Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-04-17
Letter Carrier Horace S.
Peacock Is Arrested
For Larceny Of LETTERS
Held for Grand Jury.
The Funeral, tuesday Afternoon, Of
Mrs. Annie 4. Dewey.

Caught redhanded, BY means of a
decoX letter, in which was Il sum OF
money Horace = Peacock OF this
city. city letter carrier on Route No.
. was arrested, late Monday night,
by United States inspectors {. j..
Jennings of saston and a. H4Pierce
OF Bangor Letters containing differ
ent sums of money have been dlsap-
pe;iring from the Gardiner post Of
lice for a period of several years and
SO persistent and frequent have been
the complaints from patrons, who
have lost various sums of money mat
an investigation by the inspectors
commenced about n week ago. For
several Years every effort to appre-
mend the carrier, or carriers, who
We're taking the letters containing
sums of moEey was fratless, as the
letters were only missed at intervals
Suspicion WAS directed To no one man,
buI the fact that letters containing
money We're missed once in awhile
pointed very strongly To the fact that
some of the carriers were either TAX
ing them or they Were being lost
The inspectors, who have been on
the case for the past week or so,
, have directed their attention 10 all OF
the men on the force and the decoy
letters! which have been put presum-
ably on each mans route have been
collected and sent out from the Of
ice in the usual order, until Mon
daV night when II letter was put in
he Neal street box, one of the boxes
frfm which Peacock has 10 collect.
When Peacock had gone 10 the Office
and delivered mis- out going mail, POST
maater G. D. Libby looked on Pea
cocks desk for the decoy letter, but
did not find il and much against his
Judgment he looked over the mail that
WAS 10 go out ON the trains and then
did not find 1t. He then. much against
his belief had TO admit to himself
that the trap which had been set for
Peacock had surely been sprung. Ar
thur Lander, assistant postmaster,
had occasion To go down into the
basement of the office during the eve
ming and found Peacock down there,
and saw him slip something into his
inside pocket, but as Lander did not
even know that an Investigation was
going on by the department, he
thought nothing of it. Shortly after
this Peacock went to the carrier s
rooms over the Harrington coal Of
fee and n little later Mr. Lander went
up, SO that in the meantime Peacock
had had mo chance To destroy the en-
velope. in which the money had been
placed.
After the boys had talked in the
rooms for some time they came down
stairs and were met by Mr.. Libby and
the inspectors Peacock was asked to
70 Ia Postmaster Libby's office and
there he was confronted with accu-
satfon. He is alleged to have admit
ted taking the letter, but said ii was
The only one he had ever taken and
he didn't know what made him do
the act. He MAS taken to police
headquarters and locked up. Peacock
is about 81 years of age and resides
on West street, has "A wife and two
children and Il father and mother
living. He is a graduate of Bates
college and has been a carrier in this
city ever since the service was es
iablshed and was very popular. al
WAYS very genial and accommodating
To his patrons and other friends. The
news of his arrest, Monday night,
spread rapidly here. Tuesday morn
ing, and expressions of sorrow and
regret were heard on all sides. Mr..
Libby gave an interview to five news
paper correspondents, Monday morn
ing, representing that many different
papers and stated he could hardly
make himself believe that Horace"
would do such "a. thing. he having
known lin from boy and had al
ways regafded shim as perfect in ev-
cry detaiISs Peacock has retained O.
u. Ciasoft rs sc0nnsel