The Montana post., 1868-09-25
THE CHARGES AND THEIR
FOUNDATION


OF this place, had been proven false by
the parties referred to and mentioned in
the 9th charge, as printed IN the Herald
which reads as follows:
6. "John B. Ford, Express man, paid Mr..
Potter twenty dollars in gold dust, of the
value of at least twenty-five dollars in green
backs, for two or three boxes, containing
twenty packages In each box of Scent
stamped envelopes. Twenty dollars being
paid for each and every box. Packages have
also been sold at the same price, by order of
Mr.. Potter, TO I. j. Anders, L. w. Stickney
and Others"
The following extracts from the affida-
Wit of John B. Ford, we think about as
good evidence as the affidavit of Mr..
Crounse, who, Gf his charges against
Mr.. Potter are true,) stands in the light
of paTTiceps cr-iminis. inasnuch as he
was sworn as Assistant Postmaster or
Clerk to observe the law. and act in
good faith to the government
United states of America,
| Territory OF Montana, SIS.
/ Third Judicial District.
John 2. Ford, being duly sworn, deposes
and says:
|
] 'yrus IL. rounse approached him and said
| that John Potter had treated him like id
dog, by refusing to give him n place in the
I POstOfice on his return from the East, that
l he lCTounse) knew enough to break him, and
he meant to have revenge and was going for
him. John B. Ford further
deposes and says, that he never bought any
stamped envelopes of John Potter, z. NJ, at
Helena; that he never paid John Potter any
money f0r stamped envelopes;that all his trans
actions with the Postofice at Helena were
made and done with Cyrus IL. Crounse Assis-
tant p NJ, or Clerk, and that he has no recol-
lection of the amount he paid Mr. Crounse
for stamped envelopes" .............. ..H#
[signed. JOHN B. FORD.
sworn and subscribed to before me this 18th
day of Sept. 1868. .-#u. Il
E.w. CARPENTER, ~.
U. S. Court Commissioner.
From the above affidavit, it appears
that Mr.. Crounse must have been the
swindler, if Ford ever paid more than
So cents per package for stamped envel-
opes. Mir. Ford does not claim that he
paid the sum which Crounse alleges
was collected, but says he has no recol>
lection of what he did pay. Why did
not Mr.. Crounse report these things to
the department, as was his duty, when
he was a sworn assistant and rendering
service for the government, in the Post
office at this place, is a question which
naturally occurs to every right thinking
man. What strange moral lecture has
haunted his imagination, so as TO make
him more honest than when he was
under oath to act honestlyI Which
oath shall we believe, the one taken as
an Assistant in the office, or the one
taken when he prefers charges against
Mr.. Potter Why did he not re 81 gn
rather than commit such frauds as he
alleges We're perpetrated when he was
in the Postofice at Helena? Does it not
look as though the ''sombre cloud"
hung over some other man than Mr..
Potter -.... ....-.
But we have some more evidence Be-
lore summing up the case of this hoHsst
man. We had hoped to be spared pay
ing any further attention to this very
strange proceeding of a man whom we
once believed had TOO much self-respect
to swear that he himself was scoun-
drel, in order TO prove Mr. Potter guilty
of malteasance in Office; nor should we
have noticed this matter any further,
had not the interested parties courted q
further attention by the article which
appeared in the Herald on the l9th inst.
Mr.. L. w. Stickney was referred to in
the charges as one of the parties who
had paid more than eighty-eight cents
per package for stamped envelopes, and
we here give his card: .rrrr .-,1< .
ST. r-. A CARD .... ozE arol id
EpIToR Posr: Seeing my name mentioned
/ in the Helena Herald of the 18th, rs one OF
the parties who had, by order of John Potter,
p. 81. at Helena, paid him one dollar -OO)
per package for three cent stamped envel-
4 ones viii, in Justice to the public and my
elf. state that have never paid Mr.. Potter
one dollar per package for stamped envelopes
/ and have no knowledge of ever purchasing
! auv from him. would therefore state that
! that portion of the article referred to, Is
without foundation l.. w. Sr1cKSEr-
Helena, NJ. T., SePs- 81, 1865 ior ..,-1.
4 We have in our possession other very
important and conclusive evidence
touching the charges preferred against
Mt. Potter, which we do not deem inn
portant to publish. This light furnished
the pablic can be made more light at the
proper time. cit is a foul bird that will
belitter It's own nest, is an adage az
: true as ID is old. and We rather pity Mr
: CrNunse for the unfavorable position he
has paced himself in with the public by
e making charges against Mr.. Potter
: which turn out to be against himself
That Mr. Cronoae n ae fs.er actt1affd bN