High Crimes in low Places--Honest Baggage-masters--Suspicious
Circumstances--Watching the Suspected--Shunning the Dust--Honesty
Triumphant--An Episode--Unexpected Confession--The Night
Clerks--Conformity to Circumstances--Pat the Porter--Absents
himself--Physician consulted--The Dead Child--Hunting
Excursions--"No Go"--Pat explains his Absence--His Discharge--The
Grave-stones--Stolen Money appears--The Jolly Undertakers--Pat at
the Grave--More Hunting--Firing a Salute--Removing the
Deposits--Crossing the Ferry--Scene at the Post Office--Trip to
Brooklyn--Recovery of Money--Escape--Encounter with a
Policeman--Searching a Steamer--Waking the wrong
Passenger--Accomplices detained--Luxuries cut off--False
Imprisonment Suit--Michael on the Stand--Case dismissed.
Public confidence in the United States Mail, and in the integrity of
those connected therewith, never perhaps received a severer shock than
that which it suffered from the extensive robberies committed in the
Summer and Fall of 1853, by Pat R., at that time a night porter in the
New York Post Office. The range of _his_ ambition was by no means
commensurate with his humble station in life and the post office, and
his menial occupation did not repress aspirations which could render
him a fit rival to such men as Swartwout and Schuyler, both by the
extent of his schemes of villany, and the success with which they were
carried on.
He was no petty thief, content with doing a small but comparatively
safe business at filching, or at least, satisfied to begin with the
"day of small things;" but he had hardly taken the oath of office
before its strength was tested, and it proved no greater restraint to
him than a spider's thread to a wild buffalo. He at once plunged into
the tempting field which lay before him, and grasped with a greedy
clutch at every opportunity to enlarge his increasing store of
ill-gotten wealth. He would sometimes add thousands to his hoard in a
single night, and carried on these bold depredations for some time
unsuspected, not because he was _above_ suspicion, but because he was
_below_ it.
In other words, after these robberies had been pretty satisfactorily
traced to the New York office, it was necessary to establish the
innocence, so far as these losses were concerned, of a large number of
clerks, before suspicion fairly rested on the guilty party. Thus, when
the investigation was commenced, he was buried up, so to speak,
beneath so many protecting layers, all of which were removed before he
came to light. I will not attempt to give any idea of the quantity of
labor necessary in this and similar preliminary investigations.
Some of the numerous complaints made to the Department and the post
master of New York, involved large sums of money. Among them was a
package of $2000 in bank-notes, mailed at Middletown, Conn., for
Philadelphia, Penn. Another of $1800 from Bridgeport, Conn., to
Zanesville, Ohio. Still another of $1400 from Joliet, Ill., to New
York, and many other smaller sums, from $50 to $1000; also drafts,
notes, checks, &c, to an enormous amount in the aggregate. None of
these valuable remittances had been seen by any persons properly
interested in them, after they had passed out of the hands of the
senders.
Doubtless to those unacquainted with such matters, it may not prove
much for the efficiency of the Special Agent to state that the thefts
were occasionally repeated even after he had entered upon this
investigation. But the Agent employed in this instance always
preferred to catch the rogue, rather than frighten him, thereby
leaving innocent parties under the ban of suspicion, as well as
destroying all chances for the recovery of the property already
stolen. And the benefits and propriety of that course were fully
realized in the result of the important case under consideration.
As "it is the last straw which breaks the camel's back," so it is
often the stealing of the last letter which aids in bringing to light
the depredator of former ones.
I propose here to relate some details, which may be interesting, of
the means taken to "narrow down" and trace out those extensive
robberies, not so much on account of anything novel or original,
adopted at this or any other stage of the investigation, as to
demonstrate the value of a character that is proof against trying
temptation; and the dangerous position of those who are not at all
times thus fortified, although they may be innocent of the particular
offences charged.
With but few exceptions, the mails in which the missing letters and
money packages should have been conveyed to New York, would have come
from the East by the express night trains, over the Boston and New
York Railroad. Upon those trains, the mails were in charge of the
baggage-masters, the regular mail or "route agents" being confined to
the way mail-trains running at different hours of the day. A variety
of circumstances, besides their good reputation, conspired to avert
suspicion from these baggage-men. The mails were in "through bags,"
and it required a mail-key to obtain access to their contents; and
besides, the robberies could not well be perpetrated in that way
without collusion between several persons,--the express agents, and
the conductors, all reliable men, having occasion often to visit the
baggage car, which was always well lighted.
Accompanying the night express trains there were also "through
baggage-masters," so called. Their duty was performed by two persons,
one of whom left Boston and the other New York on each evening.
On privately consulting the officers of the railroad company as to the
running of these men, it appeared that about all the losses had
happened on the nights of one of them: a discovery which, as had been
shown by experience in similar cases, was by no means conclusive, and
yet of too much importance to be overlooked.
The individual thus involved knew me well, and it required no little
manoeuvring to get over the route as often as was necessary, without
being observed by him. One night when thus endeavoring to avoid him, a
very amusing incident occurred.
The regular conductor soon after leaving Springfield, was taken
suddenly ill, and procured the services of this identical
baggage-master for a short distance, unknown of course to me. I was
sitting curled up in the corner of the saloon of the first passenger
car, when the door opened and the well known call of "Tickets,
gentlemen," apprised me that he had found me out before I had
recognised him, or at least had discovered that I was "aboard." But I
made the best of it, simply remarking that there was the least dust
there of any spot on the train.
