Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1913-01-07
H. |. WHEATLEY
PLACED ON TRIAL
Large Gathering in United
States District Court
Room Today.
INSPECTORS STORY.
INSPECTORS STORY.
Decoy Letter Placed in Mail Bag on
Seaboard Train-Alleged to Have
Been Opened by Accused.

Jury returned verdict of guilty
against Wheatley at 3:45 p. H., and
he was sentenced to two years in the
penitentiary at Atlanta.
At the opening of the United States
Dis!ricte court at noon today Judge
Edmund Waddill, jr., of Richmond,
presiding, petit jury was
selected from 80 veniremen. The
twelve jurors selected were: Richard
H. Roberts, Jon X. Brown, H. l..
Allen, Hugh R. Moffett, Geo. W.
Grayson, F. D. Gaslsins, E. L. Hutt,
Hy. D. Williams, C. F. Broadwater, P.
C. Waring, jr, James A. Quaintance
and w. B. Parish.
The other jurors were excused until
II o'clock Wednesday morning.
The first case iiaken up by the court
was that of the United States vs.
Harry L. Wheatley charged with riff
ling the mails. The offense is punish
able by fine not to exceed $500 or 5
years in the penitentiary.
The frs: witness for the govern,
ment wal, Postal Inspector j. B. Rob-
inson, who had charge of the work OF
detecting the person rifling the mails
at Alexandra.
Mr.. Robinson's testimony was to
the effect that Wheatley took the Sc
lected and marked bills that were in
the decoy letter mailed by the inspec-
tor.
Wheatley denied that he had secured
the bills from lhe mails, his state,
ment' being that the bills, SIS and
three one dollar bills were part of his
salary paid him the first of April, a
week previous to his arrest.
Inspector Robinson explained how
the decoy letter which was used to
DEL ect the person charged with rifling
the mails was prepared. This letter
was mailed on Seaboard Air line train
number 80 between Richmond and
Alexandria. The letter was accom-
panied by Mr.. Robinson.
Inlpector Robinson explained to the
jury the plan by which the postal in
sped.ors secured the arrest of Wheat
ley, a decoy letter, containing one five
and three one dollar bills, was care
fully marked and the numbers taken.
This was placed in a letter addressed
to person in Atlantic City and spec
ial delivery stamps attached. This
letter was with some dozen others
routed for Atlantic City was then tied
in bag and taken aboard the Sea-
board Air Line train number "a and
in the presence of the railway mail
clerks, John Dean and Mr.. Taney, In
spector Robinson sealed and mailed
the letter on fhe train some where
between Fredericksburg and AleXan-
dria. The mail pouch which contained
this test package of mail was care
fully watched by the clerks in the car
and the inspector until it reached
Alexandria at which time, by previous
appointemnt Postmaster Eggborn me-:
the postal inspector and they proceed
ed to the postoffice, where Wheatley
was at work and where it was de-
cided to look for the package and Sc
cure same for evidence.
This was Sunday morning, April
7th. At s o'clock that morning the
assis ant postmaster, Mr.. Aitcheson,
allowed postal Inspector Moslby to en-
ter the Office and take his position in
the lookout, which is a special room
erected in the building by the govern
ment for the purpose of keeping
watch upon employees any time it is
desired 10 do so. Inspector Mosby
testified that he had seen Harry L.
Wheatley open the mail pouch which
was used in this test, recognizing it
from large blue envelope which had
been placed in the pouch by the in.
spectors for this, purpose. He saw
Wheatley take out Hhe package o.
mail marked for Atlantic City, which
package contained fhe decoy aetter
with marked bills; and open 1t, alb
stracting the money and resealing tht
letter, and replacing the package II
the pouch. -...,,...,.a--.t,:.-r..
Wheatley was not arrested at thls
time, the inspectors waiting until ne