TOO ARDENT PHILATELISTS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XVI, Issue XIII, 28 March 1896, Page 340

TOO ARDENT PHILATELISTS.

The mania for collecting stamps and the high price which some command has just caused the discharge of a number of minor officials in the United States Treasury, one of whom is an old negro, a well-known character in Washington. There was occasion a few months ago to refer to some old documents in a treasury vault, when the astounding discovery was made that hundreds of valuable papers had been badly mutilated by someone in his efforts to remove old revenue stamps. Suspicion was aroused by certain actions of the negro before mentioned He was found to be in communication with certain stamp dealers, and when confronted with proof of his guilt, confessed, alleging, however, that a score of employees were in the conspiracy, and that some extraordi nary prices had been obtained for stamps thus stolen.