Up to this time my ground of suspicion was mainly confined to the
coincidence already mentioned between the dates of losses, and his
presence on the cars. The investigation had not proceeded far,
however, when another matter came to light, which increased suspicion
in that quarter.
A citizen of New York called on me and stated that recently, just as
the night train was starting from the depot in Canal Street, he handed
this same baggage-master a letter containing money, which he asked him
to take charge of, not having time to carry it to the post-office. He
at first declined, on the ground that the conveyance of letters out of
the mail was illegal, but finally proposed to receive it, and, if
possible, to get it into the proper bag through one of the small
openings between the staples. This was the last that was ever seen of
the letter by the sender or his correspondent. The former having
called on the baggage-master, had been told that, the letter was
crowded into the right mail-bag, as promised; but the statement was
not believed, and the circumstance happening in the midst of other
troubles on the same line, seemed to constitute an important step in
the progress of discovering the author of all this mischief.
A very shrewd acquaintance of the man of trunks, in Boston, was
confidentially employed to ascertain something of his habits, and the
state of his finances. After a fair and faithful trial, he reported to
me, that the aforesaid superintendent of baggage was "as steady as a
model deacon, and as poor as a country editor within fifty miles by
railroad, of a large city." And that "although always ready, like many
other clever fellows, to partake of the hospitality of his friends
when strongly urged, yet you might as well try to get a smile out of a
dead man without the use of a galvanic battery, as to induce him to
spend a dollar unnecessarily."
The justice of this report was speedily confirmed, and the problem for
the thousandth time satisfactorily worked out, that suspicion never
yet injured a really honest man, although seemingly well founded in
the outset.
Connected with the mailing of one of the large money packages already
described, were circumstances which made it necessary, as is often the
fact in a series of robberies, to investigate it as an isolated case,
unconnected with the theft of the other packages and letters, none of
which would go into or pass through the office in which this one was
deposited.
The statement of the cashier went to show that he took the package to
the post-office himself, and handed it to a clerk who happened to be
alone in the office, and but a short time before the mail left for New
York. This was confirmed by the clerk's own statement, and by his
entry in a book kept for the registry of valuable letters and parcels.
About the habits of this clerk, and his manner when examined, there
was nothing which appeared in the least to implicate him. The cashier
thought it out of the question that anything could be wrong there.
The young clerk was a member of his sabbath-school class, from which
he was never absent, and he believed him to be "all right."
And yet he had an excellent opportunity to have kept back the package,
and the temptation would indeed have been a dangerous one to older and
more strongly fortified persons than he was. I determined, therefore,
to put him to the test of a direct charge of having purloined the
package, which I lost no time in doing, intimating that a confession
and restoration of the money was his first duty. But he met the charge
fearlessly, and firmly asserted his innocence as to the important
remittance in question. The faithful monitor within, however, would
not let him rest there. Believing, probably, that I knew more about
other transactions of his than the one I had accused him of, he
addressed me as follows:--
"I mailed that bank package, and know that it left our office. What
could I have done with so much money, if I had been bad enough to have
taken it? And I _was_ just bad enough! I am willing to tell you all I
have done, and will very gladly restore the ill-gotten funds, for they
have made me miserable."
I will omit the details of this unexpected confession, but the first
case owned was the $40 letter that had been handed to the through
baggage-master, to be crammed into the locked mail-pouch, the failure
of which letter, as has been already shown, had given so much force to
suspicions against him!
By way of corroborating this part of his admissions, at my request, he
described the address of the letter, the kind of money it contained,
and to complete the identity, he mentioned that it came there loose in
the mail-bag.
This discovery relieved the baggage-man amazingly, and at the same
time aided me in deciding at what point the heavy losses had occurred;
for if the large package started from this office, and was not
disturbed on the cars, it must have been stolen in the New York or
Philadelphia office, where it was destined.
Another fact transpired about this time, which assisted still further
in locating these alarming robberies. Among them was one of a letter
mailed by the cashier of a bank in Vermont, for an office in one of
the Western States, and enclosing a quantity of the notes of that
bank. The bills had peculiar marks upon them. They all found their way
back to the bank through the usual channel of redemption, within a
week of the time they were mailed; hence, of course, the letter could
not have gone beyond New York. Besides, it was sent to that office for
distribution, and the post bill was on file there, and described this
identical letter, by its unusual rate, and as being pre-paid by stamps.
In all the other cases, the post bills were not to be found, either in
New York or other distant post offices, and they must have been taken
with the packages themselves.
The fact that the night mails had suffered chiefly, warranted me now
in confining the investigation principally to the night clerks. They
were generally a worthy and reliable class of gentlemen, some of them
having held this responsible station for many years. In the inquiries
and examinations which I was obliged to make, I found some instances
of conformity to circumstances and limited means, that would confer
credit on any men, or any age.
But it will perhaps be said, that cunning men may be dishonest, and
yet keep their ill-gotten gains out of sight; surrounding themselves
with the appearances of frugality and even poverty. This may be so
sometimes, temporarily, but it is nevertheless a fact that rogues
_steal money to spend it_, and for the comfort and ease which they
_expect_ it will confer, which expectation, however, never is
realized. For it is the universal rule that money, or any other
property not honestly obtained, "bites like a serpent, and stings like
an adder;" and realizing the fabled vulture of Prometheus, unceasingly
feeds on the undying life of him who steals, not fire from heaven, but
a baser thing from earth.
