The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-07-23
ny FRANK G. CARPENTER.

dSH'Hs Ton, u. =.
In one OF the back rooms OF the biz
Sost-offlce building here in Washing
ron sits man who is unknown TO It's
thousands OF clerks. He lives at the
capital. but he can go the length of
iPennsylvania Avenue without raising
ms hat In response TO bow. lie has
put Few acquaintances. and almost no
ltntmates. Nevertheless he is one az
the most important men in the United
States government. and to many who
nave guilty consciences he represents
the ghost of the penitentiary. which
lhaunts them day and night
rms man is the chic: inspector OF
tine Post-On1ce Department. a man who
has not only to watch the four hun
idred odd millions of dollars which go
IN ana out OF that office in the course
,of the year. hut to keep track OF the
crimes OF It's 300 900 employees. and 10
see that every bit of its fourteen bill
non pieces of mall is honestly carried.
mis- in itself is job: but when to
sthe crimes on the inside are added all
the crimes and swindles carried on
through the mails. all burgIarIes OF
post ofnees. all stealing Of stamps and
padding returns. YOU Will see that tho
wires Of mis- influence reach TO every
man. woman and child in the country,
ana that upon him the most OF US de-
pend for protection.
The Chief Inspector.
The name OF tho chief inspector is
Robert 5. Sharp. and. sinsularlv
enough. he is the son OF a. G. Sharp.
who held this same office when Mr..
Gresham was postmaster general. and
who at that time put down the Louis
hana lottery and wiped out al! sorts
jof chance games through the mails.
lMr. SHARP recently acted SIS one OF
tae internal revenue commissioners
land Il was his work among the moon
lfhiners OF the Tennessee Mountains
that caused Postmaster General Hitch
cock to ask him TO aid in putting
down the mail swindlers. He took
Icnarse only about year ago. bu,
since that time he has already CON
idefrauded the people OF perhaps $500
100000. He has to-day score of
lsuch miilionaires under the harrow,
and half dozen or more have al
ready been put behind the bars.
should like to introduce you to
the chief post-offce inspector, but that
Is Impossible. He Will not allow his
face to be published. does not like "a
have his name mentioned and doubt
,whether the apartment house where
he lives here in Washington knows
that he is anything more than a mere
government clerk He does not like
10 talk. and 1t was only through A
eHS5cs'ioi iioHl TIE postmaster gem
Hral that 1t might be we'll TO let the
people know what Uncle sam Is do
ins TO protect his children from the
wiles OF the swindlers that he gave
me interview
Uncle Snm's Work.
1t Is my business to keep the hack
ground. This work is done for the
government and the people, and
would like TO have you say that Il IS
Uncle Sam and the Post-Ofice Depar,-
7nent who are convicting the rasca,s
This government is bigger than any
one man, and We want to make these
ewind!ers know that It is the govern
ment and not individuals who are af-
ter them. We want them to know
that the government is bigger than
any individual. and that no matter how
Rich or influential the rascal NAV be
he Is on level with the poorest of
his kind in the eyes of this institu-
ton.
These were the instructions which
ehe postmaster-general gave mo when
I took charge. Tie urged us 10 be
cure that we were right. and to then
go ahead without fear or favor. That
Is what we are doing When we ar
rest man we follow the same pro-
,eedure. It makes no difference whether
ne Is millionaire or a pauper, wheth
fer he is at the head of the politics OF
ia city or an individual voter. have
INSTRUCTED my men to make no change
I'm the arrest OF a millionaire over that
or negro stealing a ham. The patrol