Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-30
R|FLEO MANY LETTERS
Railway Mail Clerk Hammel
Arrested.
CAUGHT BY A DEC0Y
HAD BEEN STEALING FOR EIGH-
TEEN MONTHS.
Employed on the "owl Train" Running
From Jersey City to Wash
ington.
CAUGHT BY A DEcoY

One of the most important arrests made
by the inspectors Of the Post Once Depart
ment in recent months was enected yester-
day. when Charles w. Hammel. railway
mail clerk. running between Jersey City
and Baltimore. was apprehended. Hammei'
according to his own statement. has been
stealing special delivery letters addressed
to two prominent charitable institutions In
Baltimore. The thefts cover period OF
eighteen months and the amount Of Ham
mel's populations will run into thousands OF
dollars.
The arrest was made through the CO.
operation of the Washington and Philadei-
phia divisions. and inspectors from TINS
city, Baltimore and Philadelphia worked on
the case. Several weeks ago complaints
were received from st. Joseph's College and
Epiphany College, both Of Baltimore. that
mail addressed to these institutions ana
containing contributions of money was go
ing astray. As many Of these contributors
sign themselves Anonymous, 1t Is prob
able that the exact amount of the thefts
never will be ascertained. Hammel depend
ed on these Anonymous signatures to
avoid detection. He grew holder as time
wore on. and on the day before his arrest
he had stolen twenty letters, from which he
probably realized several hundred dollars.
Post Office inspectors w. J. Maxwell OF
this city, w. 8. Ryan OF Erie. s. T. Hooten
Of Baltimore and s. H. Morse OF Phlladel-
phia went to work on the case. They de-
cided that the letters were being stolen by
some of the employees OF the railway mail
service running on the ''owl' train be-
tween Jersey City, Baltimore and WASH
ington. Seventeen clerks work on this run,
making the preliminary investigation some
what difficult. Finally suspicion rested on
two clerks who usually leave the train at
Baltimore. These men were Hammel and
J. W. Broderick
Hammel admits that each morning he
would steal dozen or more letters from
Broderick's mail box and after concealing
them in some newspapers, would take them
to the toilet room, open them and destroy
the envelopes. AS most of the letters were
from anonymous donors, the suspicion -.
the authorities was not aroused until re-
Gently. The inspectors mailed q number Of
trick letters containing money and ad-
dressed to Mt. ST. Joseph's College and to
Epiphany. One Of them. containing $14.z -
was opened by Hammel yesterday morn
ing.
Suspicion pointed strongly to him last
week. and Thursday when he alighted from
the train in Baltimore he was followed by
the inspectors. Hammers home Is little
farm on the North Point road, seven miles
outside Of Baltimore. This was unknown
When Hammel started home he rode by
trolley to hlghlandtQwn and there took a
wagon. The inspectors had no vehicle and
after following on foot for three miles, lost
Hammel.
Caused by Gambling and Drink.
The arrest was made yesterday near
Union station in Baltimore. The prisoner
at first showed fight but soon Gained down,
and told his captors the story Of his long
system of thefts. He said gambling and
drink had led him first to the thefts, and
that they seemed SO easy that he was loath
to quit Hammel has a wife and eight
children. He has stocked his farm with the
stolen money. He is forty-four years old,
and has been in the employ Of the Post
Office Department for sixteen years.
When Hammel was arrested Broderick
was present. The latter was SO fnfuriate
at the knowledge that Hammel had been
stealing from him that he attempted to at
tack the prisoner.
A Pathetic Farewell.
Soon after his arrest Hammel wrote the
follo wing letter to his wife and eight chill
dren
MY dear wife and little ones: have been
arrested for stealing from the mails. am
guilty and there is no use trying to get out
OF 1t. 1 can't get bail. 1 don't want any
Dear girl. kiss the babies goodbye. will
never see them or you again. I do not want