The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-01-29
TIMES DtsProE RICHMOND VA wEDNEsD JANUARY 1908


ihc1.alcillin n. j. Mitchell. William
KIRBY, ID. Rider and Philp IT, Powers.
Case IL Opened.
The indictment charging Burke with
,.unlawfully secreting certain letter
raced In his hands in his otIicial Ca
pacity TO be conveyed by mali was
read BY Clerk Brady.
Judge Lewis opened With q brief
statement for the government ontlin-
ing what was expected to be proven
against Burke. Ile stated that re-
citation q OF the Richmond post-ofiice,
where Burke was superintendent. had
led TO an examination by the govern
irieilt. the result beirg az shown bS
the testimony of the witnesses for the
prosecution. Mo reply was made by
the attorneys for the defense.
~ r. Barley. a post-office Inspector,
Earkley testified that he was In Rich
mond on September 13. 1907, In con-
nection with the investigation OF ir-
Irregularities In the Richmond post
office; that he stopped ut Murphys
Hotel. and that on the afternoon or
September 18th he assisted Inspector
Robertson In preparing a test or decoyI
letter was addressed to Miss Annette
Click. Frederick. Md, and contained
two silver certificates OF the value
of 81 each. ana silver half dollar The
Inspectors took the number OF the.
bills and the series, the date and mark
ing OF the silver half dollar. and also
put cipher ink mark on each Of tho
bills.
The witness introduced a memo
,andun1 made at the time, giving a
description OF the letter. and its con-
tents, and signed Ivy the two irspec-
tors. The letter itself was introduced
in evidence 1t was written and adj
dressed in pencil. IN the hand Of an
uneducated person. headed Dear An
nette,' and signed merely TACK" The
bills and the letter with their mark
ings were exhibited to the jury, also
the silver coin. which shows cross
mark on the nose OF the Goddess of
Liberty.
Continuing. Mr.. Barklcy testified
that the letter had been stamped.
| scaled and turned over to j. NJ. Cor
don, clerk In Station B. with In
/ structions as 20 It's disposition
Inspectors Story.
Tho witness was asked if he ever
saw the letter again. He stated that
| the next morning. September ilth, he
went to the vicinity OF Station 3. on
4 Church Hill, and that he waited on
\ the outside OF the barber shop of
| Salvatore Presti. "Whcn 11r. Burke
| came out spoke to him." he de-
\! clared. Inspector Robertson Joined
| us and we asked Mr.. Burke to go with
| us to Station 3. We went to desk
in the read / asked him to produce
what money he had on his person. He
reached in his right-hand trousers
\ pocket and produced a one-dollar bill.
4 a silver halt-dollar ana some, loose
change. ] examined tho bill,aa silver.
] certificate, No. S4s0OS,3a0, compared 1t
\ with my memorandum and found 1t to
/ agree with ono of the bills In the
\ test letter: also tho silver half-dollar
4 OF 1899. with a scratch that answered
/ the descriptions. 7 asked AR. Burke
\ where he got the money. Ile said he
/ did not know. Inspector Robertson
/ and Clerk Gordon were present at the
4 time. We asked Mr.. Burke what else
4 vas in his pockets. From his coat
4 pocket he produced the letter to Miss
1 Click, and from another pocket the
1 envelope here shown.
4 ave then crossed to the barber shop
! of Salvatore Presti and asked him to
1 open his cash drawer. We found q
1 one.dollar silver certificate. the only
| bill In the drawer. On reference to
| our memorandum 1t was shown to be
/ the other bill inclosed in the letter,
| No. 34,S00120. check letter d. series
1898, with our ink mark on tho bill.
"Presti went with us back to Sta
ton r, and in the presence OF AIR.
i Eurkc and Inspector Robertson. told
me that Mr.. Eurkc paid It to him that
morning In settlement for a shave,
and tho he had given the change in
/ silver. Inspector Robertson asked
Mr.. Barke how long this had been
i going on. He replied that no did not
care to discuss II"
Was Dccoy Letter.
On cross-examination. MI. Smith
asked who Miss Click was. Mr..
Barkley replied that Inspector Robert-
son furnished the name. AS to the
disposition of the letter, Mr.. Barkley
said it was given to Mr.. Gordon t.
drop through the slot used by the
public onto the ordinary mailing
4 table. for the purpose Of having II
sent through the mail. It was stamped
and sealed. Mr. Smith made tho In
spector admit that 1t was q test or
decoy letter.
j. &. Robertson. of Washington. D.
IC., post-offlce Inspector. was called
and told almost al identical story. lie
said that he had himself written and
addressed the letter, and that Mr..
Barley prepared the inclosures. He
corroborated Mr.. Bark1ey} as to find
Ing the money and letter on Burke. as
/, to locating the bill at the barber shop.
b + ~ ~ e'.xy M