Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-04-08
The Hail Coatraet Frauds.
BOW FoST MASTER SESERALgEW ELL b.
PIED THE OPERATORS.


Soon after tie accession of Governor jew
ell To the position OF Postmaster General he
was told by various raIties that he must
look out for fraudulent bids, straw men =
&c, il correction with TIE letting OF con-
tracts for carrying tie mails. Re was further
informed that there was good reason 70
btileve that there was frequently colIuSion
for fraudulent purposes between contractors
and clerks in the con tract Office; that It had
been customary TO a coz siderable eN cent for
contractors To subSidiZc clerks in that
once mat hey always operated on
the clerks who were employed o.
the bids from the states in which they, the
contractors. DIES rcd 10 secure contracts: and
IL ally. that these clerks were usually bribeI
in advance OF the opening OF the bids. On in
vestIsating the subject the Postmaster Gen
eIai came To the conclusion that there was
room for Irregularities. aud brought his
Yankee shrew'lness 10 bear in devsing a
scheme which should efiectuaily dam up tn
sinice ways and prevent frau Is in the bids
which were TO he opened in March. He soon
Fixed upon plan, but informed no one
Of 1t until the morning Of tna la
on which the h'ds were 81 he opened.
Az yciQck ne br;S were 20 be opened a
hochl lie semi f0r Col. ROutt, the Second As
slstant Postmaster General, and told him
tEat coup d'etGL was in order. lie then
directed him TO Immediately change the
desk of every clerk whose duty il would be
10 work on the bids so that no CLERK
would perform work which he hat
expected TO perform. For Instance the
Cipfks VINO WOtfit nave WORKED on DItS Tor
Texas routes were changed 20 perhaps Ala
hama or some other state, while the Ala
bam ma clerks were put on Texas bids, &c.
Tie order was Immediately executed. and
the unScTupuOUS contractors, who hal al
ready made their arrangements on the old
basis and The corrupt clerks. were thrown
on their beam ends at the last moment.
Trey determined -Ot to be batl'el. however.
AID AT once set To work 10 devise
A NEW SCHEME
IN nrtcr 70 accomplish their object. and with
nan.as IL so II l.
soon became patent, on investiSa ing the
bids, chat there were irregularities Of Ger
tam kinds, and The suspicion soon arose that
some Of the bids We're slammed with a conn
tcrfeit stamp. To decide the ,1g ter. .Ivl,e
Tyner. Second Assistant Postmaster Gene
raj. took batch 81 the bids 10 the TfaaSui =
stamp was subjected to n micrGgcOpcai test
careful examination was ma le and
all the impress were found 20
FAVE been made BY the ganUiE" stamp.
Judge Tyner returned and took upaaOttar
batch of bids. when a number of cpunterrci {
Impressions were found. II was thea eyi-
dtHe that beyond a doubt a counterfeit stamp
was in existence. and the Postmaster Gene
raj al once set on foot the invest cation which
resulted in the discoveries already noted
IN tE'S connection II may be stated that the
.nNc> cation has not yet closed, but was in
progress to-day, with SOme prOSp CT OF
smoking out other c.ipahle parties. None
of the clerks implicated are on duty. Sev-
cral have resigned. but have been informed
inat their designations will not be accepted.
TIE RECEIPTS from customs to-day at the
Treasury department We're ~G39 ,S9s.
HICH JINKSIN NEWSPAPER ROw-Some
one o. more inclined to be waggish having
arrived probably al the conclusion that
New paper Row was not ombeiliSheI with a
Suffl, lent number OF signs tu designate it's
Importance, contributed, at a late hour last
night, an additional number. and placed
tht1n over Once doors without regard TO the
eternal fitness of things" For instance.
those passing the tribune Office had their at
tention directed 20 a flaming red placari con-
veyinG the intelligence that the steam ar
hrfGW left daily for Mount Vernon. and that
Frank HOllingsHcad was captain. This Sug-
GeStcd to many. no doubt. that the cores
pOndent was ia the Noun Vernon ring. m
Ead been seen not Ito see any IRE gui ari-
.tS in the management OF that estate. Far
Lhef on The Office OF the PhiladCl phia Pres
ana chicago Tunes was adorned with Il sign
mammoth Ia prop ortiDns, inscribed - Wal
cenlCh. numbering x Co. Cincinnati LACE.
frtr." The Associated Press came in for IA
solemn embeili ,hmeGt. ana was Stn an un-
Ier;aker's card. The GDJid office was bloc>-
'ded IN the enhance by aThea terComique bill
"oaId. The most prominent and uo;icea HE
rfterS beln2 Saved from the Wreck" The
Stt Office dld mol far" well il the S4ga bust
IS but got Two BARRIERS poles. hayin"
enough striped paint twiHiIg round them to
shame Tom orhiltTce'S head IN the matter O.
hrllilancy. tn" iOlerS LEFT at the Office Ofthe
cincinnati GG-C cite a huge lager beer barrel
tut as General BOynton and Deacon Smith
are not drinkistS, the JOKE must have been
aimed at the wicked and diSsoiute partners
FOR the benefit of the ladies of tue Ebbit
House two boxes OF worm Vernlifure were
left on the steps Of the ladies' entrance. Ad-
ded To all this transition in the natural order
oi things were enough empty champa re bot
ties left here and there To supply q glass
house for three months running on shor;