I may add that, some years afterwards, there was sent to the office for the book-post a large sum in bank-notes, the ends of the packet being left open, according to book post rule, so as to expose the contents. It is much to be wished that all persons inclined to such carelessness would pause to think how grievous is the temptation to which the humbler servants of the Post Office are thereby exposed.
Attempted Robbery.
“July 7th, 1847.—There was a serious attempt this morning (fortunately unsuccessful) to rob a letter-carrier who was taking out a large number of bankers’ parcels for delivery. It is said in the office that they contained nearly half-a-million of money.”
The circumstances of this extraordinary proceeding are thus described in the “Annual Register”:—
From the “Annual Register” for 1847. Chronicle, p. 82.
“July 7. Murderous Attack on a Letter-Carrier.
“A most atrocious attack was made upon one of the letter deliverers employed by the General Post Office, named Bradley. He is one of those whose particular duty it is to make the early delivery at the different bankers and merchants in Lombard Street of what are called the ‘registered letters.’ He had received his bag of letters as usual from the chief office, St. Martin’s-le-Grand, at eight o’clock, and was proceeding through Mitre Court, which leads from Wood Street to Milk Street. After passing through the gate, which at night closes the entrance to the court in Wood Street, he noticed two or three men in the passage, one of whom suddenly locked the gate; and when Bradley had nearly reached the iron posts in the middle of the court he was struck a violent blow with a life-preserver, which stunned him for a moment; he nevertheless called out for assistance, keeping his bag of letters firmly grasped in his hand and under his arm. The villains, alarmed by his cries, rapidly made off into Milk Street, leaving behind them their deadly weapon. Bradley was severely injured about the head, and being an old man, was, in consideration of his resistance to this attack, allowed to retire on full pay. A reward of £300 was offered for the detection of the perpetrators; but as Bradley could give no description of them, and no other person had observed them, the police did not get any clue to their detection.”
I am glad to learn (1867) that this faithful veteran is still living.
Singular Frauds.
In the early days of money-order transactions, it was the lenient custom of the office, in cases where an order had been paid to a forged signature, still to pay it to the right party. This dangerous indulgence did not fail to become known to the knavish class, who made profitable use of the opportunity. Thus two persons, perhaps lodging at the same house, would purposely arrange that an order obtained in favour of one should fall into the hands of the other; and when the latter, by forging the signature of the former, had obtained payment, the former, applying in his own name, and showing that the signature given was not his, was able to obtain payment a second time. To put a stop to this systematic fraud, which had become a thing of daily practice, it became necessary so to modify the existing law as to provide that when an order had once been paid, even though to the wrong person, no legal claim should remain against the Post Office. In accordance with the old practice, the order was still paid where it appeared that the blame rested with the Post Office itself. This new rule, though regarded by many as a great stretch of power, not only put an immediate stop to the fraud against which it was directed, but produced so little complaint from any quarter as to make it clear that the previous indulgence had been almost as superfluous as it was dangerous. Nevertheless the exceptional authority of the Postmaster-General was soon afterwards put in requisition in the following case:—