The sad experience of thousands who have thought themselves cunning
enough to cope with the shrewdest officers of justice, will show that
however artful and ingenious may be the devices adopted, there are
ways enough to meet and expose them. Honesty is, therefore, not only
the best policy, but the only safe and impregnable barrier against
suspicion, detection, and misery.
Pat R. was appointed as a night porter, at the urgent solicitation of
a prominent, and at that time, somewhat influential citizen of the
First Ward. He was recommended as a robust, athletic man, just suited
to the drudgery which somebody must undertake in such an office, of
attending to the lifting, handling, and removing of heavy mails. In
that capacity it was not expected that he would discharge any of the
more responsible duties of a regular clerk, such as making up and
assorting mail-matter; but the labor of the office accumulating, he
gradually added to his nightly employments that of "facing up" the
contents of the midnight mails, after they had been emptied out, and
separating the letter from the newspaper packages. Had this last fact
been furnished me at an earlier date, by the head clerk of that
department, this troublesome investigation would probably have been
sooner brought to a satisfactory termination. But, supposing from
Pat's position and legitimate duties, that he had not the requisite
opportunities for committing depredations, he was about the last one
to be looked after. And when I did conclude to extend my particular
attentions to him, I was somewhat startled by the discovery, from an
examination of the "time register"--a book in which each clerk is
required to enter his name and the time of his arrival at and
departure from the office--that Pat had not been on duty for nearly a
week! This was of course known before to the then first clerk of that
department, but the sickness of the absentee, and the death of one of
his children, which had been alleged as an excuse, (through another
porter,) seemed to be a plausible and satisfactory explanation.
But the Agent thought otherwise, under the circumstances, and deemed
it best, at all events, to ascertain in a careful way its truth or
falsity.
By the aid of a reliable day clerk, who lived in Brooklyn, in the
neighborhood of Pat, I learned the name and general standing of the
physician whom he had employed. An interview with him, supposed on his
part to be for the purpose of ascertaining whether Pat was a man of
strictly temperate habits, and in all respects fit to be employed in a
post office, confirmed the part of his story relating to the child's
death, but disproved the rest of it, about his own illness. But the
doctor went the whole figure in regard to Pat's good character and
fitness for any place which was not too intellectual. I could see,
however, that my referee cared more about keeping a paying customer,
(all professional charges, as he stated, having been fully liquidated
up to that date,) than for posting me up in any matters that would
jeopardize so good a situation, where all the monthly payments were in
hard and legal currency.
By this step I obtained the first tangible justification of my
suspicions against Pat. He had assigned, in part at least, a false
reason for his absence. At about the same time, I consulted one of the
Brooklyn penny-posts, whose beat took in Pat's residence, and who
reported that he had on several occasions recently met him with a gun
on his shoulder, apparently starting on a hunting excursion.
He was very poor when he entered the office, and by way of testing his
ability to live without work, it was arranged with an agent for
procuring laborers for a Western railroad, to call on him, and offer
him a chance to go to Illinois as foreman of a gang of hands. But it
was "no go." His health was too precarious for that.
Thus matters went on for some time longer, when one day, very much to
my surprise, Pat entered the post master's room, and with a woe-begone
look, and most melancholy tone of voice, commenced apologizing for his
apparent neglect of duty. I was busily engaged in writing at the time,
and so continued, hoping that he would not recognise me, as it
afterwards appeared he did not.
"Misther Fowler," says he, "I wish to spake to your honor about
meself. Ye see, sir, I've been unfortunate, and didn't come to me
task; and the cause is, sir, that I've been sick meself with a
terrible diarrhoee (placing his hand on his abdominal region,) and
what is more painful than that (still keeping his hand in the same
position, instead of changing it to the region of the heart,) I have
buried a darling boy, your honor; and sure isn't it enough to turn the
brain of a poor divil? Ah, may the like on't niver happen to yourself,
sir!"
And a big tear rolling down his cheek, attested the _sincerity_ of his
grief.
A momentary fear that the post master might intimate something of our
suspicions, was speedily relieved by his shrewdly remarking that he
was sorry for his (Pat's) misfortunes, and that he had no fault to
find, except that he ought to have sent more particular word as to the
cause of his detention.
Pat thanked his employer, and backing out of the room, promised to be
at his post that night.
"Well, what do you think of him?" inquired the postmaster.
"I think," said I, "that if he _is_ the robber, and can come here and
appear in that way, he is smarter than either of us. But we shall
see."
For the week following, but few of his movements were unknown to me.
His duties at night were very indifferently performed, and the hours
during the day usually improved by the other night clerks for rest,
were by him devoted to dissipation; so that, before half the night had
passed, he would often be found in some out of the way place, fast
asleep.
His discharge (which he no doubt desired) was thought best, in order
to throw him upon his own resources, with the hope of bringing to
light some of the stolen funds, if they were still in his hands. Much
of the money, which amounted in all to some $8000, could be
identified. The Middletown package of §2000 consisted of small bills,
put up in parcels of §200 each; and upon every bill there was a mark
by which it could be readily known. Up to this time none of the money
contained in this package or the others, except that mentioned as
coming from Vermont, had found its way to the banks by which it was
issued.
