The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-03-31
FRAUD IN MAIL CONTRACTS.
WHAT 1T COST TO CONTROL THE
SOUTH WESTERN ROUTES.

SOUTH UESTERN ROUTES.
II. y. sawyer Charging e26O,OOO for LEGAL
Expenses In Washington Twenty Thou
sand Dollars TO n Department OnciaI.
WASHINGTON. March 30.--The Post ONCE
Committee examined to-day Francis G. Taylor,
who was formerly tho bookkeeper Of +. p. Saw
yer, the king Of the Southwestern straw bid
mail routes After serving in the capacity Of
bookkeepor and superintendent for some time.
Taylor was given an interest In the contracts OF
Sawyer, along With various other persons whose
influence ond experience were necessary to
make the combination strong enough to control
all the valuable routes In that section Of the
country. Taylor says that 10 December, 1872,
Sawyer came to Texas to settle up with the
rious parties. lie had one settlement with Major
Ficklln, at which Taylor was present. Sawyer
accounted for t1,125,OOO which he had drawn on
the IN all routes In the contracts for which Fick-
lin was interested. In this settlement Sawyer
claimed credit for 100000, which he asserted he
had expended Ia Warrington under the color
OF legal expenses.
Previous to this he had also been In Texas,
some time In November, 1872, and made a state
ment OF expenses on account OF certain other
routes in which Ficklln was not interested. At
this time he presented an account for about
$4,000, 90 cover legal expenses In Washington.
his amount was charged TO various parties In
Interest, and among the rest Tay lor had to boar
his proportion, he having a one-thirty- second
Interest In the routes on account OF which this
money was expended. There one item In
this account which Taylor says he remembers
very dlstnctly-a charge Of $4,000, for which
Sawyer claimed credit, having paid n, as he
tverred, TO one Individual. hut for what purpose
the account did not show. Sawyer was very
retlcent ABOUT all these expenditures, and de-
Cltned TO give his associates other iUfOrma-
ton concerning them than that they were neces-
sary tu protect their In erests IN Washington.
The Importance OF tuIs testimony will be un-
derstOOd when II Is remembered that SAWYER
was settling with his partners for the business
of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1872. for all
these null contractors follow the Government
year in their bookkeeDing. This, at least. Is the
that these settlements above alluded to were
for the fscal year ending June ~. 1872. THIS
period covered the first Investigation OF the
straw bid frauds by the House Post Office Com
nitiee. These disbursements Of S2j9,0OO were
undoubtedly made for the same purpose and
pronnoy through the same en- nneis as those
made by Bradley Barlow. He, 1t will be recOl-
looted paid ont during this Same fiscal year
tloil-i1) some hing Ike SliouU. Forty thousand
dollars of this mNney Biilow Omitted was used
to stop the invcstigation. Is II not prob ble
that portion of Sawyer's $500 was disDursed
The war was chiefly directed against him by
McN ihben aud Lockwood. VINO had been bid
ders on the routes in the Southwest, and had
tesu driven of by the straw bid combination.
Iav or also testified thAt some time in 1875 saw
YER In u settlem ent with the Texas parties. pre-
sentet an account for $4,000. which he claimed
had been expended in Washington. Taylor de.
INJURED TO this and the settlement was stopped
/ on account Of his refusal to agree 10 be charged
with his proportion Of this sum. He said to
SAWYER that he was tired of having to pay such
levies on them by blackmalers, and II they
could not do business without squanderiEg
money In this way tney had better stop. saw
yer replied that 1t was impossible to manage
these things without the use OF money. After
Sir. Taylor mad concluded his testimony in
chief. MIR. Cannon, the Republican member OF
the committee. who acts as the attorney for the
Post Once Ring, undertook to cross-examne
the witness. MIR. Cannon Is a petttfOgging law
yer, ana in his zeal to badger a witness who
gives testimony unfavorablo TO his side OF the
dam iging facts. ON this occasion, Cannon In
sisted that Mr.. Taylor should tell him whether
Sawyer ever mentioned any names In connection
with these payments OF money. The witness
man tested reluctance TO tell, and Cannon
replied, well hs did mention the name Of ono
| person TO whom he SAID he paid the twenty
| count Il Sky thousand dollars presented at
/ the November settlement Of 1872"
"Well' let us have all ABOUT IT., said Mr. Can
Il viii tel You Just how It occurred" said
/ Taylor. came to washington In August, lsi4
/ To see what was the mItter with my a, counts
SAWYER had allowed a number Of my drafts on
! him TO 20 to protest, and we were In haste for
! mailed in and out Of the Post ONCE Dep rt-
! meni, and tired 10 exp in the protest OF my
drafts In that way; but WIS angry, ana not dis
! posed 10 be put on with this explanation. told
/ him II we were TO be Dlackmailed in this way.
] We hAu pcLieT quit luc business. We were
riding along Penpsyvauia avenue In buggy,
| having driven over from Sawyers house in
| GeoIgetOWn, anu ~ were going along We
passed Postmaster-Genera Creswell. SAWYER
| said There goes Creswell do you know himT
/ replied that ought to know MIN, for had Il D
| doupt that he got that twenty thous nd dollars
! which YOU charged up to us ia November, ls,2.
No., sid sawyer, that is wrong; paid ths
| money to John l. Routt."
THIS was nothing like what Mr.. Cam on
! wanted, but having brought II out himself he
could not object. although he afterward inti-
mated that inasmucl as SAWYER was dead, II was
| not proper to have what pLrported to be the
| decl rations Of a dead man 80 on the record.
! The Chairman Of the committee said to HIM
tnat II they were not able - show In any other
way that Rputt had received the twenty thou
sand dOiloTs Of course this part OF rdylor's tec-
| umouy would be stricken out. There IL, how
ever, plenty OF evidence already, which
shows tnat "a suspicious intimacy existed be-
| tween Ioutt and SAWYER, and IN more than one
| instance where tho inspection clerks OF the
| Contract office worked up cases against some Of
| SaNyor's routes IN Texas and reported in favor
| OF imposing fines for non-l eTiOrmance of ser
| vice, RDutt ordered tie fines remittcd, although
Iaa a artsal.