The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1900-09-15 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

BROAD DAYLIGHT. The General Poet Office, in Conway-street, with the situation of which most people are ecquinted, was the scene of the tragedy. Most people know, too, that the environs of tlePostOdice are thickly populated. Briefly, the facts attending this revolting crime are these: the building wan entered in the afterWOO, the poor old watchman  CRUELLY DONE TO DEATH, nal the office safe broken open and notes and tub to the value of about £l5O stolen; and, ill this without a single soul in the neigh-, bourbood having the least idea that any..l thing wan at all wrong. And, further, the crime remained undiscovered until two of the telegraph clerks came on duty about five, o'clock. The mystery contains another almost incredible factor. As is well knowu,, on all days, at all times, and in all kinds' of weather, boys are playing on the Tam& had by the Poet Office or sitting on the steps at the doors of the building, and yeti nothing seems to have happened to excite, their attention. And boys are very keen to. notice anything in the least out of the common.  To elucidate matters it should be stated that to the Post Office there is a side entrance for letter sorters and other officials in Burlington-etreet,which overlooks a vacant metre of land, and a back entrance in Deerestreet, a narrow thoroughfare, where mailbags and parcels are passed in and out. On three sides the office abuts upon public streets. The general ofßoe in front is not Ten to the public on Sunders, with the exception of the telegraph department, which Ii open from 8 cm. to 10 a.m. and from 5 Pan. to 7 p.m. only. There le one delivery of letters, which commences at 7-15 a.m., loci no despatch of mails except at 8-15 p.m. sad 9-35 p.m. So that, with the exception if the few hours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on today, there is always someone engaged in the i'set Office throughout the year. Some importance attaches to this circumstance. rhe general public would be hardly likely te know this; in fact, it might with a fair mount of safety be assumed that they are llot possessed of this knowledge. And with eltaxl safety it may be argued that the murderous and thieving visitor or visitors "were' acquainted with the working of the establishment, and consequently chose the time Suit favourable to the successful carrying Sit of their scheme. That they were not so acquainted with the routine of the institution, sod hit upon the most favourable moiled by luck, is a suggestion that no rightthinking individual would entertain for minute.  It Wag rather later than ten o'clock in the fawning when the telegraph clerks, who were the Ina on duty, left their department, look* the front door in Conway-street, and leaving the keys with Fell in the sorting NM. When the last operator left by the tido door which opens into Burlington-street, Is saw the  WATCHMAN SAFE AND WELL, Sod ti t, helieved that he was the last person l'ee the Poor man before he waa iso cruelly "‘,PP tO death. 'Sonia that time not a sound wu heard in ffie huilffing, and up to a quartet to five 6'thee there was nothing to indicate to those ri''leg the Poet Office buildings that any sstartily crime was being committed thereth. There are usually • number of persons intoking arid conversing together opposite 'e Post office every Sunday, and it 13 pea°rouge that neither the entrance nor of any strange person was noticed. . The first intimaidon that anything Up. (o,4rd had occurred was at • quarter to five, *hen two of the operators, who were to oolop' 4:n,e (int) at five o'clock, arrived at the I o Office. The first to put In in . .eiPPoorj, I,es see Mr. Prank Donovan. Jae Loor-o___°° 4' the side door in Burlington-street to e",ml VII 1d3111t3113e, but, contrary to usual emsti ths. there wee no response. This did itot startle Mr. Donovan, however, who tho ' le4,aPi the old watcan hm had fallen asisep. siihkl 12 • ott receiving no answer to his repeated tsmini,troilA, be became alarmed, and on that iltrthel of his co-operator, Mr. I. Morrissey., t, 60 e proceeded to make as much **the Ile they could against the door. But their.  eniokii  thoghtj  1