Show ROBBING THE MAILS the ingenious plan of a bervy post thief we get borne pretty tough cases said an old hobt office inspector but it has been my fortune to run down every case on which I 1 was set to work what was the most difficult case you ever handled asked the reporter of the cincinnati times star it happened while I 1 was stationed at utica 3 Y about seven years ago replied the inspector many letters containing valuables had been missed and by dint of bard work we managed to trace the job down to one clerk a shaved facca young fellow of about twenty two years lie was a clerk who distributed the letters into the boxes of the carriers As I 1 said saidee we managed to get this far on the case and then iset my trap I 1 had a decoy letter containing a twenty dollar gold biece mailed from 2 country town in connecticut to a prominent stove dealer in utica the letter failed to reach the carrier promptly and I 1 felt we had our man solid at last 1 I waited for him until the dinner hour and as he came out of the office accosted him lie came with me and look as closely as I 1 might I 1 failed to detect any signs of uneasiness in his features they acro perfectly immobile he walked with mo into jhc thc office of the postmaster and submitted to a thorough search but no trace of the letter or twenty dollar gold piece was found on his person to say was th unfounded is drawing it mildly uc appeared to be very indignant but whether was or wrong at the time the petty robberies rob beriss came to a sudden stop no more complaints were heard of t or a month they began again this time I 1 was bound I 1 would not fail so I 1 set a watch on my man T one day when I 1 was about to give up the case in despair I 1 noticed alic fellow tearing up an envelope and dropping it to the floor when he I 1 picked up tho scraps of paper and after a hard job managed to piece it I 1 was heartened disheartened dis when I 1 baw that the envelope had ben addressed to himself I 1 was about to walk away when a though struck me 1 I came down the next morning before the young clerk camo to work and stationed myself behind a letter rack free from observation but in such a position that I 1 could sec the fellows every action I 1 saw hun take several stamped and addressed envelopes his pocket and walk overto th stamp stampa A ing table and cancel the stamps tahir ing the course of the morning I 1 saw ihor fellow slip four letters inside of as many and seal the envelopes then I 1 knew my suspicions were correct I 1 went to the carrier who carried the letters to the mans home and secured the four letters addressed to the fellow himself have you carried many letters like this I 1 asked ajai yes sir the carrier said 1 I carry four or five a hay j then I 1 called the fellow into my office and fold him we had determined to have the mail of the clerks delivered atthe office to duties of the carriers I 1 then told him thap I 1 had four letters for him and banded him the missives I 1 hai received from the postman post man turned pale and was on the fainting when I 1 asked him to open and read the letters in my presence with trembling lands he did 6 and inside the envelopes addressed to ahlm faela I 1 found four valuable addressed to a big wholesale bouso lie broke down and confessed that he had baen stealing for about six months and that during that period he had abstracted str acted nearly fifteen hundred dollars from business fejt ers he had spent the monca in gambling |