The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1906-08-27
GUARD THE LETTERS
FORCE OF INSPECTORS PROTECT
THE PUBLIc's MAIL.
Number of Post ofhces Burglarized
in the Last Year-Few Dis
honest Employees in
the Service.

Are Offenses against the postal
laws on the inereaseg" repeated an
old post Office inspector to a Washing
ton Star reporter THAT query covers
a very broad scope OF criminal investi-
cation. too comprehensive to be brief
ly answered, but | will say that one
serious crime against the postal laws
has decreased during the past year
and that is the burglarizing Of post
Offices. To give the public an idea OF
the operations OF the enterprising post
Office burglar ! will say that a trife
less than 1000 post Offices were bur
glarized during the last year, or about
one post once 10 every A OF the
total number established Of all classes.
This class Of crime maintains about
the same average year after year, with
slight variations on one side or the
other But we got in our good w0. k
on the burglars themselves. however,
for we ran the arrests Of the perpe-
traitors Of this ofIense up TO II per
cent. increase over the number made
the previous year This is the high
est percentage OF increase In the num-
ber OF burglars arrested over any year
for over a decade.
There are many causes for the de-
crease Of the number Of post ONCE
robberies and for the increase OF The
number OF burglars apprehended for
this crime. The Bertiilon system Of
measurement is used whenever prac-
ticabie. and there are now on file the
descriptions and histories Of many
criminals In addition 10 this. the
Information compiled by the national
bureau OF Identification is at the com
mand OF the post Office inspectors.
The standing rewards which an an
nual appropriation Of $4,000 for that
purpose permits the postmaster gem
eral to offer for the apprehens on OF
postal service criminals Is a great in-
centive TO the local peace officers and
10 the police and detective force
throughout the entire country. There
are few small individual approprla-
tions made by congress which are pro-
duetive OF such tangible and crafty
ing results as from this little appro-
priation for rewards for postal crimes
THE most recent and important ar
rest OF an emlpoye In the service was
that Of the railway mail clerk who was
caught with the goods upon him a
few days ago in Baltimore. This man
had not only been a postal thief for
years. and had stolen enoul h to buy
and stock a small farm In the en-
virons of the Monumental city. but he
had heen base enough 20 make his
mail distractions from the section OF
a feilow-clerk in the postal car, to
throw suspicion on him. To the
credit OF the inspectors. who finally
caught this fellow red-h4nded. he
failed In his efforts, as his would-be
innocent victim was not even under
suspicion by our men. even though
the letters came from his section and
we're handled at certain stages by
him.
IA IL a mystery 10 me why men in
the service yield to the temptation OF
stealing letters Their detection is
only a matter OF time. perhaps not
Immediately upon complaint. but Il is
certain, and practically In
all cases OF actual gnilt their convic-
ton 10 a moral certainty. We do
not take our cases into court until
we have sure evidence for conviction.
Perhaps 1t is because they are not
Immediately detected that postal
thieves have sense OF false security.
They usually begin with few petty
thefts. secure small sums of money.
and wait TO see II these are discovered.
Finding that no apparent notice is
taken Of their stealings, they fiatter
themselves with the belief that they
are very shrewd ard cunning, be-
come bolder, and finally every piece
Of mail matter that seems 10 them to
contain money is fish in their net.
In most cases inspectors have been
watching them for weeks to
secure the positive discriminating eyi-
dence. and very often the men work
ing on either and sometimes on both
sides Of their cases are inspectors
only biding their time to catch them
with the incriminating letters actually
upon their persons We make Of pa
tienee a fine s.udy in our business Of
protecting the public"
Qualifed.
so you want a position in our Of
a.. - III a. h.1l.o- t4rlsbfr h,,efrner