"It was an unconventional format in which to get a piece of mail," said Goldsby. "One would have wondered what was in this strange piece of mail."
Chief of Campus Police John Carter said that his office forwarded the letter to Town Police who then passed it along to the FBI's Boston field office. However, Carter refused to comment any further on the nature of the letter.
"It seems like it was handled very well," said President Tom Gerety.
After conducting tests, the FBI found nothing suspicious about the letter and the case was "washed out" from their system, according to Special Agent Spokesperson Gail Marcinkiewicz. "There's nothing to it," she said.
"Although we have absolutely no reason to believe that the College or any of our faculty, students or staff are at particular or immediate risk, this seems like an opportune time to remind everyone of the national alert regarding mail, and of the particular emergency procedures that should be followed here on campus," wrote Gerety in a campus-wide email sent yesterday.
"In the event of a broader regional or national emergency, the College will of course coordinate with local, state and national resources to ensure the safety of the Amherst community," Gerety added.
Goldsby, who believed that he was reporting his case of suspicious mail in confidence, said that he was "disappointed" that the Town Police put his name in the police blotter, which was later used in an article in the Daily Hampshire Gazette.
"I turned this in in confidence," Goldsby said. "The whole incident has uncovered a procedural problem."
"Things work best ... when everybody behaves responsibly," Goldsby added, in regards to the inclusion of his name in the police blotter.
The Gazette reported that the letter was sent from Egypt and "was approximately the same dimensions as a letter-sized manila envelope."
"One ought to set up a climate that encourages people to come forward," Goldsby added. "I think that in many cases citizens are willing to share info ... but people are not seeking notoriety when they do that."
In light of the anthrax scare, Postmaster Don Kells said that Campus Police provided the mailroom employees with bags and gloves.
"We're supposed to call them and not remove them from the building," said Kells. "We're being more careful."
"I'm concerned but I'm not panicky," Gerety said. "I think Amherst is unlikely to be a target."
Goldsby said that it is important for the College community to be aware when opening mail. "In situations where we see something out of place going on, we should report it," he said.
According to a statement made yesterday by FBI Director Robert Mueller, "Hoaxes, pranks and threats involving chemical or biological agents are serious crimes and warrant a serious response. They will be investigated thoroughly and vigorously by Special Agents of the FBI, by the postal authorities, by local authorities and by other law enforcement."
Mueller added that "individuals who attempt to prey on people's fears or even to pull a prank will pay a price."