prisoned not exceeding ten years. And if any person, who shall have taken charge of the mail of the United States, shall quit or desert the same, before he delivers it into the post-office kept at the termination of his route, or to some known mail carrier, or agent of the general post-office authorized to receive the same, every such person, so offending, shall forfeit and pay a sum not exceeding five hundred dollars for every such offence. And if any person, concerned in carrying the mail of the United States, shall collect, receive or carry any letter or packet, or shall cause or procure the same to be done, contrary to this act, every such offender shall forfeit and pay, for every such offence, a sum not exceeding fifty dollars.
Robberies of the mails, how punishable.Sec. 19. And be it further enacted, That if any person shall rob any carrier of the mail of the United States or other person entrusted therewith, of such mail, or of part thereof, such offender or offenders shall, on conviction, be imprisoned not exceeding ten years, and if convicted a second time of a like offence, he or they shall suffer death; or if in effecting such robbery of the mail, the first time, the offender shall wound the person having custody thereof, or put his life in jeopardy, by the use of dangerous weapons, such offender or offenders shall suffer death.[1] And if any person shall attempt to rob the mail of the United States, by assaulting the person having custody thereof, shooting at him or his horse or mule, or threatening him with dangerous weapons, and the robbery is not effected, every such offender, on conviction thereof, shall be punished by imprisonment not exceeding three years. And if any person shall steal the mail, or shall steal or take from or out of any mail, or from or out of any post-office, any letter or packet, or if any person shall take the mail, or any letter or packet therefrom or from any post-office, whether with or without the consent of the person having custody thereof, and shall open, embezzle, or destroy any such mail, letter, or packet, the same containing any article of value, or evidence of any debt, due, demand, right or claim, or any release, receipt, acquittance or discharge, or any other article, paper or thing mentioned and described in the eighteenth section of this act, or if any person shall, by fraud or deception, obtain, from any person having custody thereof, any mail, letter or packet, containing any article of value, or evidence thereof, or either of the writings referred to, or next above mentioned, such offender or offenders, on conviction thereof, shall be imprisoned not exceeding seven years. And if any person shall take any letter or packet, not containing any article of value or evidence thereof, out of a post-office, or shall open any letter or packet which shall have been in a post-office, or in the custody of a mail carrier, before it shall have been delivered to the person to whom it is directed, with a design to obstruct the correspondence, to pry into another’s business or secrets, or shall secrete, embezzle or destroy any such mail, letter or packet, such offender, upon conviction, shall pay for every such offence a sum not exceeding five hundred dollars.
Penalties for injuring the portmanteaus, &c. &c. in which mails may be carried.Sec. 20. And be it further enacted, That if any person shall rip, cut, tear, burn, or otherwise injure any portmanteau, valise, or other bag used, or designed to be used by any person acting under the authority of the Postmaster-General, or any person in whom his powers are vested in the conveyance of any mail, letter, packet, newspaper or pamphlet, or shall draw or break any staple, or loosen any part of any lock, chain or strap attached or belonging to any such valise, portmanteau, or bag, with an intent to rob or steal any mail, letter, packet, newspaper or pamphlet, or to render either of the same insecure, every such offender, upon conviction, shall for every such offence pay a sum not exceeding five hundred dollars, or be imprisoned not exceeding three years, at the discretion of the court before whom such conviction is had.
