The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-10-05
me GRO POSTWAR
UNDER ARREST
GEORGE WILLIAM TURNER AP-
PRETENDED ON CHARGE OF
DELAYING U. S. MAILS.
Federal Authorities Declare He POST
poned Deliveries to Evade Cred''
tors-HearIng Today.

George William Turner. negro mall
carrier, reporting at the Wheeling
most Office, was arrested early yester.
day afternoon by Deputy unitea
States Marshal John NJ. Short on
warrant sworn Out by Post once m
;spector Barclay. charging him Win
:unlawfully delaying and OBTAINING
United States mail. Turner was ar
rested in the post office working room
and when searched Il registered lei
ter addressed to prominent local
business Arm was found in one OF mis-
nockets. the authorities state. He Is
said 10 have stated that he had al
tpmnted to deliver the letter out
there was no one At the place and mat
he was going 10 deliver it later in the
day.
Turner Immediately gave bond With
two local negroes as surety Tor MS
preliminary hearing before United
States Commissioner George E. Boyd
NJ 10 o'clock this morning. Assist
ant United States District Attorney
J. J. P. O'Bricn will represent the
government.
Turner has been employed at the
Wheeling post office for the past II
years, and for many years has been
carrier in the business section of the
city. lie has been under surveillance
for some time and his arrest was the
elimination OF dozens OF verbal and
many written complaints from bust
ness houses, stating that they failed
TO have their mails delivered on
scheduled time. and that in many
cases the mail was not delivered un-
til after the places had been closed
for the day and the mall then would
be found stuck under the door or on
the door knob.
The authorities say that the reason
Turner did not deliver the mail
promptly was that he was in debt 10
many business houses and two or
three banks on his route. and he
would not enter the places for lear
he would be asked for payments. One
bank in particular stated in a COM
munication TO Postmaster ". W. IT.
win that Turner had permitted Il note
TO 20 10 protest and since that date
he had failed to- be seen delivering
the banks mail, but that il would be
found later under the door after clos
ing hours at 3 O'Clock. Turner ap.
pears to have been some debt char
acter 1t will be shown by letters TO
be introduced at the hearing this
morning that he not only owed dozens
OF houses on his route for me7chan-
disc. banks on protested notes. but
that he borrowed money from indi'
viduals, including one justice of the
peace. from whom, il Is alleged. he
borrowed nearly 500 on the plea he
wished to pay on some property.
Since the loan was made the squire
has received his mail after office
hours.
Postmaster Irwin said that he had
had Turner in his Office a number OF
3 times recently about his running in
t debt and failing to deliver mail on
schedule time; that the negro had
promised to mend his ways. Instead
he went from bad to worse and aft
, er a volume of evidence had been
collected against him he was ar
rested.
Upon conviction in the federal court
the penalty for delaying or OBTAINING
the Uniter States mail carries with
1t not more than 500 fine or imprison-
ment not more than one year or both.
Turner is married and lives on the
Island.