| Show HOW TO REGAIN A LETTER Important Rules Prescribed by Postal Officials V Washington Star There exclaimed a woman in the corridor of the city postoffice in front of or the outgoing mail mall boxe boxes I have dropped a letter Into the box which I had not intended to post What shall shaH shallI I do doIt It is a n simple matter to drop a let letter letter letter ter into a great letter l box or into a city postoffice but it is another matter to get it out again once the government has thus taken possession of It ft said saida a postal official who happened to lie Je ie passing and who directed the woman where to apply to withdraw her letter Were such not the case ease continued I the official to tj a Star reporter the pub public lie lic would not have the protection the mails malls now afford and designing persons would endeavor endea or tp t obtain possession of pieces s of mail mall which did not belong belonS to them and concerning which they may have had previously knowledge as to their valuable contents I will give you some information re regarding regardIng regarding garding the tte withdrawal of mall mail matter after depositing and even after it has been dispatched on its way to its desti destination destination destination nation and as I have never seen it pub published published outside of the official reports it will be of value to the public As we hold postmasters responsible r for the improper withdrawal of or matter from the mails and its delivery to any person not entitled thereto they the are required to exercise the greatest care carein carein carein in so doing The mail mall must not be de delayed delayed delayed or the business of the postoffice retarded in order to search for mail matter desired to be withdrawn In the case of this womans letter It will be caught up at once either at atthe atthe atthe the receiving table or at the dispatch dispatchIng dispatching dispatching Ing cases When request Is made for forthe forthe forthe the withdrawal of any piece of mail matter the postmaster must ascertain n whether the making malting the re is entitled to its possession posses lon The applicant should be required if necessary necessary necessary sary to exhibit a written address in the same hand as that upon the matter sought to be withdrawn and such de do description description of the matter or other evi evl evidence dence as will justify the th same and sat satisfy satIsfy satisfy the postmaster that the applicant is entitled to withdraw it itIn itIn ItIn In the case of a stranger the post postmaster postmaster postmaster master would require much stronger evidence than in the case of a patron of the office e who was personally known to him A well known business or pro professional professional man for instance would make a quick and satisfactory identification identification identification cation When Then it comes to stopping a letter I in transit however a different dif erent and I more difficult problem Is presented l to both the postmaster and the patron When the sender of such a piece of if mail mall desires its return after niter it has been dispatched from the mailing office he lie makes application to the postmaster at nt atthe atthe the office mailing stating the reasons for such request The piece of mail man must be identified the ap application application application accompanied by proper proof in writing and a sum aum urn deposited with the postmaster sufficient to cover all expenses incurred I I When this application is made in indue Indue due form and the form is somewhat lengthy and is prescribed by the de dethe the postmaster at the mail mailing mailIng mailIng ing office will telegraph a request to the postmaster at the office of address or to a railway postal clerk in whose custody the matter is known knon at the time to be for the return of that par particular particular particular piece to the mailing office A careful description is eit elt so that iden identification identification identification Js iS positive to prevent p event the there re ore return turn of If any other piece of mall mail in instead instead stead Upon the receipt of the telegram the postmaster or the th railway mail mall clerk to whom it is sent returns the desired de letter to the mailing postoffice in a pen penalty penalty penalty alty envelope envelop This is delivered to the sender ender upon uon payment of all expenses s sand and the payment t of the regular h ular rate of postage on the matter returned In the case ease of registered mall mail and mail mall intended for foreign parts the same same general practice is followed only with greater safeguards and complications tons the protection of the public being the first consideration from the initial to the final step |
