The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-01-17
SECRET SERVICE MEN
AFTER MAIL THIEVES
Pouch That Had Been Thrown Into
alponattox Is Found Floating
On hank of River.
PROMINENT CITIZEN DIES.
Joseph III. Turner. One OF Peters
burs's Most Prominent and Highly
Esteemed Citizens, Follows His Wife
tn the Grave.

Petersburg, Va, Jan. 1b.--lAeuteu-
ant j. j. Donnahue, of the Police De-
apartment in searching for evidence
of stolen L. s. mail pouches today,
discovered a pouch which had been
thrown into the Appomattox River,
after being rified.
The pouch had drifted to shore on
the northern bank Of the river, near
Pocahontas village. An examination
of 1t showed that everything which it
contained Of flrst-class had been open
ed and then replaced In the sack.
From what point the pouch was dis
patched could not be ascertafned as IL
had evidently been In the water sew
eral days.
The theft of mail pouches from
trucks at tho Norfolk and Western
Railway Station during the past sew
eral weeks has caused the Postoflice
Department TO send government de-
tectives here in an effort TO s.pprehend
the thieves. Robert Harris. coIored,
was arrested by government detcc-
ttves Friday night while In the act of
stealing a sack of mail from truck.
He is being held for the Federal au-
thorities and other important arrests
lin connection with the case are mo-
mentarily expected
Building Operations Active.
Building operations in Petersburg
and this vicinity are more active than
for many years. Every architect in
the city has all the work that 1t is
possible for him to handle and many
builders from other seEtfOrg arr being
attracted here 1t liz estimated that
there are now more than $50 resi-
/ tiences of vttriorS -rfasScs being ere I'D
within the city limits, With active
operations going on In every suburb.
Rents have been increas In some
instances during the past year more
than $50 per cent, bat in he ma jority
Of cases such increases have been the
result of sph-renting by outsiders and
not upon the iniative of the property
owner.
Prominent Citizen Dies
Joseph Fl. Turner. a weil-known
and most highly esteemed citizens of
Petersburg. died at his home In the
West End about 12;45 o'clock this
morning. after brief illness.
I Mr.. Turner was man Of quiet,
anassunline disposition. a man OF
isterlfng character, devout Christian
land valued member OF the West End
Baptist Church. He was preceded in
death by his wife only a few months
and had never thorough recovered
from the shock subsequent TO her
ElS NdS a. hittG -AdtlfFE a
man In whom the entire community
had the utmost confidence and to
whom many who knew him looked
for word Of comfort In time OF dis
tress
Mr. Turner was sixty-four years
old, and had lived in Petersburg
about fifteen years, coniie.g here from
/ Greeneville County. For the past sew
erai years he had been in the employ
OF the Seaboard Air Line Railway
Company. whom he Erryed faithfully
up to his recent illns IS.
He is survived by three daughters
i and two sons. Mrs. Mamie Skerritt,
Mrs. Eugene 4. Vaughan and Miss
( Bette l.. Turner and Charles r..
Turner, OF Petersburg. and Robert L.
/ Turner, of Richmond; also by one
sister and one brother, Mrs. Rosa
Lamb and Norman r.. Turner. OF
I, Southampton County.
| The funeral win be conducted from
1.-THE West End Baptist Church tomor-
| row tMonday) afternoon at $3.50