The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-02-20
CLEARS THE NAME
OF A MISSIONARY
For Twenty-Five Years an Envc-
lope With $500 Had Lain
Hidden in Pouch.
He WAS BRANDED AS THIEF
the Time He Put 1t i'll the
Package the Mail Bag Had
Been in Active Service.

Springfield, Mass, February 1o.-I'or
Il quarter of a century Rev. Charles
Edwin B%nrdctte, now of this city, has
1Ned under the suspicion that he was q
hNpocritc and n thief. In his boyhood,
while he was registry clcri, or tho
peoria Gid p~ost-ofice. $4,000 mystic
riously disappeared. and he was thought
to have taken It.
Mr.. Burdettc became n missionary
anu iaoored among the heather Of the
Ear East for twenty years. All that
time the stigma cloudcd his name. All
thar time he prayed that God would
clear him OF a charge OF which no was
innocent. And just tho other day His
prayer was answered. the truth was
discovered. ana tho trasic shade was
swept from his life.
In the early seventies Burdo,te wo
employed as registry clerk in the
feorio post-otitce, of Which General B.
". AlaGce, who had won laurcls as q
commander OF Illinois volunteers in tho
Civn War. was postmaster.
Iofn Comstock. n wealthy real estate
man. appeared one day at young Bur
%dette's window. lie announced that he
~ 'EiiA Sc,opu III Twelve roy
isiered letters to clients III Nebraska
and Dakota.
burdette registered them in tho Gus
tolnary way and gave Cocstock a "a.
ceipt.
Then he placed all twelve envelopes
IN one large envelope of thick. heavy
paper. This he carefully laced NJ
ne bottom or 4 mali bag in which tho
mornings mail was 10 be sent Of: ry
!. Tie. next TRAIN. (n, n,,. ~ ,t,.- 49,
lopc he threw the Unregistered mail.
On top of the unregistered mail he
placed his registry book. Then 10
locked and scaled the SACK.
The route agent found the entries
IN Burdette's registry book. but when
nc cmptied the mail bay he found no
registered envelope. Therefore he did
not sign his name in the book.
There was much angry talk between
the two young men. The route agent
insisted that he had not received tho
envelope and refused TO sign for it.
When Cocstoci5 learned that the
money had not reached It's destination
ne pecamc furious. He proclaimed ie
mad been robbed. When Postmaster
AlaEee refused to believe Burdette dis.
honest he took the matter to Wushing.
ton and tried 70 have the clerk dis.
missed, but Burdette stood firm and
demanded an investigation. With tho
honesty Of his Office at stake. General
MIageo made the investigation very
thorough. The bald facts looked bad
~ for Burdette. Comstock had passed
the money to Burdettc. Tho money
never had reached the route agent on
the train.
IN defiance of peremptory orders
from Washington. young Burdette held
Ills job. He remained as registry clerk
IN the Peoria post-ofiice until he was
ready TO go to college. He studied for
the ministry and spent twenty years
in Asia as a missionary. Finally he
returned.
Through all the years since the day
In Peoria that the none had disap-
| pcared the mail bag in which Bur
dctte had placed the registered pack
age had Ion Socman service
AZ last it was sent to a repair shop
in San Francisco TO he repaired. AS
the bottom fell off a big envelope OF
thick heavy paper rolled upon the
floor.
1t was the envelope that young Bur-
dcttc q quarter of a century before
lad placed in the mail bag. 1t con
tanned twelve smaller envelopes which
in turn held $500 in cash.
81 am only sorry" said Mr.. Eur
dettc when nc learned the good It'd
ings, that General Magec and Mr.
Con,stock are not alive TO know the
truth