The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-05-10

man AT his table for the distribution
Of mail. He surreptitiously visited
letters from them that contained
money. There was never anything
missing from his own pouch: SO he
figured that he would never be sus-
pected. The figures betrayed him.
however. and when We sent the test
letters he opened such u number of
them as to show how easily and quick
~ he could detect the presence OF
money.
In Worcester. Massachusetts. some
time ago We had an Interesting case.
Two Of us were detailed to work II
out. and. relying upon the figures. in
no way attempted to investigate the
personality Of any of the men. When
the postmaster had given us the data
in his hands. We locked ourselves up
and worked on the figures for thirty
six hours At the end of that time
wrote the name OF the guilty man In
blue pencil 1t the bottom OF our
sheets. I have the sheet rs . souve-
mir OF the case and the man is now
in prison serving his term.
when Ne told the postmaster the
result Of our computations he told us
that IL was impossible. The man was.
the most trusted clerk in the office.
and his family was one Of the oldest
and most respected In the community
1t was impossible! We put the man
under observation. however. and sent
out the regular test letters. His guilt
was immediately established beyond .
doubt.
A Remarkable ceiNcidencs.
On \ case very similar to this I
once failed to convict my man through
q most remarkable coincidence. Tho
case had advanced 70 the observation
stage. I had gone into the pogtcffice
the night before amid the hustle Of
closing time. that being'the only hour
At which could get In without TAX
ing some one into my confidence.
had spent the entire night hidden
away In an attic waiting for the arri-
val Of the clerks the next morning
when I was to spy on them. When
morning finally came ! mounted an
eight-foot stepladder and by an UNI
comfortable amount Of stretching was
able to look over q high partition ana
down on the clerks. saw the sus-
pect deity run his finger under the
Flaps Of q dozen letters and open
them.
II went to the postmaster ana told
him what l had seen. We arranged
to send test letters the next morning
and make the arrest. I went to bed.
Later In tho day Q business man
came to the postmaster and protested
long and loud about the loss OF mon
ey in the mails. The postmaster re-
assured him by saying that those
losses would soon be stopped. ~ We
knew our man and the arrest was
sooo to follow. The business man 70.
peated these assurances to his family
that night At dipner.
This happened In . city Of . mill
Hon people-and yet the man who had
been taking the money was the faith
er-in-law OF the complaining business
man. heard the story. and took warn.
ing from 1t! Next day when We sent
tho test letters he failed to open
them. and when we arrested him there
was NO incfimiuAting money ON his
person. 1t vas my word against his,
and we failed Of conviction BY the co.
incidence Of the one man In . city of
. million to know Of our program ten.
ing 1t to the one other man I'm that
million who could profit by the infor-
nation.
This sort OF thing does not often
happen. Of course. We usually get
our man. We can sit In Washington
with the data that a given office IL
sure to possess and tell who n rob-
bling the mails in Michigan or Texas.
Tho system OF detection by mathema-
tics y one OF the surest and easiest
ever devised. Figures can't lie. and
the perso0ality Of the suspect, how.
ever strongly 1t might tend to mislead
the investigator working on any 9TH
er plan. has no opportunity to exert
It's charm. We are as sure to get the
miscreant In this phase Of wrong.do-
Ing ~ any man who knows his arith-
Emetic II sure to get the right answer
in working out ordinary problems Of
business. The Postmaster Every
where.