Of course, therefore, no efforts of ours would be directed to the obtaining or opening of any letters which might be mailed to the suspected individual.

Our object was simply to obtain the addresses upon the envelopes, if possible, and then to search out the parties to whom they had been consigned.

In this instance our manner of proceeding was quite simple, but it required that it should be managed with great care and without exciting the suspicion of any one.

For this purpose each of the operatives, detailed for this duty, was provided with a number of envelopes of a peculiar size and color, and all addressed to fictitious persons.

Our plan was, that if any one of Edward's relatives deposited a letter in any of the street boxes, the operative should be on hand and be prepared to drop his letter into the box immediately on the top of it.