Year: 1867

Not the least painful of the various du-
ties connected with the detection Of crime,
is the sometimes necessary one of reveal
ing the husbands guilt to his wife.


/ anticipated severe trial of my feel
ings in making such disclosure during
the progress of recent important case
where the mail robber was in possession Of
mail key by means of which he had COM
mitted extensive depredalions. He was
at length detected, and has lately entered
upon ten years term in the State Prison.


On his arrest he manif. sted much solic-
itude for his wife, fearing that the intelli-
gence of his situation would overpower
her. She is in feeble health at BEST"
said he, " and / am afraid this will kill her."


1t was necessary, however, that | see
her in order to get possession of some of
the funds, a part of the proceeds of the
robberies, which her husband had commit
ted to her keeping. Furnished with a
written order from the prisoner, and leay-
ing him in the Marshal's custody, pro-
ceeded to call on the invalid. racAing my
brains while on the way to her residence,
for some mode of communicating the un-
pleasant truth which should disclose it
gradually, and spare her feelings as much
as possible.


On my arrival at the boarding house,
the note was sent to the lady's room. 1t
leads as follows:


My dear Susan:


Win you hand to the bearer a roll of bank
notes which left with you


EDWIN.


The lady soon made her appearance.
She was young, rather prepossessing and
evidently in delicate health. Finding that
was the bearer of the note, she addressed
me, expressing great surprise that her
husband had sent request so unusual !;
and with an air of independence observed
that she did not "know about paying over
money under such ciraumsr ances TO an en-
tire stranger"


Desiring not to mortify her unnecessarily
by making explanations in the presence Of
others, requested her to step into va
cant room near at hand, and after c'osing
the door, said in low tone,


"It is an extremely painful thing for
me, Mrs. NJ, but as you do not seem
inclined to comply with your husbands
order, must tell you plainly that the mon
ey was taken from the mails by him.
There is no mistake about it. He has had
a mail key which l have just recovered,
and has made full acknowledgment of
his numerous depredations. ] beg of you to
bear this dreadful news with foriitude. No
one will think less of you for his dishonest
conduct"


expected to see the poor woman faint
Immediately, and had mentally prepared
myself for every emergency, bu, moment
after, should have been more likely to
have fallen into that condition, if astonish-
ment could ever produce such an effect,
for as soon as / had finished what was
saying, she stood, if possible, more erect
than before, and with some fire in her eye
and one arm saLimbo,' she replied in a
spirited manner,


"Well, if he has done that, he's dam'd
fool to own i'll wouldn't"


She gave up the money, however, soon
after, and although the recklessness dis
played in the speech above quoted seemed
to make it probable that she was implicat-
ed in her husbands guilt, it afterwards ap-
peared that this exhibition of "spunk was
due TO the impulses OF a high-spirited and
excitable nature, which sometimes, as in
the present instance, broke away from con-
troll, and went beyond the bounds of deco.
rum. Such an ebullition of passion indi-
Gated, in her case, a less degree of moral
laxiiy than it would have shown in one
differently constituted. In subsequent