The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1906-07-04
Columbia Has Lost Many Pack
ages ia Recent Past
HAVE BEEN STOLEN
Between Mail Room at Ua;on Depot
and Pestoffice. Inspectors Have
Worked But. 1t Is Said, Have
Secured Little Evidence
of Guilty 0aes.

There seems to have been consider
able stealing Of letters and packages
going on among the postal officials
located In Columbia. a dispatch
from that city to the Charleston Post
says what Postmaster Elsor calls "a
regular Saturnala OF stealing" has
been going on among the railway
train pocters and perhaps others, who
have heen handling ths mails between
the mail room at the union station
and the trains. he has failed to
locate over ssVentg-fse packages that
haVa been reported to bin as having
been lost, the date OF the first pack
age mailed being Dec5mbsr 8 last,
and that Of the last April IA last.
How many more have bsen stolen DR.,
Ensore has no idea.
There may be many cases that
were never reported and still other
cases that will be reported later. AS
resulted OF q letter d. Easor wrote
to the Washington division Inspector
Williams, located at Cha stanooga, de-
tailed Inspectors P1ls,ter, Banner
man and Webers on the case. After
several days work they were unable
to trace any evidence against either
OF the three transfer clerks vino are
in charge OF the mail room at the
union station, in relays. So far oaly
one arresU has been made, that OF
Sam Williams who was caught by a
decoy letter containing silver which
vas handed to him to be taken to the
train. he has been landed In Jail by
Commissioner Werner in default OF
bail.
Transfer Clerk Mobley, a negro,
was arrest>d but was afGerward re-.
leased. Nothing has so far been dis-
covered against the other colored
transfer clerk, G. P. Murray, and
both be and Mobley are still on duty.
Chief Transfer Clerk n. J. Davis is
the only white man in Charge Of the
mail room. BE is a man OF high In.
aegrity, In whom everybody has per.
feet couf3eEcs.
Sam Williams has been at the
union station only fCur nortas. Each
Of the trausfer Clerks Las key which
fits all the locked pouches, and which
ne Is required by the regulations to
carry on chain attached 70 his body.
But WHISTLER anything has hsen stolen
from the first class mail, which Is re-
CURED to be locked, can not be said.
1t appears from the list OF lost pieces
which tracing has failed to locate,
that the stealing was confined almost
altogether to packages. These pack.
ages are handled almost entirely In
large sacks, unlocked, which are
handled between the mail room and
the possofdce by porters. There are
d number OF pcrters working in the
employ OF the p0s.cfaca.
But Sam Williams Is In 20 way con-
nsc5ed with the ofdce. BE and other
railway porters and the postoflce por-
tiers all have scess 70 the mall room
and as tbs transfer clerks have fre.
quently to DO away fcon the room
There is good opportunity TOR steal
Ing.
Though the inspectors have given
up the fight for the time being they
have by no means given up hopes,
and other arrests are expected in the
immediate future.
On one occasion eight packages
sent up on the Charleston train were
stolen before they reacaed the Colum.
bia ofics.
DR.. Pike, I. Columbia dentist, lost
nine packages, which should have
ceue to him in TWO wesks.
The thing has become notorious"
said Dr.. Ensor to The E7aning Post
representative. AN aHful stencil
had arisen to the no,trils OF the pat.
ronS Of the Office, Tho were taking
taeir packages to the express Office.
The Investigation has Geclosed that
The mail room down there has turned
out to be a regular den OF thieves.
OF course [ hope you will say nothing
that might be construed as a redec-
tion on MI. Davis in whom ne all
have the greatest confidence.
Whether any OF The stealing has
been going on among tie postal clerks
on the trans can not say, but sup
pose not. TIA students here in the
male and female colleges have hardly
hoo, ahle Tn oet a -}oj1y sent TO them
in the past seVe1al months. The
thieves made clean sweep. / am
satisfied that not an article has been
stolen by any Of the employees OF this
Office, not only because I have conf
dencs In them but the system would
require al to be iD coliusion II one
STOLE"
Burned 20 Death.