The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1909-08-25
PROVING HIS GUILT,
BY klNeseuRY WEIGH.

BY kiNGs7uRY WEIGH.
copyright. 1909, by American Press Asso-
ciation.l
am postofiice inspector and have
had good deal to do with ferreting
out crime in the extraction OF money
from letters. work on certain prin-
riples that have evolved by long ex-
pericnce, and 1t is usually very easy
matter for me to hunt down culprit
This is because when 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.
! once had a case where got some
information in advance which seemed
to facilitate any Investigations might
make. John Crawlins. merchant
complained to me that his letters were
being robbed in passing through the
postoffice. 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 postoffice 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.
Incognito I 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 q
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 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
fear her son was the culprit.
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 a lovely woman, Marion
Swift was an attractive and innocent
girl. while Robert was boy whom
avery one loved. To confess the whole
matter, l hadn't known Mrs. Byrnes
an hour before had made up my
mind that she was the woman I waa
looking for for wife.
1 never occupied SO much time In
solving detective problem-not tina,
4 couldn't solve it, but because
didn't wish 1t solved. It looked to me
like one Of those cases where a young
mans heart runs away with his hon
esty. and have known number Of
them. II fixed the crime upon hin
would wound myself through moi
only his mother, but his betrothed and
his sisters, aged respectively fifteeE
and twelve, all Of whom had come {,
love.
| However, have always believed
that 1t is weakness to tamper witt
human frailties. and to shield youns
Byrnes would be to my own dishonor
I knew way to prove his guilt. and
determined to use 1t.
Nine times in ten in placing shee
Of folded paper in an envelope one will
put in the folded edge first becaus,
the letter will go in that way easier
asked the merchant to write a tet
ter to one of his correspondents t
whom he was used to send money. III
did SO. put 1t in the envelope wit
the folded edge down and, sealing II
told him to send 1t to the postofice a
a certain hour by Robert Byrnes. III
promised to do so, and left him.
The longest interval I have eve
known in my life was that betwee
writing and receiving that lette
, I was in a private Office at the pos1
office when one Of the clerks handed 1
to me. held it in my hand fully tie
minutes before had the courage t
open 1t. II the envelope had bee
: opened there were nine chances in tie
: that the letter would be found r,
. sersed. Finally tore off the cover.
r 1t was as had placed it.
n Though I was much relieved, wa
not convinced and determined to NAL
the experiment again and again till
was sure. But my suspicion, induce
by the boys mothers information. we
. disturbed. and concluded to look els
where. After investigation l disco
cred that whenever Robert desired
-r~'-i -. igsffi --.-:--->---'--~