One day, about noon, I observed Pat's giant-like form crossing
Broadway, and for more than an hour I followed him without his
knowledge, until he brought up in a stone-cutter's establishment. As I
passed and repassed the door, I thought I observed him paying over
some bank-notes to the occupant. After he had left, I stepped in, and
was soon in possession of three $5 notes of the Middletown (Ct.) Bank,
with which he had paid for the _grave-stones_ of "_his darling boy!_"
The bills were clearly a part of the §2000 Middletown package, being
of the same denomination, and exhibiting the same unmistakable marks.
This accidental meeting, at once supplying a key to the mystery, was
one of those misfortunes that so often befall criminals at some point
of their guilty career, and even when they imagine themselves
perfectly successful, and permanently secure against the possibility
of detection.
I must here tell the reader a secret, explanatory of a question that
naturally arises, namely, why, with such overwhelming proof in my
possession, an arrest was not at once made. It was simply because he
would have gone clear before any tribunal, had I depended on the case
as it then stood. The bills of the §2000 package were all marked as
stated, but unfortunately a large amount, with precisely the same
peculiarities, was in circulation at this very time, though not
supposed to be in that vicinity. Had the arrest taken place then, and
the cashier been summoned to testify on the point of identity, he
would have said that he put _such_ bills into the Philadelphia
package, but could not have sworn that they were some of the identical
notes.
Besides, it was no unimportant part of this difficult business, to
effect a return of the funds, as far as possible, to the pockets of
the victims of these robberies.
The scarcity of live game in any direction within several miles of
Brooklyn, and Pat's supposed want of experience in the use of the
"shooting iron," suggested the possibility that his frequent
excursions to a neighboring wood had some other object than hunting.
Possibly it might be the guarding of his hidden treasures.
Therefore, on a bright October morning, I concluded, if possible, to
know more upon this point, and, disguised in the garb of a
shabby-looking hunter, with a gun and dog borrowed of a friend for the
occasion, I strolled off in the direction in which Pat had so often
been in the habit of going. Before fairly reaching the woods, he and
two of his companions passed me in a rough-looking vehicle, and soon
after turned from the main road into the burial-ground. From a
somewhat secluded spot, I could watch their movements tolerably well,
and it soon became apparent that at least one of the objects of this
trip was to place the marble stones--the payment for which had so
singularly betrayed him--at the grave of his deceased child.
The whole party were evidently under the effects of the "critter;" and
the prospect seemed to be, that they would soon have occasion to mourn
the departure of other beloved _spirits_, for the jug circulated
freely, and a more jolly set of fellows, considering the lugubrious
nature of their errand, is seldom met with.
But when they arrived at the spot where the child was sleeping, their
mirth grew less boisterous, and Pat in silence commenced his labor of
love; and as he proceeded in his melancholy task, I could see that he
refused to join his companions in further potations, for although
their respect for the place, or for their friend's affliction, seemed
to overcome for the time their rum-inspired loquacity, they did not
cease to resort to the jug for strength to enable them to bear his
grief, while sitting in the cart waiting for the completion of the
task which brought them there.
[Illustration]
At length the little white stones stood in their places, showing, by
the short distance between them, how brief was the passage from the
cradle to the grave, of the being whose whole history, so far as
concerned the world at large, was inscribed on these marble pages.
A parent's heart, however, bears a different record; and after Pat had
adjusted the turf about the little grave, and given the finishing
touches to his work, he stood and gazed for a moment upon the resting
place of his child, thinking--of what? Perhaps of the contrast between
the guilty living and the innocent dead. Perhaps a flash from
conscience glanced across his mind. At least he exhibited some
external signs of emotion, for as he turned away to join his
unconcerned companions, he brushed away a tear, and with it, perhaps,
the softening influences that were at work upon his heart.
The trio once more seated in the vehicle, Pat no longer refused the
fluid consolation that his companions proffered him. They by turns
levelled the jug at the heavens, taking observations with the mouth
rather than with the eyes, and as the last member of this astronomical
corps elevated the instrument, its near approach to the perpendicular
showed that a vacuum was well nigh formed within its recesses. What
discoveries they made, except "seeing stars" in general, I cannot say,
for they immediately turned their course towards home.
This was the last that I saw of Pat that day, but the next time he
started on his accustomed tramp, two days after, he had at least one
attentive spectator of his rifle exercise; and although I failed on
this occasion to discover the precise place of his deposits, owing to
my fear of alarming him, the opinion was strengthened by what I saw,
that they were still resting quietly within a thick piece of woods,
embracing some three or four acres, where he spent several hours that
day. During this time, I was not more than a quarter of a mile from
him, yet not a single report of his gun did I hear. Presuming that he
had seen me at a distance, I now and then let off a charge innocent of
lead, and occasionally betrayed the dog into a tolerably ferocious
bark, by making him "speak" for a small cigar case which, held at a
respectful distance from the animal, might easily have been mistaken
by him for a well-cooked morsel of meat. This stratagem I thought
necessary to carry out the idea of a busy and enthusiastic huntsman.
But this little essay at hunting yielded me no game of bipeds,
feathered or otherwise.
Soon after this, a rumor that several of his neighbors were preparing
for a removal to the West, led me to fear that Pat also might have
similar intentions, and that on the occasion of his last visit to the
woods, he might, after all, have withdrawn the deposits. It was
therefore deemed unsafe to delay longer in bringing matters to a
crisis. But the manner of doing this, and of conducting the arrest, so
as to accumulate evidence of his guilt, and at the same time recover a
part or the whole of the funds, was worthy of much caution and study.
