Maro S. Chapman investigates a theft of stamped envelopes – and identifies the culprit

1. Fay committed the theft in 1888, when he had worked at the US Envelope Company’s factory as an “inside watchman.”
2. Fay stated that he had removed the envelopes from the building one box at a time, concealing them under his coat as he did.

The article identified the stamped envelopes as having been produced by the United States Envelope Company, but numerous other sources indicate that the federal stamped envelope contract had remained with Plimpton & Morgan Envelope Company, which had not joined the US Envelope Company conglomeration.

1. In May 1890, Fay left his job as a watchman at Gemmill, Burnham & Company.
2. Fay opened a bakery at the Farmington Avenue Hotel, but he shut this business down.
3. In September 1890, an addition to the United States Envelope Company’s factory was being built, and Caleb L. Packard installed Fay as a night watchman outside the factory during construction.
4. Fay applied for a job at the United State Envelope Company. On December 16, 1890, his application for employment was approved, and it was forward to Washington.
5. On December 23, 1890, Maro S. Chapman learned that stamped envelopes had been offered for sale in Hartford at the face value of the stamps.

The postage rate for a letter was 2 cents.

Tomorrow morning, Edward Fay will appear before Edwin E. Marvin, and his case will be adjourned until 3:00 PM on December 26, 1890.

Because the theft involved postage, it was a federal matter, and Fay was turned over to George G. Sill for prosecution.

“This goes to show that Fay was always considered an honest, reliable man.  If he had not been so considered he certainly could never have been in the places which he he has hold.”

1. Maro S. Chapman was the superintendent at the United States Envelope Company.
2. Edward E. Fay lived at 574 Main Street. He was a supernumerary policeman, which meant that he was a part-time police officer.
3. Caleb L. Packard was the Hartford chief of police.
4. Edwin E. Marvin was the United States commissioner and the clerk of the US district court in Hartford.
5. George G. Sill was the United States District Attorney in Hartford.
6. Two cents in 1890 is the equivalent of 71 cents in 2025. Since Fay had offered the stamped envelopes for the value of the postage, he stood to make $4,970 if he had been able to sell all of the envelopes he had stolen.

Unattributed.  “Stamped envelopes stolen,” Hartford Courant, December 26, 1890, page 8.