New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-12-27
NEW YORK NAILS SECURE.

TEMATIc TAMPERISG WITH LETTERS in Ihh
YEw-YoRK oFFICE-PosrhAsTER JAMES
METHODS.
The Congressional committee of five met
veserday morning at the Postoee to investigate MI
uewitts charge that hs mail had been tempered Wth
Postmaster James submitted large collection OF letters
taken from the dropoxes which presented an excess OF
muoiage applied In scaling and corrugated appear
ance of the flaps Similar indications On some OF MS lou
tiers had caused Mr. Hewitt think that they had been
opened before reaching him
John W. Brady, who has been clerk In the Postomce
Department for over Il years. testified that his duties
were to supervise the making aud dispaching OF the
mails from tho time when the letters were dep0sted III
the drop until the mails were made up in tue pouches
and DISPATCHED 10 their destination. He explained fuy
the methods Of the POstOdce. lie stated that
all letters when taken from the drop were Immediately
alarmed with the postark and hour of receipt and let
ters would be distracted before being stamped II ab
sracted at all This, however, Impossible where 80
many clerks present to observe any rreBuaily'
There was no possibility of any tamperlng Win the
mails without the witness, observing it, The witness
had his attention called TO letter addressed 70 ir'
Hewitt which was sent from Valhalla, N T." ana Tt
ceiyod unseaed The envelope was Endorsed on tho
back This letter was opened by the SENDER ana sent
FOR effect" Many letters received unsealed, some
OF them having sprung open after being improperly
sealed The custom 10 forward such letters VIII
sealing after stamping on the envelopes Worus
ing tho condition in when they Wcre IeCoi'o"' Inv
Congressional mail was IN separate pouch direct
10 Washington.
During the examination OF this witness several col
lectors Of letters from the lauippost boxes entered the
committeeman and emptcd their pouches upon the Nv
be The first collection inspected was that OF John
Power OF Route No. ., Oh Broadway from Canai's' W
the Post Office About 80 per cent presented the CORFU
Gated appearance of the flap OF the envelope and the eS
cess OF uclag &c noticed OF Mr. Hewtts letters
= n Fitch who has been "a collector for eleven years.
then submitted his collection for inspection or 2i3 let
terg 81 presented the appearance just described Inc
witness said that he often brought in letters that were
deposited in the lamppost boxes unsealed.
Charles Forester. r Superintendent OF the Registry
Division said that he had been connected with tho New
York PostOace II years His father was attached 10
the Office 90 years. and his grandfather was cerk IN
the Post Oicc when he worked on the breGst"orks ID
Garen-st He gave evidence OF the carcrssness OF per
sons sending registered letters and packages Two pack
ages eight inches high containing bank bills from the
Bank of Nevada. san Francisco, were wrapped with
single thickness OF light brown paper which had burst
OPEN exposing the contents The general confidence IN
the security OF the mails shown by the great num-
her of valuable paekages transmitted. on the day be-
fore 25 packages each containing $1,000 III gold, were
received at the Ncw-YOrk Post Office. In 1873 TpOoo
registered letters and packages were sent through the
Ncw-York PostOnlce IN 1873 there were Liio'VOo'
and In the first nine months Of 1876 l,l16,OOO
Edward Cooper partner and brotLer-nlaw Of Mr
Hewitt said that he under the impression from the
appearance Mr. Howis letters. that they had been
tempered with Mr. Hewitt first called his attention TO
an envelope which seemed 10 have been previously
opened, the glazing gone from the paper giving
the appearance OF having been steamed the envelope
wa, Gent 10 him from Washington by Mr.. Hewitt, Win
note calling his attention to tnc matter; be did not lh
form the Post Occ Department. "a DO did not think II OF
special mpOrtancc another letter appeared to have been
opened az seingSax vas broken; several letters
the wax seals OF which had been brokep ~er' submitted
To the witness aud no EXPIRE sed the opinion That the
reals had become broken IN transmission.
Mr. Hewitt came In about l o'clock. Twcntyeight let
tors were shown HIM. aud he asked, II ho had re-
cciyod them how many would have attracted his sus
pcious There three letters which led him TO sup
pose they had been opened from the fact that mncllage
on the nap was dlscoiogcd, n they had been vet and
brought In contact with something.
Post-Oficc Clerks Theodore A. TEeba, James Fleming
Joseph Quigcy W. II. Ireland, George Bush. James
Golden George W. Sherwood, NJ Fox Bcrkely Bachelor
Thomas r. Cornell, aud Night superintendent George f.
Hopper testified concerning the routine Of their depart
Icnts and the impOssihy OF tnupcrng with TIE mails
within the F0sl-Oicc without the notice Of the special
detectives employed.
Washington Ryan, Assistant Night superintendent VINO
had been attached to the PostOlco . years. testified
that II clerk noticed scrutinzius letter closely
suspicion aroused aud be Ta5 closely watched MI
James ordered that all mail Tor Mr. Hewitt or the Ma
unal Democratic Committee should al all times be col
lCcted and stn out oil tho once without hehJ 40 or
ders gwen about Republican DOCUMENTS, bnl Az
.pT
ere with the mails could be organized Mr.. James WAS
very strict In his administration lie was At the Once
at intervals night and day aud II was never known
| when he might be expected.
Col W. i. Pelton testified that he had letters
which had passed through the NewHOrk Po5tOhce. His
attention first called 90 the matter about Oct 20.
After the election Mr. Hewitt handed him letter which
tho witness suspected had been opened but lac did not
rom jacksonville, or Tallahassee Fla. lie had heard
several persons speak OF letters received by the Demo
cratic Committee as having becn opened. He came 10
tte us M
einaticalY ana opened at all h' been opened Dy one
man without the PUstmasters knowledge. He thought
that tampefng with mails more probable IN small
pOst-Oic where the rules were not so rigid as IN New.
York lie took no precaution against il except to send
important letters by express. lie did not take the
trouble to write TO the persons sen9lns t1e
ing; nor he any suspicious discrepancy In tho
dates OF sending and receiving He believed that tho
had doubt that II would have been most proper 10
have made complaint 10 the PostOiee authorities but
where persons busy as the National Committee
were they could not give 1t time several letters were
shown Z, the witness VINO thouGht theY naa eVaentH
been opened, and II he had received them they WOuid
have excited his suspicion.
He testified that lac had been cOgnzan OF the workings
OF the PostOco for number OF years, ana 1t Was his
opinion that IL better conducted than ever be
fore and that Mr.. James was model Postmaster. III
had been the practice 10 have large number OF eecon
supervisors appointed from the Post Office employees but
Mr.. James had desired that none should be appointed
this year. but that the employs be allowed 70 atcna 70
The Postmaster made the request In lS74.but IL
D. ~ Boyd testified that he had manufactured. Gov.
eminent envelopes for 10 years lie examined severa!
stated that IL for the flaps Of envelopes to
appear corrugated In tho manufacture ridge OF nu-
cage formed on the edge of the Nap, aud when tins
was wet IL naturally spread upon the envelope The
corrngaOn caused by the mucage drying hrst be-
fore the paper had contracted. IL depended entirely
upon the dampness OF the weather. lie gave fu de,
scriptOn Of the manufacture OF envelopes, and declared
that the suspicious appearances OF the envelope OK
hbed evidence that the letters lad been tam
percd with.
The committee afterward Inspected the work OF the
Cice, and expressed themselves satisfied that Il was m-
possible for any tampering with the mails 10 be success