A Kentucky Postmaster’s Expediency

The Louisville Courier-Journal of the 8th inst. Says: “Jacob Carver, Postmaster of Warsaw, Gallatin County, Ky., was before the United States Commissioner yesterday, charged with opening letters, not delivering or forwarding letters, and for taking money and other valuables from letters entrusted to him as postmaster.  The evidence of his guilt was quite conclusive, and he was committed to jail in default of $1,000 bail to answer before the Grand Jury at the February term of the court.  It appeared, from the evidence at the trial, that a colored woman at Warsaw was indebted to Mr. J. W. McKnight, of Paducah, and that she paid him in installments of $5 and $10 by registered letters.  The accused opened the letters, took out the money, and put postage stamps in its place.  Mr. McKnight complained to Mr. Ashcraft, Postmaster at Paducah, who informed Samuel D. Brown, Special Agent of the Post Office Department for Kentucky.  Agent Brown went to Warsaw, saw the colored woman, and had her fix up and mail another remittance of $4, which he carefully marked, and had her take a receipt for it, which letter he and the postmaster at Sparta stopped, and opened at the Sparta Post Office.  They found it had been previously opened and stamps substituted for the money enclosed. 

Reprinted in the New York Times, February 10, 1878.

However: “The President has pardoned Jacob Carver, postmaster at Warsaw, Ky., convicted of opening letters.” Arkansas Gazette, October 23, 1878