Let us see how tills branch of the mail
traffic is conducted in a large city, in New
York for instance. The letter is registered
at every stage of its progress from the office
of entry to tlie office of delivery. A clerk
takes it at his window, stamps a number on
it, makes a record of it, and gives tlie
sender a receipt bearing this number. When
the letters accumulate at this window a
clerk removes them and gives his receipt for
each numbered letter. Other clerks classi
fy the letters making a record at each new
step of tlie passage of the letters through
the office.
These arc some of tho precautions taken
before tlie registered letters arc securely
locked up in the postal car. They would
seem to be sufficient to Insure safe transit,
and yet such letters are stolen in the mails
almost every week.
People should understand that when they
register a letter they put dishonest postoffice
clerks upon notice tiiat the envelope con
tains something of value. A sharp and u n
scrupulous clerk, thoroughly acquainted
with the routine of the office, will sooner or
Liter successfully break through the safe
guards thrown around these letters. Not
many years ago a New York postoffice clerk
stole a package containing thousands of
dollars from under tlie noses of the officers
of the registry department. Another clerk
stole dozens of letters before lie was de
tected. He was a window clerk, and just
before his lunch hour he would put a number
of the letters received at his window in his
pocket. When he got outside he would
open tlie letters, take the money, reseal the
enveloj-e ami send them on their way aft..r
he returned to the office.
