The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1912-08-17
MAIL S0RTER TEARS UP
5000 LETTERS FOR CASH
Strews Vacant Lot With bc.
strOyed Mail Matter Addressed
TO Germany.
THROWS CHECKS AWAY
Negro COnfcsses He Got S3.oOn
From Envelopes and Lost
Much at Craps.

Hiram Smith, 23 yearU old. . ,iear,
mail sorter in the foreign branch uf
the Post Office was arrested lagt night
at 139th street and Edgecombe avenue
by Inspectors James, Poll!tt and Jacob.
They saw Smith tear up letters he had
grass in lot adjacent TO the City
College OF New York.
The search lor evidence against Smith
was started two weeks ago when resi-.
dent near tho City College brought 70
Inspector Jacobs two envelopes with
their contents torn to bits. He had
found the envelopes where Smith waf
arrested last night.
At the time of his arrest Smith hao
s27 in bills in one pocket, which he ad
mitted he had obtained from rifiing let
tcrs since he had stopped work for the
day at o'clock. In another pocket In
bills of large denominations the IN
spectors found S3S6.S5.
Smith said that s1J Of this amount
belonged to him. In vest pocket were
found two pawn tickets. one for
diamond ring for 1895 and the other
for $22J.
The letters that Smith has stolen
systematically for tho past four months
were personal letters addressed to Ger
many. in which checks. money orders
photographs and currency We're en-
closed A few of the letters were sd
dressed to points in Norway
When Smith was asked by the inspectors
how many lett RS he had stolen since he
Gre hann 10 ka n hJiginpcs bp In J
5000. The inspectors say the number
is far greater than that.
Smith confessed that 81 .0iS.s5 that he
had in currency and pawn tickets on his
person at the time OF his arrest repre-
sented money taken from the letters ad-
gambled pretty heavily recently and wa
very fond of craps.
II found the going heavy at FIRST he
told Inspector Jacobs. but | SOON had
luck at craps. got rid OF big pile one
night. but doubled OH it the second night
| think must have cleaned up s., 600 from
letters that have stolen. but made "a;
least 81 900 last week. | spent il tho
other night"
He made a complete confession to
the inspectors. He told them that hs
had gone to the vacant lot at Edgecombr
avenue between 135th and 18Th streets
and there torn up the letters. taking only
ne 11lSptCtpIN ihNt ilElt'
that the lot Smith referred TO was stfern
with thousands of torn letters Three
bushel baskets full We're collected, SOInf
of the checks were pasted together
Many of the letters contained Word
from new arrivals III this country. III"
greater part of tho letters containing
money were written in Ger man heno-
writing. Smith tore up photo graz ls
postal cards. checks, money orCers
post Office orders and everything with
the exception of money
Il was after the long green" he tod
the inspectors
There have been no complaints re-
ceived by the post Office hero from Ger
many.
1t is generally the custom in the foreign
post offices that when people fail to re-
ceive letters from America the complaints
are registered in the post Office here. The
inspectors would have been able 10 get
on the track of Smith at least a month
ago il they had had such evidence,
II is the belief of the inspectors that
Smith first stole judiciously and then when
he saw that there was no possible method
of detection in the handling Of letters
in the Office he picked out spot in Harlem
where he could tear up his letters and
throw them away with fair chanc"
of not being caught.