Post Master Mr. H. Crittenden, Robbed the Mail-1859

CRITTENDEN

Posted By: cheryl moonen (email)
Date: 2/8/2020 at 15:48:42

The Dubuque Herald, Wednesday, Aug 31, 1859, Dubuque, Iowa, Page 3

Mr. H. Crittenden, the Post Master at Fontanelle, Adair County, was arrested Saturday, the 13th inst., charged with robbing the mail, and had his trial before the Judge of that county, on Wednesday, the 17th inst. He was bound over in the sum of $5,000, to appear before the United States District Court at Des Moines, in November next. It seems that Mr. Crittenden had been suspected for some time of robbing the mail that passed through his office, of letters containing money, as so a few of the citizens of that town adopted a plan to detect him, which has proven successful. Decoy letters were mailed to Greenfield, containing bank bills marked so as to be recognized by those who sent them. Two of these letters were mailed at Greenfield, and addressed to parties in Council Bluffs. The Post Master at Greenfield, for the purpose of trapping Crittenden, if guilty, took passage in the coach that conveyed these letters, and opening the mail a short distance west of Fontanelle, could find nothing of them. Crittenden was then arrested, and a portion of the identical money which had been enclosed in those letters, was found upon his person. The remainder he had expended in a store, before his arrest. He was sent to Jail at Des Moines, to await his trial. We learn the above facts from the Winterset Madisonian.