If I went with an officer directly to his house to make the arrest, he
might be absent at the time, and, getting notice of our visit, effect
his escape. His family or accomplices, if he had any, would of course
be aware of our movements, and perhaps secure the spoils, unless they
were secreted immediately upon the premises. Then I should be left
with only the proof already mentioned: that he had had an opportunity
of purloining the $2000 package, and had passed three bills supposed
to have been contained therein; together with some other less
important circumstances.
The only safe and discreet course seemed to be to secure him when
alone, and by that means keep his family ignorant respecting his
arrest, until every effort had been made to get possession of the
money. Accordingly I procured the aid of an officer, and at an early
hour in the morning, we took up our quarters in a private dwelling in
the neighborhood, where we could overlook Pat's house, and patiently
waited for him to make his appearance.
It happened to be one of his lazy mornings, and he did not venture out
until near ten o'clock, and then, very much to our disappointment, in
company with another individual, unknown to either of us. A moment's
consultation resulted in the decision to follow them at some distance,
in the hope that they might separate, but with the determination not
to lose sight of Pat again, and to take him into custody that day at
all hazards. We had not gone far, however, before he looked over his
shoulder, and although at least two squares from us, and a number of
other persons were passing and repassing at the time, he no doubt
recognised the officer, for after proceeding but a few steps further,
he and his friend turned and came toward us.
Believing that we were discovered, and that Pat was making for the
house to look after the safety of the treasures, a stratagem was
hastily arranged to throw him off his guard, and at the same time to
separate him from the stranger, who was so much in our way. It matters
little what this scheme was, provided there were no actual
misrepresentations involved. Suffice it to say, it was quite
successful, and his companion resuming his walk towards Brooklyn City
Hall, the rest of the party were soon on their way to New York.
At the ferry, and while waiting for the boat, Pat suddenly became
quite restless, as if he had for the first time connected me with the
scene in the post master's room. He walked back and forth upon the
dock, and several times halted and leaned on the railing directly over
the water, with one hand in his breeches' pocket, as if he
contemplated throwing something overboard. But I remained closely at
his side, wherever he went, and kept him engaged as much as possible,
in remarks about the weather, the growth of Brooklyn, and other
common-place matters.
We had soon crossed the ferry, and were seated in an omnibus, moving
slowly (who ever went in any other way by that conveyance?) up
Broadway. Pat had by this time grown very taciturn, and no doubt began
to suspect that his escort was not entirely prepared to fight for his
personal liberty. In fact, he must have fully decided in his own mind
that we were no very consistent friends of the "largest liberty," in
his case at least, when one of us pulled the leather strap, to give
the usual signal for a halt. This was just as we had reached the head
of Cedar street, on which the post office is situated, and before we
had arrived, by several blocks, at the place where he at first
supposed he was going to call, for a much more agreeable purpose than
that of being confronted with the charge of extensive mail robbery.
As he alighted from the "slow coach," he halted for a moment, as if
inclined to have some better understanding before proceeding further,
especially as we turned our faces in the direction of the post office.
He possessed physical strength enough to have put an end to our
troubling him any further, but Broadway at midday is no very favorable
place for such an attempt; and besides, he no doubt hoped that all
might yet come out right. After being told that he was wanted at the
post office on some private business, he went there peaceably.
Once alone with him in a private room, the time had fully arrived for
deciding--not as to his guilt, for of that I was fully satisfied--but
what were the chances of proving it, and of inducing him to disgorge
his plunder.
"Patrick," said I, "you are detected in your robberies of the night
mails in this office, and the first question I wish you to answer is,
can you restore the money, that it may be returned to those you have
robbed."
He received the accusation with a look of surprise, but without any
manifest trepidation.
"I am an honest man, thank God," he asseverated, "and I'll defy all ye
can do to me; and it's nither ye nor the divil that can scare me, so
it ain't," at the same time drawing himself up into an attitude of
defiance.
"I don't wish to scare you, Pat," I remarked. "I am sorry on account
of your family that you should have so abused your trust while
employed in this office. But that is neither here nor there. I want
you to hand over the seven or eight thousand dollars you have got so
wrongfully. You passed some of the $2000, from the Middletown package,
to Mr. G., for the grave-stones, you know, and I have the bills in my
pocket."
"And it's trouble enough that I've had," he replied, "with the
sickness of meself, and the death of little Pat, and now ye'd have me
father all the thievish tricks of the whole office, would ye? Ye'll
find, if ye look sharp, that it's another that's got the letters ye
speak of; for sure haven't I seen him, while 'facing up,' throw
something under the counter, among the waste paper, and then go
looking there agin, after his task was done? And wasn't they large,
thick parcels that he dumped under the table?"
I have never had a doubt that he was then describing the exact process
by which he committed his own depredations.
"Very well," I answered, "you will soon see who is answerable;" and
calling the officer, who had remained outside the door during the
conversation, Pat was notified that his person must undergo a thorough
search--and it _was_ thorough.
Among the contents of his wallet were some forty dollars that agreed
very well with the description of the kind of money mailed at Joliet,
and also the receipt for the aforesaid grave-stones. On examining his
hat, which he had taken off on first entering the office, and placed
at some distance, on the top of a secretary, there appeared, snugly
stowed away under the leather lining, $165, all in fives of the
Middletown Bank, with the well-known marks on each bill! But even this
discovery produced but little impression on him; declaring, as he did
very promptly, that he could show where he obtained that money; and no
doubt he could!
