Ten Years Among the Mail Bags: Or, Notes from the Diary of a Special Agent of the Post-Office DepartmentHolbrook, James
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Ten Years Among the Mail Bags: Or, Notes from the Diary of a Special Agent of the Post-Office Department
Holbrook, James
Postal service -- United States
One of the side pockets of his over-coat appearing somewhat distended,
I commenced my investigations with that. The first article that
appeared was the large package of letters made up that evening for
delivery at the neighboring city, before alluded to, and the next dive
brought to light a heavy distribution package for the same office.
Several other packages of less size were afterwards drawn forth. After
the search had been completed, the culprit was hand-cuffed, and lodged
in jail within half an hour from the time when he had committed this
last depredation.
After we had dispatched this part of the business, we turned our
attention to the companion of the unfortunate baggage-master, who had
been observing our proceedings with the utmost equanimity, though not
without interest.
"That's rather hard on Ed," said he, as the door closed on the
culprit.
"Yes," replied I, "it is. But I believe we must search you, for I
think you are concerned in this affair."
"I never was searched in my life," said he, smilingly, "excepting when
I've searched my own pockets, and then I never found much. Perhaps
you'll have better luck; at any rate, it won't hurt me to have it
tried;" and so saying, he laid aside his cigar, and presented himself
to undergo the ordeal. But nothing was found to implicate him in any
way.
I then expressed my fear that he might still be an accomplice, as I
noticed the baggage-master open and shut the door of the little room,
while rifling the mails that night.
An honest laugh followed this remark, and an explanation was given me,
which satisfactorily accounted for the suspicious circumstance.
It seems that his dishonest companion, fearing that he would come out
of the room and detect him in the act, had opened the door, telling
him that he would have to be locked in till the train arrived, and
turned the key on the outside. This passed for a joke, and the
imprisoned person thought little of it, as he would have no occasion
to leave the room until the train arrived, when it would be his duty
to inspect the cars. It also appeared that this locking up trick had
been played several times previously, no doubt for a similar purpose.
Thus, was an honest man subjected to suspicion, by circumstances
beyond his control. A satisfactory explanation of them, however, was
not beyond his power, and his experience goes to increase the array of
testimony, to show the inestimable value of a clear conscience in all
exigencies whatever.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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