The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-07-31
True Stories OF the Secret Service

to the reverend myth was droppea
through the hole in the top of The trunk
pending the arrival of his reverence
The old lady was wholly unsuspicious'
A Methodist minister WAS above re-
proach with her. The back room adj
Joining the one engaged by the rever,
end was already occupied by quiet
and unobtrusive gentleman who paid
his rent regularly and went and came
at his pleasure. He, too, was above s!ls'
picion, There was also n very nice
young man occupying room upstairs
He was always busy writing and at
tending to his own business, Many
letters postmarked Mt different towns
Of the west and south addressed to Rev.
J. Hale Barney were being delivered
daily. These were put in the trunk.
The detective detailed to unearth the
fraud rugged himself out in suit OF
gcnteel black clothes and presented him.
self at 426 Sixth street. Here he. was
kindly received by the nice old lady.
She was polite, but a little suspicious art
first. 1t did not, however, take the
smooth h-tongued detective long 10 calm
her fears and secure a room. he was
not particular about the price. He had
heard that her house was a quiet place.
He was a law student and did not like
to be disturbed while engaged In his
studies.
At the first opportunity the detective
slipped into the front room and exam
ined the lock on the trunk with the
aperture in its top. 1t was an ordinary
affair and the officer easily secured n
key to fit it, He had several circulars
| printed III fac simile Of the original to
be used as decoys. These were post.
marked and given the appearance of
having been sent by postmasters in the
south, Some of them contained marked
money. Excuses were made in others;
money would be sent In course OF time.
Some of these letters were signed GA
Friend of the Cause" ga Sy1npathiz-
er, - "Depend Upon Me- etc. A let-
ter carrier was made use of and the de.
tective was kept posted in regard TO the
delivery of the letters
When the "nice man. occupying the
room back of the parlor was absent the
letters contained in the trunk were ex-
amined by the detective, A short time
after the return of tho "nce man. he
was seen to slip into the parlor through
amlned tho trunk, The letters were
gone. Shortly afterwards the ".nice
man" occupying tho room back Of the
narlor was arrested while in the act OF
dropping letters into the postoffice
| These letters were discovered to be
circulars addressed to postmasters and
others. The "nice man. arrested was
searched and the marked money placed
IN the letters by the detective was
found in his pocket. It was now Ger
tain that Rev. j, Hale Barney and the
individual arrested were one and the
same. The silent young man upstairs
was suspected and arrested His room
was searched and n largo number OF
printed circulars and envelopes ad
dressed to postmasters were found.
The plot although silly in its concep
ton, was catchy because Of its boldness
The nice man. caught was q person
of considerable prominence. He haG
served as a colonel of regiment durine
the Civil war and was gallant fighter
The young fellow upstairs was {
printer and had done tho work on thu