Pat was left in charge of two suitable persons, and the remainder of
the day was spent by the officer and myself in searching his house and
premises for the balance of the missing funds, which was done without
giving any information to his wife of the real object of our
examination, or the unpleasant situation of her husband. The woods
were also thoroughly ransacked, though the chances appeared to be,
that the booty had been removed to the house or vicinity, as he went
directly from home that morning, having a part of the funds about his
person, with the design, as it was afterwards ascertained, of
purchasing tickets for himself and family, and several others, to
Illinois.
But our researches were unavailing, and I returned to the post-office
somewhat disappointed; for the proof was not yet sufficient to convict
him, on account of the impossibility of identifying the bills with
certainty, as I have already mentioned.
Before leaving, I had made known to him our intention to search his
house, and when we returned, he for the first time showed signs of
great uneasiness, and walked the room constantly, evidently anxious to
know if his treasures had been discovered. His anxiety was natural
enough, for it turned out that the whole of the money was secreted in
the house, and that at one time during the search, I was separated
from its hiding place, only by a half-inch board!
But Pat remained immovable, so far as any confessions were concerned;
and it was thought advisable, at this juncture, to call into
requisition the influence of the person at whose urgent solicitation
Pat had obtained his situation in the post-office. An interview
between them was speedily arranged, but the accused, for a while,
still continued stoutly to deny his guilt. Subsequently, however, he
inquired of the post master whether, in case he produced the money, he
would have his liberty. The post master assented, so far as to promise
no prosecution on _his_ part, and Pat finally agreed to go with us on
the following morning, and point out the place of deposit, but
insisted that H., his friend and patron, (just referred to,) should be
of the party.
Fully impressed with the importance of securing Pat as well as the
property of his victims, I now obtained a warrant, which was at once
placed in the hands of one of the U. S. Deputy Marshals, who agreed to
be in the immediate vicinity of the mail robber's residence, but to
delay the arrest till he received a signal from me that all was ready,
and after the funds were fairly in our possession.
Accordingly, a hack was ordered to be at the post office at an early
hour the next morning, and we (the post master, myself, Pat, and H.)
were soon crossing the ferry to South Brooklyn. Ten minutes' ride
brought us in front of Pat's house, where we all alighted. Here
matters took a turn wholly unexpected to me, for Pat insisted that no
one but his friend, H., and himself, should go for the money, which he
said was buried in the yard behind the house. To this I objected, but
Pat stood firm, remarking, that it would attract too much attention if
all hands went, and that if his request could not be granted, he
should make no further disclosures, and we might as well go back to
New York.
The post master and myself having at that time confidence in H., I
took him aside and told him Pat must not be allowed to escape, on any
account, and that if he went alone with him, he must promise to be
responsible for his safe and speedy return with the money, to all of
which, H. readily assented, claiming to have complete control over his
man, and promising to have him back in a few moments. With this
understanding they both passed round the house, and I started to give
the Marshal the signal that the time for his services had arrived.
Not more than three minutes had elapsed before I returned in company
with that officer, and H. was seen coming towards us, with a small box
under his arm, but _alone_.
"Where is R.?" I inquired.
"He went into the house, through the back yard," was the response.
Taking the box from H., and handing it over to the post master, to be
taken to the carriage, we at once passed into the house, but no Pat
could be found. On applying to H., to know what this meant, he
explained by saying, that as soon as the box was handed to him, Pat
hopped over the fence into his back yard, and entered the house.
After some further search, he could not be found there, and H.
proposed that we should not then appear too anxious to secure him;
repeatedly promising to have him forthcoming at any moment, after the
excitement had passed by a little. Returning to the carriage, we
started for New York, counting the funds as we rode, which amounted to
$4473. Much of it was in the original parcels of bank-notes, of one
hundred and two hundred dollars each, enclosed in the usual straps of
paper, with the amount of each package marked thereon, in the figures
of the cashiers and others, which greatly assisted afterwards in the
identification.
The author of all this mischief managed to elude the most secretly and
cautiously executed plans for his arrest. It was, however, pretty well
ascertained that he occasionally visited his home during the night
season, and one night he was discovered at a late hour, by a local
policeman (who had been employed to watch for him,) emerging from the
front door of his house. They saw each other at about the same
instant, and the policeman made an effort to seize him; but Pat was
well armed, and was in the act of pointing a gun at the officer, when
the latter, knocking it aside, presented a revolver and snapped it,
the cap, luckily for the miserable fugitive from justice, only
exploding.
The noise had attracted the attention of two of his friends, who it
appears were just leaving the premises, and who were also well armed,
and in the confusion which ensued, aided by the darkness of the night,
Pat managed to get clear again.
The next attempt to arrest him was undertaken in consequence of
private information that his family, together with a brother and other
relatives, had purchased tickets for the West. The buying of an extra
ticket more than was required for the party entering their names,
authorized the belief that it was obtained for Pat himself, who would
probably join them at some point on the route. They were to leave on a
certain evening, by one of the Albany boats, which usually made no
landing between the two cities. On this occasion authority was
obtained for the boat to touch at Poughkeepsie, to receive on board
the Special Agent and two United States Marshals. With this sleepless
corps of officials there was no lack of handcuffs, revolvers, &c., nor
of firm resolves to take the culprit at all hazards, if he was on the
boat, and to arrest his wife and one or two others, believed to have
been his accessories after, if not before, the fact.
