How does it really work, anyway?

[Paul Ferguson]

As an aside, all this talk about anonymous remailers is intriguing.
 
Does anyone know with certainty what happens at the remailer site,
within the software process of stripping headers and the likes, where
the original sender of the message could be tracked? SENDMAIL logs,
etc.?
 
What would be preferrable, in ideal scenario, would be that all traces
of the incoming message was discarded altogether. In this fashion, the
operator of the remailer would be less likely to be "persuaded" to
divulge the originator(s) of messages, if found in such a precarious
position.
 

Paul Ferguson               |  "Government, even in its best state,
Network Integrator          |   is but a necessary evil; in its worst
Centreville, Virginia USA   |   state, an intolerable one."
fergp at sytex.com             |      - Thomas Paine, Common Sense
 
Type bits/keyID   Date       User ID
pub  1024/1CC04D 1993/03/15  Paul Ferguson <fergp at sytex.com>
  Key fingerprint =  EE D2 93 7D 04 6D C6 05  AC 36 AD 9D 8E 4F 41 58