The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-06-02
SHE SCENTED SCANDAL
AND BECAME INVOLVED
olea Of Guilty by Postmistresa
DiscIoses Fatal Degree
Of Curiosity.
FACTS ARE AT LAST TOLD
true lnwardness of Mrs. Ford's Con
viction at Deadwood Is Ascer-
tanned at Hill City-Was a
Very Spicy Affair.

Hill City, S. D., May 25.-Mrs. Sadie
Ford has returned TO her home in This
city from Deadwood a thankful woman.
She might have gone for a term Of
years to a place where other criminals
go who do crimes Of the same nature
as hers. She has the judge of The init
ed States court to thank for her good
fortune, also Congressman e. w. Mar
tin. of DeadwoOd. who made a warm
plea for this lady before the Judge.
Our little mining camp has a jolly
set OF people. church members and all
just like one big family. No many
things happen that are not known from
one II OF the town to the other be
TORE night and sometimes before
they happen when it takes the nature
of a society scandal.
Mrs. Sadie Ford, for four years past,
has been an assistant to her husband,
d. A. Ford, who vas faithfully serving
the Hill City people as postmaster. Mrs.
Ford did her part we'll and no COM
plant was made by anybody until sew
eral weeks ago When two men in the
town noticed that their mail had been
tempered with. f. c. Crocker is a min
ing man of considerable prominence
here n c. e. McEachron has a de-
partment store and furnishes supplies
to all the miners roundabout. George
w. Coats is another business man here,
he having q stock of hardware and
Mrs. Coats is an attractive lady who
has a host of friends here. Recently
she went to Omaha for a visit and here
is where the foundation of all the trou-
Bile began For years the mining man
and the department store nan have
known Mrs. Coats intimately is a wom-
an of refinement n the families were
as intimate as families a get in a
small town where the society people
are easily counted.
One day letters came to the post
office addressed to Mr.. McEachron and
Mr.. Crocker, and the writing was that
Of a.feminine hand. Mrs. Ford, being
a devout Christian woman, a worker in
the Baptist church, instantly saw, or
thought she saw, a chance for future
family troubles among her n%eighbors.
A woman's curiosity, a moment Of hes
itation, a sudden resolve. and the two
epistles were carefully opened and a
gentle nod of the head no doubt meant
Il told you so" The letters We're care
fully sealed and delivered. They were
answered, n again the curiosity and
the secret opening. This sort of mail
inspection was carried on several
weeks, until one day a man got off
the train at Hill City and asked the
way to the postoffce. Mrs. Ford had
peen round out ana she was soon wait
eo upon by a government ofhclal. who
wanted 10 Know what right she had to
open private mail. she broke down
ana confessed everything, put told the
officer that she had no evil motive in
committing the offense. She wanted
to prevent family troubles.
Ihere was a sorrowfu! tune IN the
nome OF postmaster Ford. Inc three
llttie chliuren couldht understand the
MAYER; ana IL pegan TO LOOK as though
o,Ine' 3Nln nneun, BUSINESS. $500.
the Judge Of the United States court
at Deadwood to defend herself. There