The night being still and cloudless, at about midnight the well-known
sound of a steamer's paddles was heard, and soon the huge form of the
"Hendrick Hudson" was seen looming up in the distance, her numerous
signal and other lights, as she changed her position from time to
time, appearing like some brilliant constellation, and making a most
beautiful display.
As she approached, for a time there appeared no perceptible change in
her course, but when nearly opposite the landing, she suddenly veered
toward us, and in a moment her guards were chafing against the ends of
the pier; and without waiting for the gang-plank, we were on board
before the wheels had fairly ceased their motion. The engineer's bell
sounded the signal for going ahead; and we about the same time
commenced our search through the floating palace.
As we progressed through the spacious cabins, a chorus of discordant
sounds saluted us from their sleeping occupants.
It is curious, by the way, to see how the levelling influence of sleep
shows itself in establishing a sort of equality between different
individuals, in respect of the noise they make in the world. Your
modest man, who, in his waking moments, avoids all display of his
vocal or other powers, no sooner comes under the influence of the
drowsy god, than his modesty deserts him; he blows his trumpet with as
much sonorousness as the most impudent of mankind. The most retiring
person I ever knew, was remarkable for being outrageously vociferous
in his slumbers.
The redoubtable Pat, however, was guiltless of contributing to the
volume of sound aforesaid; nor was his physiognomy discoverable among
the sleeping or waking occupants of the cabins, so far as we could
see. And as for any discoveries we made that night, or any good that
our trusty arms did us, we might as well have been encircled in the
"arms of Morpheus." At one time, however, we thought our night's work
would prove a successful one, for on hastily consulting the clerk as
we boarded the steamer, he informed us that a man answering tolerably
well the description of the object of our search, had paid his fare to
Albany, and was snugly stowed away in berth No. 54, in the forward
cabin.
The revolvers and "ornaments" were hastily examined, and the plan
adopted of delegating one of the trio to proceed quietly to No. 54,
and, under the pretence that its occupant was in possession of the
wrong berth, to ascertain, first, if he was really the veritable Pat.
As I was the only one who could readily identify him, this duty fell
upon me; and leaving my fearless associates at the top of the stairs,
with instructions to rush to my aid, in case I took off my hat, with
almost breathless anxiety I made a descent into the cabin, and in a
few seconds stood in front of the berth designated by the clerk.
"Hallo, stranger," I called out, at the same time gently shaking him,
"haven't you got the wrong pew?"
An inhuman sort of a grunt was all the reply I could at first obtain,
but after repeating the inquiry, and increasing the force of the
punch, he leisurely turned over.
"And what the d--l do you want?" says the lodger, "bothering a
gentleman in this way? Is it my pocket-book, or my boots, you're
after?"
It wasn't Pat's voice at all, nor was it his face, which I at that
moment got a glimpse of, by the aid of a lantern in the hands of one
of the servants who was passing. As I saw preparations making for
"turning out," and was satisfied that I had waked up the wrong
passenger, I thought it prudent to withdraw before matters progressed
further in that direction.
None of the suspected party were on board on that occasion.
The telegraph was resorted to after our arrival in Albany, and word
transmitted to us in that way, that the party we were in search of
would certainly go up the river by the boat on the following night.
The next morning we were at the wharf, and by an arrangement with the
officers of the boat, we were enabled to see every person who went
ashore, as they passed through a half-opened door at the
after-gangway, in giving up the passage tickets. The net was well
spread this time, and though we did not pick Pat up, we secured the
whole party of his traveling friends, including his wife and two
children. The Marshal took them in charge, and without much ceremony
or explanation, conducted them to a hack which had been provided for
their special accommodation. They were very soon after escorted to the
police station, and a subsequent examination of their persons and
effects afforded no additional light, except that among the baggage of
Mrs. R. was found a lot of scrap gold, which a dentist of Philadelphia
mailed to a New York firm, and which had never reached that firm. On
the strength of this discovery, she was afterwards indicted as an
accomplice of her husband, and committed to Brooklyn jail, where she
remained for several months, her two children staying with her, at her
own request.
Although she undoubtedly knew the precise locality of her "liege
lord," and probably could have procured her own liberty by making it
known, yet she remained firm, and to the last steadily refused to give
the least information, insisting, moreover, that she was ignorant of
the post office depredations at the time they were going on, and that
the stolen property found in her possession was placed in one of the
trunks without her knowledge. Possibly it was so, as some of Pat's
wearing apparel was found there also.
The remainder of the party, three in number, were detained at Albany.
It was deemed necessary that they should remain there a while, but the
Chief of Police was instructed not to treat them strictly as
prisoners, but to allow them to lodge at the station; and an
arrangement was made for them to eat at a neighboring restaurant, at
the expense of Government.
The proprietor of the aforesaid restaurant finding, however, that they
were disposed to abuse that privilege, by imbibing too freely, and
selecting from the bill of fare whatever was choice and expensive--and
especially as the contract for this portion of his customers was not
very clearly defined--took the precaution to erase from one copy of
the bill of fare all articles of a rare and expensive kind, which
corrected list, by the third day, embraced but one or two plain
dishes. This brief programme was sure to be thrust before them as
often as they called for anything to eat, though a verbal announcement
of "coffee" was added at the regular morning and evening repast.
