-09-26
CAPTAIN SMITH
IN FELON' 5 CELL.
Young Officer of National Guard
cOniesSes TO PiIieriug the
Mails
CAUGHT BY INSPECTOR SHARP.
Wheat Work in the Postofice We
Mas Seen to Steal Letter Con.
tanning Money.

II took about an hours work and
three marked bills last night to land
Capt andrew A, Smith Of the National
Guard of Utah, and a trusted empoye
Of The postofiice. In the city JAIL
self-confessed pilferer Of the malls. In
specior II. G. Sharp and Two other ems
ployes listened 10 the confession OF
SMITH after he had been caught In
the act Of opening mail IN the separat-
ing room by Inspector sharp, A search
made ofter the confession discovered
the marked bills and completed the
evidence Of guilt,
The detection of Capt. Smith comes
as the result Of complaints that mail
was being tempered with, extending
over a period Of many months. Re
Gently a letter sent TO destitute widow
containing SIS was rlned, and the evil
dence 10 this case pointed 60 some
clerk In the lOca office, Investigations
developed the fact that many letters
had been partially torn open In the Of
flee here, and the further fact that
this only occurred while Smith was on
duty IN the separating room. The case
was then turned over 20 Inspector +. G.
Sharp, and he landed his man as the
result OF cleverly planned traps
HOW HE WAS TRAPPED.
The inspector first marked three 81
bills, and placed them IN am envelope
addressed TO well known business
firm In Salt Lake lie sent the letter
out TO Bingham canyon, and had IL
stamped and returned TO him under
cover. IL arrived last night, and was
Inserted into the package 'ot Bingham
mail, and this package sent 90 Smith,
who was working In the distributing
room. SeeFetlng himself where he could
watch the clerk, and not be seen, In
spector gharp waited developments. tie
saw smith take this letter from the
bunch he was distributing and place 1t
on the bottom Of the pack, the letter
being easily Identified, as the postage
stamp had been placed I'm the left hand
instead OF the right hand corner When
the other letters were disposed Oh ne
saw Smith tear this one slightly on the
hack along tie lines whore the strings
around the package had peen, ana
nut Il IN his pocket when satlsheu llat
IL contained money Atter secullnB
this evidence Inspector sharp leit the
trusted clerk 10 finish his tour OF duty,
but waited for him I'm his once As
Smith pa ssed out into the loDoy on nls
way home he was stopped ana 'olu
that he was wanted IN inspector
Sharp's private Office. once INSIDE, DC,
hind a locked door, he was conirohteu
with his crime, and after consloeraOle
questioning broke down ana c0hiesseu,
In his pockets were found the marked
bills and he was told their record ne
was then handed over TO two ponies
detectives 10 be taken TO the city jail
Cant. Smith is n years old ana mas
a wife and two bright children MS
wife knew nothing Of his arrest unui
he was taken TO his home TO say Boou-
hive before being locked up, He has
held his position IN the postoInce LOT
seven years, and was considered one
az ,ts most reliable and trustworthy
clerks. an Of whom held him IN hish
esteem,
SMITH ARRAlGNED.
At 10 o'clock this morning Capt.
Smith was brought before Commission
or Twomey for preliminary hearing. HIS
attorney, J.. p. Christensen, alked for
two DAYS An which to plead, on the
grounds that he had as yet merely talk
ed with the defendant few moments
nj the city Jail, and knew but little OF
the evidence and circumstances sur
rounding the theft. This delay was OBJ
ieoted 10 bv Inspector +. G, Sharp, who
stated that he was due in Denver on
the morning OF 2gth inst, and would
have 10 leave Salt Lake az once TO get
there. A delay was then granted till
. o'clock this afternoon, to allow Mr..
Christensen 10 talk with the prisoner,
and To see his relatives, before deciding
what plea 10 enter No bond was fixed |
this morning. and Smith was turned
over to the United States marshafs of
flee for safe keeping, until the matter |
OF bonds is finally settled.
SMITH BOUND OVER
When brought into court this after
noon the defendant. by his attorney.
waived preliminary examination, and
was bound over to the United States |
district court In bonds OF $500
BONDS DOUBLED
After the arralgnment Of Capt.
Smith. charged With stealing from the |
mails. before Commissioner Twomey
this afternoon his case appears much |
more serious than at first anticipated. |
He waved preliminary hearing and was |
bound over to await action OF the |
United States district court, under
bonds OF $500, this amount being re- |
garded as sufficient by Commissioner |
Twomey in the light OF evidence shown |
by the complaint, However Atty |
pennel Charrlngton, who appeared for
the government had serious objections =,
to the size of the bond, and after max. |
inc brief statement OF the term OF |
months I'm which thefts have been re- |
corded aud OF the evidence pointing TO |
Capt. Smith as the guilty party in an |
Of them, he had no difficulty I'm having |
the bond doubled.
He said IN arguing for a larger bond |
1.-THE three dollars involved In this COM |
plant Is a mere item IN the case /
against the defendant, Operations have |
been going on for months prior to the |
theft Of the sum for which he was ar
rested. aud there Is no record OF when |
A theft occurred when he was not on |
duty at the post office. The defendant |
confessed to stealing the So. for which
he was arrested and In addition he
confesses 10 having removed si5 from
another letter. lie says the total
amount Of his steallngs Is under S2O,
but we have evidence against him to-
falling to much greater amount Tn
der these circumstances feel that the
bond OF $500 Is not sufficient protection
for the government
Attorney Christensen stated after the
hearing that the bond would be COW
cred Immediately
Will QUIT NATIONAL GUARD
Adit-Gcn Burton remarked this
morning. that the resignation Of Capt
A. A. smith from the National Guard
i "A d. =. II