The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1906-06-19
HUSH! YOU MAY NOT
SPEAK THIS THING
UnprintabIe Evidence in
Patterson Trial.
CASE ENDS ABRUPTLY
lie Admits s"rain irregularities III
Hiss Office Involving Mis- -allie
Kline. Who. However. NlH
Not BE ProSCcutcd-Iht-
frrsnu Fined.
tcreon incd.

tcreon Fined.
Charlotte. Y. G.. June lf-AfteF
the examination Of one witness today
George l.. Patterson. postmaster at
Concord. admitted that certain irreg-
ularities had occurred in his office.
lie was fined $50 ana costs, which VIII
amount To about $3.50.
Miss SaIlie Kline. who was jointly
indicted with Patterson. ana who was
in addition charged with embezzlIhs
certain contents OF a mall X
! white employed as a clerk III the con
cord office. was allowed to 80 free.
District Attorney Holton declining to
prosecute her.
Tie evidence Of Assistant Postmaster
Charles cook was very sensational.
legged Irregularities We're committed
there We're three assistants IN the
Concord office. These were Miss
Kline, Miss Strickler, and himself.
Mr.. Patterson also assisted III puttlhS
the mails. besides attending
to the management Of the office.
On or about December -. 1903,
there came to the Concord office a
package addressed to Mrs. .. +. How
ard. 1t was mailed at Charlotte. and
because of its size il could not be
placed in Mr.. Towards lock box. \
card known as a call for package
card. was Popped in Mr.. towards
lock box. When Mr.. Howard pre-
scented it at the delivery WindoW the
package could not be found. Later
on in the afternoon Mr.. Cook said he
saw Miss Kline reach in Il mail pouch
and extract therefrom a package. she
carried il over to the dumping table
and While she had her back turned to
him, he could see that she was open
ing it. This accomplished, she placed
something in Il ~"hatbOX, returned 10
where the, mail pouch was and de
POSTED the package therein. After
Miss Kline left the office Mr.. Cook
said that he went to the mail pouch
and took out the package. There
was no visible address on It except
"BoX 236." AS soon as Postmaster
Patterson came in Mr.. COOK says ne
called his attention to the package
and old hin what he saw Miss
Kline do.
Paid For Missing Plume.
Mr.. Patterson and witness talked
over the occurrence and
what was the best thing to do. They
decided to leave the package IN one
of the dumping tables until Miss
Kline returned the next morning. The
witness testified that when Miss Kline
came back the next morning she
picked up the package and asked,
What is this?"
Mr.. Cook says he told her it was
a package found in a small mani
pouch. She remarked. Why, it has
no address on it." When Postmaster
Patterson come in he called the wit
ness into his private office and queS-
toned him as to what Miss Kline said
/ concerning the package. Witness in
formed him.. Later in the day Mrs.
Howard presented the card notifying
her that a package was in the office.
She received it and shortly afterwards
returned saying that il was strange
that a package coming from Charlotte
should reach Concord in such bad
condition.. Mrs. Howard also pro-
duced Il letter from the Charlotte firm
| in which certain aIticles We're alleged
to have been placed in the package.
Among the contents she stated that
Il plume or tip such as are worn on
ladies hats. was missing.
Witness took the letter to Postmas-
ter Patterson and he PATTERSON read
it aloud in presence of the Witness.
5 They then talked the matter over
with Miss Kline. who declared she
knew nothing of the package. and de-
MED that she had opened it. Later on
the witness was present when Mrs.
Howard came in. and he saw Mr.. Pat
terSOn pay Mrs. HOWard either $500
or $3.50 for the plume that was al
legged to have been extracted from the
package.
: Opened Mail Before Patterson.
on the charge of opening and de-
| laying certain mail matter, Mr.. Cook
: testified that he had OH several Occa-
/ siOnS seen Miss Kline in the presence
, of Mr.. Patterson commit this crime
> against the postal laws. Or one Oc-
= caSiOn he saw her tear open the wrap
per Oh a copy OF the magazine known
, as Smart Set This was addressed
, TO The Times. Concord. y. G" In
: suppOr OF the Witness testimony. the
Wlapper alleged to have contained the
abOVe-named publication was pro-
duced in court. and Mr.. Cook identi-
: fed it as the one he saw Miss Kline
| tear from the aboVe-naned publica-
! ton. Mr.. Cook also testified that he
saw Miss Kline tear the wrapper from
, a publication known as Vogue"
. This was addressed to Mrs. j. Nj.
l odell. one Of the alleged
[ to have been around the magazine
was found in the lavatory Of the
p~ostofice. Witness saw Miss Kline
1 enter the ~lavatorY and in a few
seconds heard the tearing Of paper. He
afterwards went inside and found a
portion of the on the floor
which was produced in court.
AT the conclusion of Mr.. Cooks tes-
timony court took a recess until 300
o'clock this afternoon.
! Then it was that Mr.. Patterson
came into court and admitted as facts
the ,iarge in the Indictment against
him. The abrupt ending of the case
was due to sensational feature thai are
not printable.