Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-19
Indictments Returned Against
George M. Tucker.
ELEVEN COUNTS ARE FOUND
Unique Scheme Credited to Employe
of Bureau of Engraving.
NO BILL AGAINST w. MITCHELL
Charge Of Felonious Assault Ignor-
ed-Number of Other Indict-
ments Are Found.

The grand jury today indicted George
reau of engraving and printing. for lar
ceny and embeZZlement in connection
with the disappearance Of a number OF
postage stamps from the stamp division
of the bureau.
Tucker was employed as skilled la
borer in the packing room of the stamp
division. 1t is alleged he distracted a
number of stamps from the sheets which
he was making into packages for ship
ment. The method be is credited with
adopting was unique.
Inc packages contain a large number of
sheets. To facilitate the counting by
postmasters printed Instructions appear
on one corner of the sheet, directing post
masters to count at that end.
Confident that these directions are fol-
lowed. and taking advantage of it, it Il.
alleged. Tucker would pluck out from the
opposite side Of the sheets a handful of
stamps. tearing through number of
sheets. but out Of each sheet taking
never more than twenty stamps. The
pluck1ngs, 1t is said, would measure about
tive stamps across and four stamps along.
When the package reached a postmas-
ter for whom it was intended, following
printed instructions, he would count at
hie CORNER lnolcateu NO shortage OF
sheets appearing he would receipt for the
indicated contents of the package.
His loss would only be discovered
In the course of his sales when he reach
ed the sheets from which stamps had
been extracted.
Charges in Indictment.
The indictment charges that the alleged
larceny and embezzlement took place be-
tween October. 1907 and January, 1908.
So difficult was the tracing of the loss
that it was only few weeks ago that
the bureau officials were able to locate
the point where the stamps disappeared.
AS a result of the investigation Tucker
was relieved from duty and the evidence
submitted to the grand jury.
There are eleven counts in the indict-
ment. The first six charge the larceny
OF stamps On various occasions during
the interval mentioned. Three of the
other five counts charge the embezzle-
ment of stamps from the United States
while Tucker was an employe of the gov
ernment.' The remaining two counts
charge violations of section 5453 of the
Revised Statutes in the taking OF stamp
ed paper belonging to the government
and made in postage stamps intended to
be issued and used by the government
According to the first count there were
AIKEN fifteen stamps Of the value of 3
cents each and sixteen stamps each of
the Value or 10 cents IWentythree ten
cent stamps were taken, according to the
second count The third count charges
the larceny of forty-eight stamps, wort h
D cents apiece: the fourth count, forty
stamps of the ten-cent denomination; the
fifth count, thirty-six stamps. worth 10
cents each, and the sixth count forty
eight stamps of the eight-cent denomina-
ton.
The other counts charge the alleged
embezzlement in different ways.
Other Indictments Found.
Other indictments returned are:
Jesse Mills, non-support: Louis c. An
drews, embezzlement; John Scheurlein.
robbery and larceny: Alice Allen. alias
Alice Read. larceny: Henry Crown, as
sault with intent to kill and assault with
dangerous weapon; Andrew Jackson, for
gerry and attempt to utter; John Dan
bridge. assault with dangerous weapon;
Frederick ]. Brinnier, alias Robert w.
Blair. larceny; John Gramm. embezzle-
ment; John Gramm. house breaking. lar
ceny and embezzlement; Arthur Thomas
and Felix Hunter, larceny; John Gordon,
assault TO rape; Morris Mandel, grand
larceny.
The grand jury ignored the charge of
felonious assault brought against Wilson