Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-16
Must Be Thief CatcherS,

" here there is a theft of mail he must
locate and apprehend the thief In every
loss Ivy fire or robbery he is the adjuster
In violations of the postal laws he must
ind the criminal and the evidence to con-
Wet him. In prosecutions he must assist
the United States attorney.
For the purposes of conducting the
business advantageously the country has
been formed into fifteen divisions An
Inspector of long experience is placed at
IN" head of each division and is called
an Inspector in charge. He guides and
directs tie work OF the inspectors as
Si= ned 10 such division.
There We're 2,6bI arrests reported during
1919! of which 10 We're post Office bur-
glars, as compared with 2.293 the pre-
vioIs year. of which Jos were burglars.
During the past fiscal year there have
re"u twenty-nine instances of the loss of
registered letters or parcels containing
tlo'n 500 10 $4,000 In two cases the
peTsuns responsible for the depredati
were arrested and the amounts recovered.
There were three instances of thefts Of
pouches, and i'll one case a registered
poteh was opened by unlocking it and
extracting therefrom a parcel containing
$1,000. \ majority of the remaining
cases are chargeable to the depredations
of railway mail clerks or to postmasters
and clerks in post offices.
The twenty-nine cases referred to above
involve total loss of $7OO6O.5O in cur
leaving a net loss of s62,04S. In addition
TO the loss of currency as above men
toned. registered pouch containing
$4,000 in negotiable bonds was stolen.
The entire amount, however, was re-
covered by inspectors. There were also
recovered 81. 40O.45 on account of depre-
dations of this character which occurred
during the previous fiscal year.
Traffic in Postage Stamps.
An extensive investigation of the Illegal
traffic In postage stamps was conducted
In New York city, requiring the employ
r1aent Of six inspectors for several weeks.
Much valuable information concerning
the operation Of stamp fences" and the
extent of the traffic in stolen postage
STAMPS was obtained and furnished to the
department
During the year 800 cases relating to
the extension and establishment of city
delivery service reorganization of the
carrier service and necessity for addi-
ttoua carriers were referred to inspectors.
In addition TO the investigation of the
.rrgular city delivery cases 2O3 cases were
iss..7d relating TO the esta Enlistment of
EXP. rirIlental mail delivery in towns and
vlIlages.
The successful criminal prosecutions OF
Promoters of fraud schemes within the
lest few months and the punishment
Il
have a wholesome effect in lettering
o-li.rs from using the mails improperly
" such schemes no less than 2,SIa cases
ere referred to the post office inspectors
for investigation. OF these the stock
cling proposition appears to appeal to
tile public more than any other. The
amount of money taken in by promoters
operating this class of scheme Is enor-
,unus The schemes operated are many,
ana vary from the most simple and petty.
involving the obtaining of a two-cent
postage stamp. to the complex and colos-
al rnulcting the public out of millions Of
dollars annually. There were over fifty
varieties of schemes used by persons who
were convicted on this charge during the
year.
Among the cases are included fake land
schemes sale of medicines and medical
appliances, fake horse races and ath-
letic contests, produce commission swim
die and goods ordered and not paid for,
ordering goods under fictitious names, fire
Insurance schemes. fake matrimonial and
bank schemes, employment schemes. de-
tectve agencies, false death claims for
insurance. collecting duty on alleged par
eel post packages. substituting worthless
rings, green goods. sale Of cocaine and
smoking opium, backmail black hand.
etc. All these schemes were conducted
through the fraudulent use Of the malls.
Cost of Inquiries High.
some OF tIltse eases Cost the govern
ineHt thousands of dollars to prepare
them properly and demand months of I'M
firing energy of two or more inspectors
n working out minute details of the case.
Books must be gone over: the lands,
mines etc, of the company thoroughly
Examined in order to prove that the liter
Azure is misleading and that money is be-
ing obtained through false representations
and promises. The case of one company
according to the department. is one of
the most far-reaching of Its kind, as the
stockholders numbered more than 1880
catered throughout the United States
canada and Europe.
The amount of money obtained by ndi-
yiduals arrested last year on the charge
4 using the mails for fraudulent pur.