Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1909-08-04
PROVING HIS GUILT.
e. kINessuRy WEIGH.
[CoT yright. 1909. BY American Press Assoc
eiation.l

sNiAN0S "a W [%Stts
tcor yright. 1909, by American Press Assoc
eiation.l
1 am a postoflfce Inspector and have
had a good deal to do with ferreting
out crime in the extraction of money
from letters. ! work on certain prln-
ciples that have evolved by long ex-
perience. and it is usually very easy
matter for me to hunt down a culprit.
This is because when man begns to
steal he continues his thcfts 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.
] once had case where ] got some
information in advance which seemed
to facilitate any investigations / might
make. John Crawlins, a merchant.
complained TO me that his letters We're
being robbed in passing through the
postofiice. ] asked him If any one In
his employ had access to his mail, and
he told me that 1t was received and
taken to the postoflice by clerk
named Robert Byrnes. Byrnes was
taking the money If any one in his em-
ploy was taking It, and he interposed
no objection to my Investigating in
that direction He had suspected
Byrnes and had watched him.
Incognito / made the young mans
acquaintance. or, rather, the acquaint-
ance Of the family Of which he was d
part lie was the idol OF bis mother,
widow: two younger sisters aud a
sweetheart, Marion Swift I saw that
something was troubling the mother
and set about winning her confidence,
suspecting the cause Of her worry to
be her son. He was gay. free hand
ed young fellow and whatever We
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
fear her son was the csdprit
This was a pretty direct cIew. New
ertheless there was one thing that pre-
vented me from following 1t with
proper persistence sympathy Mrs.
Byrncs was a lovely woman, Marion
Swift was an attractive and innocent
girl. while Robert was a boy whom
every one loved. To confess the whole
matter, ! hadn't known Mrs. Eyrnes
an hour before | had made up my
mind that she was the woman i was
looking for for a wife.
never occupied so much time in
solving a detective problem-not that
/ couldn't solve 1t, but because
didn't wish { solved 1t looked 70 me
like one of chose cases where a 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
his sisters, aged respectively fifteen
and twelve, all Of whom / bad come to
love-
However. have always believed
that 1t Is weakness to tamper with
human frailties. aad to shield young
Byrnes would be to my own dishonor
knew way to prove his CUNT, and
determined to use il.
Nine times in ten in placing sheet
Of folded paper In an envelope one VIII
put in the folded edge first because
the letter win 90 In that way easier
] asked the merchant to write a let
ter to one Of BE- correspondents 10
whom be was used to send money. lie
G'd so. put Il IN the envelope With
tle folded edge town and. sealing It..