The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-04-23
MAIL orc THEFT.
Opportunity Presented Tn~sxIecIexlls
ia Nelson and tia Temptation
Oscrw lHcintcd ifini.

@"% 49, 80 AEae
relating 70 the arrest 81 Edward s
Nelson IN Wilmington ard his conf>~-
sion ~ the theft Of a mail package
containing $1,000 are copied from
the Wilmington Messenger:
1T Will be recalled that on the 9sth
Of March n package containing $40
600 in bills was shipped through the
p~ostofice from the Atlantic National
bank OF this city to the chemical Ma
tional Bank OF New York CITY. This
package was placed in the regular
registered pouch at the p~ostoalce In
this city ard was delivered to the posi-
al clerk on thc run between WIu}iu<-
ton and Rocky Mount From his
hands the pouch passed through the
hands of several other clerks on thc
route TO New York, and nothing w9s
discovered Ia b.. wrong until the
pouch reached the New York Office.
When delivered there il VAS found
that n clear, sharp cut had been made
in the pouch. near the top. where (
folded. and examination revealed The
fact n a a package containing 519,-
600 WAS gone. P~ostoffice inspectors
Maxwell and HoOten were detailed on
the 27th instant to investigate the
loss, and they have been working d.
ligently on the case ever since. their
efforts having met with success yes
terday morning. when the confess! N
was made. Inspector Buck of this
tlStIItl, WIS diSo .1ut ptf tGit td~f anu
he has worked. with the others. Ia
find the guilty party. Suspicion
which rested on Nelson. resulted III
his surveillance and the facts were
being brought 50 close around him
tina he admitted his guilt and befor.
the dinner hour yesterday had re-
placed the entire sum Of $4,000 into
the hands Of the p~ostofice authori-
ties.
1T is an interesting but pathetic
story that Is told Of the way the THEFT
was committed. on the evening of the
goth ulto, Mr.. Nelson, who has been
in the service for the past six years
went to the A. G. L.. station to spend
a few moments with his friend f. Il.
Powers who was on the run that
night. While in the car, powers
asked Nelson TO stay there a moment
while he went to the tation mail box
and collected the mails there. Powers
left the car and was gone only a few
moments. During that short interval
the overpowering temptation had
come 70 Nelson apd ne slit open the
registered pouch, took out the pack
age, not knowing what amount was In
1t, and Slid it under the stove in the
mail car. This $4,000 package 1t is
said remained there for two or three
days before Nelson had the chance 10
take it out and secrete 1t.
1.-The downfall Of this young man
will come as news of a surprising and
distressing nature to his hundreds OF
friends. He is n native Wilmington
ian and has spent all ms life here,
having been of a quiet disposition and
free from any suggestion of dissipation
or fast living. He has been in the
United States postal service for a few
months more than six years. Fe was
an exceptionally bright young mac
and he lad the confidence and respect
of all with whom he came in contact
| Before entering the mail service h
was in the local postoffice for six OIL
eight months but ever in tnat shoi'
| time he had come to be regarded as
a splendid clerk, who knew his bus
moss trough