July 26th, 1775

On This Date in TWISTED-HISTORY.com in 1775 a postal system was established by the 2nd Continental Congress of the United States and Benjamin Franklin was named the first Postmaster General. Eleven days later Edward Charles Teach of Philadelphia claimed his payment for the purchase of his Twaites and Reed clock was lost in the mail. Mr. Franklin sent three large, burly men to Mr. Teach’s house, were they learned that he in fact did not send his payment by post, but was going to claim that he had to avoid paying for his new clock. This first instance of mail fraud was handled discreetly and Mr. Teach hobbled his payment over to his next door neighbor, James Smytheson.

About Joel Byers

Born in North Georgia and educated at some very fine public institutions. Real education started after graduating from college and then getting married and raising two boys. Has the ability to see the funny and absurd in most things and will always remark on it, even if it means getting the stink-eye from his victims.
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