The New York herald., 1876-12-27
THE MUCILAGINOUS MARES NEST.

NO WRONG DOING DISCOVERED By THE con-
GREssIoNAL COMMITTEE AT THE POST Of
FIcE-GoLDEN OPINIONS OF PosTMAsTER
JAMES.
Leaning back in an armchair in Postmaster James
Office and compacently pulling the smoke Of a fragrant
Havana toward the lrescoed ceiling Mr. 5. s. Cox sat
yesterday morning, surrounded by the other members
the Congressional Invest eating Committee, only
awaiting the arrival OF Mr. Abram s. Hewitt TO begin
inquiry into the charges preferred BY that gentle
man against tho Post Oilce officials Mr.. Hewitt ar
rived half hour later and II resolved to 20
with the in vesligation. Mr. John W. Braoy, clerk
In tho Post Onice, was called and testified that he
knew Of no tampertng with letters In his own or any
other department that he did not believe any one
could medde with letters without being discovered.
While the witness being questioned Mr. James IN
troduccd several collectors from the street corner
boxes who had just arrived from their rounds. Their
pouches empticd upon the table and tho members
OF the committee gathered around and began poking
like chGon,ers through the heap General MacDougai
picked out number OF letters the backs OF which
corrugated by the dampncss Of the weather, and
which bore tho appearance OF having either been
opened ana repased or else improperly sealed In the
first instance After tho gentlemen had tired Of this
amusement the examination OF the witness was re-
suned. Hc stated that nc had met with one letter ad
dressed to Mr.. Hewitt and unscacd; its contents were
clippings from the HERALD upon the political situa-
ton; on the back OF another letter addressed 70 Mr..
Hewitt and received. unscaled was Endorsed by the
Postmaster OF the place where 1t mailed s'0pened
by tho sender for eiiectn
Charles Forester Jr Superintendent OF tho Regis
tered Letter Department OF the New FORK Post Oicc,
testified that many registered letters and packages
received unseaed knew OF no tamperng with letters
and believed It 10 be impossible under the present
system.
direct knowledge that letters had been tempered with
but had derived impression that some had been,
from the appearnncci OF tneir envelopes; Mr. Hewitt,
~ hasp htraEf fhnn
vcopc letter with note calling mis- attention 10
the fact that Il seemed to have been opened, and d
recng him to send special letters By express there.
after; witness made complaint TO the Post Office
authorities; showed the letter to Mr. Peter Watson,
who connected with the War Department during
tho rebellion and had become an expert Ia The matter
OF opening letters, and that gentleman II his
opinion mat we envelopes ~ ques'lon nad pee
Twenty or thirty envelopes aud packages which had
just arrived on the steamship Celtic were placed upon
the table, and atcr members OF The committee mad
selected several dapdaied letters and added them
the pile they had selected from tho city mail, halt
dozen were handed TO witness, and he was asked upon
how many the seals were perfect; the reply was, mot
onc.n
witness was then handed Of letters
one after another with the question, .swhat
do you think OF this napsn .Loos at the
mucllage that and say what you think OF ty'
snS Of s eeyeope were
learned inquston into the consistency, irangiblity
and other qualities OF tnat substance was begun but
the witness early stage declared he knew nothing
about wax. Little Information was obtained.
Mr. Hewitt was present while Mr.. Cooper was test,-
letters and asked his opinion OF them Somo he pro.
nounced TO have no. been opened, while few, he
thought, had been, and nearly all looked moro less
suspicious. Not OF them, he conendcd, boro such
a decided appearance OF having been opened the
letters he complained Of He explained to the COM
m.ttce that stripe OF mucage following tho of
the flap and projecting beyond II upon the back Of the
letter was not IN his mind, strong evidence OF letter
having been opened as 1t might have been done
sealing; but when there was narrow stripe Of gum
around the fap and separated from the edge OF the
laer by space however slight free from gum. II could
only happen from opening the flap and cumming II down
again, not precisely the same place. whore nucilage
extended from under the flap upon tho envelope and
boro the appearance OF having been wiped with warm
water and sponge, hc was certain there had boon
Illicit handling
Mr.. Hewitt acquitted Postmaster James Of all sus-
picIon OF opening letters and spoke Of that official in
terms OF praise. Colonel W r. Pelton testified no had
received letters at the democratic headquarters In Lib
erty street and at the Everett House. which looked
though they had been opened; could not positively
assert III regarded Mr. James honest and capable
o1ical and thought 1t could not have occurred in his
Office but In some smaller one
Post Office employees, embracing men from every de-
partmcnt, and including those who handled the Wash
ngton mails and those within whose care tho lock box
OF Cooper 4 Hewitt camc were all placed upon tho
stand. They were unanimous in their testimony that
tampcrng with letters was known IN the Office, and
that such thing was almos possible in single in
Stances and absolutely impossible to be carried out TO
any extent; that the establishment had never before
been well managed since Mr. James accession to
Office, and that he had never permitted political bias TO
Affect his action in any way
Mr. John l. Davenport testified that re had made
special study Of the workings of tho Post Office and
knew OF no letters being tampcrcd with; believed It to
be impossible.
The committee made tour of the building observed
the working the various departments, then returned
to Mr.. James room, where they examined Mr. Daniel
Boyd, an expert the matter OF envelopes, and who
testified that all the suspicious appearances described
by Nr. Hewitt could be caused by damp atmosphere
and carcessacss sealing the letters. This ended the
Post Office investigation and an adjournment I'LL ten
O'Clock this morning was declared