Having also some faint recollection of the discussions in the public
papers about reforms in the Navy, and dispensing with the "grog
rations," he compromised the matter on that head, by allowing the men
"two drinks" a day, and no more; that being, in his estimation, a
proper Government allowance.
As sufficient legal evidence could not be procured, to show that they
really aided and abetted in the robberies, they were notified that
their bills would no longer be paid by the Post Office Department; and
declining to continue their journey to the West, tickets were
furnished them to return to New York.
Soon after their arrival in the city, they fell in with a tolerably
smart specimen of a lawyer, whose indignation at the unheard-of
proceedings against them, of course had nothing to do with so
mercenary a motive as that of getting a fee out of them; and by his
advice a suit was promptly brought against the Special Agent and the
two Deputy Marshals, for false imprisonment!
The cause was "set down" for trial in the Marine Court, and came off
in the course of a week or two. A waggish spectator remarked that he
could not see why it was brought in the Marine Court, unless it was
because the complainants were "half seas over" when stopped at Albany.
A very brief synopsis of this trial will, I think, prove worth a
perusal.
On the part of the prosecution, the complainants themselves were the
witnesses--all three of them genuine sons of the Emerald Isle.
Separate trials were asked and granted, and that of the Special Agent
was first taken up.
Michael D. was duly sworn, but instead of mounting the witness's
stand, with one bound and a broad grin, he was inside the Judge's
desk, and seated in the chair usually occupied by one of the Associate
Judges! A burst of laughter followed, in which his Honor, as well as
the spectators, joined. The officer in attendance on the Court was
quickly alongside of Mike, and with considerable difficulty removed
him to the witness' stand. Here he fixed his eyes intently on me,
perhaps to keep watch, lest I should attempt to run away, considering
me his prisoner at last, and evidently chuckling within himself at the
thought that the time had now come to put me on as limited allowance,
so far as variety went, as he had been restricted to while in Albany.
Order being now restored, the counsel commenced interrogating the
witness.
"Michael, were you on your way to Illinois, from this city, on the
20th instant?"
_Witness._--"Was I in Illinoi? and sure I niver was in me life; and if
that spalpeen of an Agint beside ye says I was, he lies, bedad he
does!"
Notwithstanding the loud calls of "stop, stop," by his lawyer, he went
through with the sentence, and stood, a thumb in each arm-hole of his
vest, looking defiantly at me, and apparently ready for the next
question.
_The Court._--"Now, Michael, you must not be in such a hurry. Try and
understand what is said to you thoroughly, before answering. I shall
not permit any indulgence in the use of harsh names to any of the
Government officers, or to any one else in Court."
_Witness._--"And didn't they stop me, and trate me the same as a male
thafe, your Honor?"
_The Court._--"Well, that's what we want to find out; but you must not
talk, only when you are questioned; remember that."
_Counsel._--"I will put the inquiry in another shape. Were you a
passenger on board the steamboat for Albany, on any night during the
present month?"
Mike remained speechless for a moment, staring at the Judge in the
most penetrating manner. That functionary finally broke the silence,
"Well, why don't you answer?"
_Witness._--"And sure, your Honor, didn't you just tell me to remain
spacheless when questioned?"
_Court._--"_Only_ when questioned, I said."
_Witness_ (to the counsel).--"I _was_ on the stameboat, and the Agint
there knows it, so he does; and them other big feeling chaps there
(pointing to the Deputy Marshals) knows it too. And I'd like to see
'em try to delay me in that way agin," at the same time looking fists,
if not daggers, at those innocent officials.
Here the patience of the Court, as well as the counsel, became well
nigh exhausted, and it was suggested that Michael should stand aside
for the present, as the same facts could be proved by another and more
intelligent witness.
The new witness went on to describe the affair from the commencement,
including the detention at Albany. The cross-examination, however,
showed that so far as any "imprisonment" was concerned, it was
literally "false."
It was shown that all had the "freedom of the city," while in Albany,
having frequently visited some "distant" connections--_distant_ about
two miles from the police station--and had been well boarded, away
from the station, at the public expense. That in fact they could have
gone anywhere they chose, a few hours after their arrival in Albany,
or on any succeeding day.
After listening to the circumstances, and the motives which led to the
detention of these men, and to the testimony of one of the police
officers at Albany, in relation to their treatment while there, the
Judge summarily dismissed the case, remarking that, in the first place
no "imprisonment" had been proven, and that, even if it had, he should
probably have sustained the officers in the discharge of what they
considered their duty, in endeavoring to ferret out and punish the
authors of important crimes against the laws of the land.
The trial I have just described was but one of many incidental
occurrences which took place in the course of the attempts made to
arrest Pat R.; occurrences, both tragical and comical, which would
here find a place, did not the limited space render that impossible.
In closing the history of this case, it will be sufficient to say
that, in the course of our investigations, the innocence of many
suspected persons was established; restitution made to the sufferers
by Pat's villany, so far as their losses could be satisfactorily
traced to him; and the Post-Office Department were rid of one of the
most daring and unscrupulous mail robbers that ever disgraced the
service. He is not even now as secure in his hiding place as he
perhaps imagines himself to be.
If there are those (as there is reason to suspect) who shared with him
in such of the spoils as were not recovered, they also, even if they
escape the punishment which they merit from their fellow men, will not
always elude the pursuit of conscience, nor avoid the retribution
which she will most surely inflict upon them.