Kansas University Weekly.
29
LITERARY.
A Registered Letter.
About three years ago an old gentleman in Ohio sent a registered letter to his son in Oklahoma. It contained about seventy-five dollars in money, which was intended as a present, to surprise the son. The money was sent in a registered letter because the Oklahoma postoffice near which the son lived was not authorized to pay money orders and there was no bank within fifty miles. The letter did not reach the addressee within a reasonable length of time, but as he was not expecting a remittance of this kind, the loss of the letter was not discovered until the father failed to receive his return receipt and acknowledgement from the son.
An inquiry was made and it was soon learned that the letter had never reached the office of destination although the sending postmaster had dispatched it and received his receipts. As usual in such cases the postoffice department at once, through its inspection division, began an investigation. A "tracer" was sent out and from this it was soon learned that the letter had safely gone to the railroad that runs through southern Kansas and Oklahoma. The railway postal clerk on this line who had handled the letter was unable to show a receipt for it. He had dispatched it to the post-office at G——, the railway station nearest where the son lived. Although he had endeavored to get duplicate receipt, thinking the original had been lost, he was unsuccessful. This placed the responsibility between him and the post-office at G——, and the postoffice department determined to locate it more exactly if possible.
An inspector was sent out from St. Louis to investigate matters. He went directly to G and made a thorough inquiry of the postmaster and his assistant. It was learned that the assistant had opened the mail that was supposed to contain the missing lettter; but that official was positive he had never seen it, although no witnesses were present when the mail was opened, as the regulations required. The inspector
was thoroughly satisfied as to his honesty and after instructing him to be more careful in complying with regulations, left the town hoping to learn something more about the mystery elsewhere.
He next turned his attention to the railway clerk who had receipted for the letter. He found that person at work in his car at the initial point of his run, and made a trip with him. To his questions concerning the letter the postal clerk gave straight forward and consistent answers. He had placed the letter in the pouch for G——and had, so far as he knew, complied with all regulations. As he was on duty alone he was unable to have witnesses to his work.
The postoffice inspector was convinced in his own mind that the postal clerk was innocent of any dishonesty in the matter, but according to the regulations he must be held responsible for the letter and for that reason he told the postal clerk that the latter must be suspended from duty pending a further investigation. This was a severe blow to the postal clerk. He felt that it would be a reflection upon his personal integrity and was fearful that the investigation would not help him out of the difficulty. He thought of offering to pay for the lost letter, but fearful that this might in some way injure his case, he gave up the idea.
The postoffice inspector returned to St. Louis and made out his report of the case with the recommendation that the postal clerk be suspended from duty until a further investigation could be made, although he was satisfied that nobody connected with the matter was dishonest.
The postal clerk, whose name was Watson, went to his home to await the investigation which he hoped would fully exonerate him. He spent some time trying to solve the mystery in his own mind but confessed his inability to reach any satisfactory conclusion. He was sure he had properly dispatched the register