Willmar tribune., 1909-07-21
PROVING HIS Gull I,
BY klNoseuRY WEIGH.

am postofice inspector and have
had good deal to do with ferreting
out crime In the extraction of money
from letters. work on certain prin-
ciples that have evolved by long ex-
perience, and it is usually very easy
matter for me to hunt down culprit.
This is because when a man begins to
steal he continues his thefts. They
are not committed by various people.
All one has to do is to find that one
person. Besides, there are various
traps we set for him which he is not
likely to suspect.
l once had case where l got some
Information in advance which seemed
to facilitate any investigations might
make. John Crawlins, a merchant,
complained to me that his letters were
being robbed in passing through the
postoftace. I asked him If any one in
his employ had access to his mail, and
he told me that it was received and
taken to the postofice by clerk
named Robert Byrnes. Byrnes was
taking the money if any one in his en-
ploy was taking it, and he interposed
no objection to my investigating in
that direction. He had suspected
Byrnes and had watched him.
1ncognito 1 made the young mans
acquaintance. or, rather. the acquaint.
ance of the family of which he was a
part. He was the idol of his mother,
widow; two younger sisters and a
sweetheart, Marion Swift. I saw that
something was troubling the mother
and set about winning her confidence,
suspectfng the cause Of her worry to
be her son. He was a gay, free hand
ed young fellow, and whatever was
on his mind was sure to come to the
surface. His mother finally told me
that her boys generous nature was
likely to prove his ruin. He made
both her, his sisters and Marion Swift
presents that she was sure he could
not afford. She had heard of the ex-
traction Of money from his employers
mail and was In great distress for
~
This was pretty direct clew. New
ertheless there was one thing that pre-.
vented me from following it with
proper persistence-sympathy. Mrs
Byrnes was lovely woman, Marion
Swift was an attractive and innocent
girl, while Robert was boy whom
every one loved. To confess the whole
matter, 1 hadn't known Mrs. Byrnes
an hour before had made up my
mind that she was the woman 1 was
looking for for wife.
never occupied so much time In
solving a detective problem-not thai
couldn't solve it, but because
didn't wish it solved. 1t looked to me
like one Of those cases where young
mans heart runs away with his hon.
esty, and have known number OF
them. If fixed the crime upon him
would wound myself through not
only his mother. but his betrothed and
bis sisters, aged respectively fifteen
and twelve, all Of whom l had come t
love.
However, I have always believed
that it is weakness to tamper with
human frailties. and to shield young
Byrnes would be to my own dishonor
knew way to prove his guilt, and
determined to use it.
Nine times in ten in placing a sheet
Of folded paper in an envelope one will
put in the folded edge first because
the letter will go in that way easier
I asked the merchant to write a let
ter to one of his correspondents tt
whom he was used to send money. He
did so. l put it in the envelope will
the folded edge down and, sealing it
told him to send it to the postoffice al
! certain hour by Robert Byrnes. HI
promised to do so, and left him.
The longest interval l have eve
known In my life was that between
writing and receiving that letter
I was in a private Office at the post
Office when one Of the clerks handed Il
to me. held it in my hand fully tel
minutes before had the courage tt
open 1t. If the envelope had beel
opened there were nine chances in tel
that the letter would be found re
versed. Finally 1 tore of the cover.
It was as had placed it.
Though I was much relieved, I wa
not convinced and determined to max
the experiment again and again till
was sure. But my suspicion, induce.
by the boys mothers Information, wa
disturbed, and l concluded to look else
where. After Investigation I discov
cred that whenever Robert desired t
leave the Office earlier than usual b
would confide the mail to anothe
clerk named Hethrington. Hethrine
ton had occupied his position for man,
years and had his employers perfec
confidence. I asked the merchant
send me letter by Hethrington sim1
lar to the one he had already sent m
and placed in the envelope the sam
way. He at first refused to do so, say
ing he knew all about Hethrington an
intimated that he would find anothe
man to do the work who could do
better. But he finally consented, an
the letter was sent.
| confess l had no faith in making
discovery. Judge, then. of my surpris
and delight, I admit-when dre1
the letter from the envelope In a r.
versed position.
| lost no time in confessing to th
widow that my duty as postoffice IL
spector had forced me to apply test
that had resulted in establishing he
sons innocence. The matter was KEEP
secret between us, and neither Rot