The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1908-10-30
MODEL CITIZEN \ IS
A THIEF FOR Il
YEARS
UNcLoAK PREsi-
DENT OF CITY LETTER CAR
RIERs' AssOCiATIoN-lN CELL
MAKES FULL CONFESSION.

CHICAGO. Oct. 30.-Robert Z. Pal
mer. OF Joliet, president OF the City
Letter Carriers association OF Him
oils. il disgraced man according to
his own.confession. Palmer. \ church
man. model citizen and leader among
his fellow employees has been an un-
discovered thief for seventeen years.
He began his career of dishonesty one
year after he entered the postoffice as
an employee. eighteen years ago.
A decoy letter containing $1.5O
placed In his letter bag by Postmaster
Inspectors Llewellyn and Elston OF
Inspector Stuart's ONCE, was the
cause Of exposure. He was brought
from Joliet to Chicago and was placed
In cell at the Central station. 1t
was after his arrival here that he
made his confession. He Is married
and has a SON twelve years old and q
daughter Or nine.
Palmer was taken into custody when
he returned to the postofiice. after
having delivered and collected mail
on his route. which takes In almost
all OF the prominent business houses
In Joliet
Taken Into Custody.
He seemed surprised when Inspect
ors Llewellyn and Elston stopped him
as he was leaving the building to go
to his home In Mississippi-ave.. Joliet.
and began to Search him. From one
OF his pockets Inspector Llewellyn took
a marked 81 bill which only twelve
hours before .he had placed In q test
letter" addressed to woman who
had moved to another part Of the city.
which letter Palmer should not have
taken out of the postofdce because OF
removal notice having been posted.
Subsequently Palmer confessed that
he had taken the bill with a 50-cent
piece from q letter which afterward
he had thrown in an ash barrel. The
postofiice inspectors went In search OF
this, but the barrel had been emptied.
According To the inspectors, many
con- plaints have been made to Col.
Stuart, chief postoffice inspector, that
letters were being rified In Joliet.
Traps had been set for the thief. who
had always eluded them until now.
Palmer has lived in Joliet almost all
his life. He has been active In work
to benefit letters carriers In various
parts of the United States.
Two years ago, because OF these ef-
forts. he was elected president OF the
City Letters Carriers association OF
Illinois. He has two relatives In Chi
cago who are wealthy, and who. he
says, will assist him in freeing him.
self from the charges made against
him.
Before Palmer was brought to this
city a messenger boy was sent to his
home for his citizens clothing, as he
did not want his-wife and family to
know of his being taken into custody.
He talked freely to the poStomce In
spectors about his thefts. He was un-
able to tell how much money he had
taken from letters during the years
he was stealing. He said that he did
not touch letters belonging to business
men.
About ten years ago thefts at the
Joliet postoffice were discovered. De-
spite the efforts OF the postoffice au-
thorities to capture the thief, he elud.
ed them. although many traps were set
for him.
Palmer has confessed to having
robbed the mails since 1891" said Post
Office Inspector Llewellyn. There Is
no mistake about his guilt. ! am sor-
~ for him because of his family and
because of his many years In the serv'
ice"