The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-12-09
GENERAL MOWERS WIDOW.
Her Experience as Postrnis-
tress Of New London.
POLITICS AND PUBLIC BUSINESS.
How She Was Removed--Charges
Against Her Successor.


through an investigation. now in progress here into
certain charges preferred against the present Post
master by his immediate predecessor. Mrs. Betsey A.
Mower, widow Of General Joseph H. Mower, who
served with great honor under General Sherman
The charges are now being inquired into by Mr. a.
H. Bisse Acting Assistant Attorney General for the
Post Office Department, and, although the invesga-
ton is held with closed DOORS the matter is exciting
30 much attention and the circumstances are so well
known here that is ignorant Of what is going
AS the affair affords striking illustration of the
intensity and intolerance of political partsanship in
town where patronage scarce it is worth telling
from the beginning
SOLDIERS WIDOW PROVIDED
General Mower died while in command at New
Orleans early in 1870 of lung disease, which had its
origin in q drenching he suffered while crossing
river with Sherman on the great march to the sea.
He had served with great credit in the Mexican war
and was respected by all his brother officers. His
widow being left without means to care for four chill
dren. General Sherman and others induced President
Grant to appoint her postmstress at New Lon
don. her native town, and she took posses
sion Of that office the 9th of June. 1870.
As she was not familiar with the management
of such an institution those who procured for her
the appointment advised her that she should engage
competent man as her first assistant. She selected
for that post Mr.. w. H. Tubbs, who had been for
many years resident Of the town and had just failed
In the grocery business The amount allowed for
clerk hire at the office would not admit of salary of
more than $1,000 per year being paid to the chief
clerk; but Mrs. Mower consented that $500 should be
taken from her salary and added to that Of Mr..
Tubbe. She retained the position until last fall.
President Hayes reappointed her last summer, and
afterward she requested to her bonds,
according to custom. In former years her bonds
were signed by prominent and wealthy republicans Of
the town, and she supposed there would be diff
dculty in having them executed as usual.
COMPLAINTS LOOSE MANAGEMENT.
There had been, however, some complaints about
the Post Oice-the loss of money the loss of let
tcrs such. indeed. common to all post offices.
only. perhaps, there more Of them here. Mr..
Tubbs had been continued in Office all the way
through by Mrs. Mower, and she now contends that
if there anything wrong in the administration
of the Office it was due to his mismanagement, he
was in full charge. She states that whenever she
showed disposition to take affairs in her hands
he constantly assured her that there need of
her interference, as he would that matters went
right himself. When the department at Washington
notified her several months ago to have her bonds
executed anew she requested Mr.. Tubhs to
the republican gentlemen who had signed before and
ask them to renew the favorAIr Tubbs being chair
man OF the State Republican Committee and
active partisan and worker He reported to her that
the gentlemen declined to sign her bonds again.
fed her. through Congressman Waite. of that dis
trct, that she must have the bonds executed at
or there would be unfortunate circumstances to her.
1t was then and only then her friends claim, that
she consulted Mayor Waller. who is democrat. and
asked him whether he could find two men of wealth
who would sign her bonds since she could find no
republicans to do Mr. Waller had for long time
been her private attorney lie sent for her assistant
Mr.. Tubbs, and after talking the matter over tried
to impress the latter with the necessity getting
the bonds signed. Mr.. Tubbs replied that he had
tried to get them executed but could not At final
Tubs a
ton for the bonds and that if he was in any way
to be removed by her. Mayor waller, at her
request then persons and they de-
clined TO sign the bonds while Tnbbs was in
ever. were not made personal but political
grounds as they were democrats. Mrs. Mower and
Mr.. Tubbs having both failed to get bonds, Mayor
Waller said that ii she would allow the persons who
should sign her bonds to make the appointment of
Mr.. Whittlesey. sop-in-law of Lieutenant Governor
Ioomis. and q democrat and that gentleman with
Mr.. Waller signed the bonds. Mr.. Tubbs WAS re-
moved and Mr.. Whittlesey to take his place.
POST OFFICE CAPTURED ny DEMocGATs.
,;a there was great russ among the re-
Mower received from Postmaster General Key a per-
sonal communication notifying her that letters had
been received from influential republicans of her
State complaining vigorously that ..her Post Office
had been captured by the democrats; that she had
employed democratic lawyer to procure her official
bonds and had appointed democrat in the place of
Mr.. Tubbs. The local politicians, Mr.. Key added.
had demanded her removal and the appointment OF
Tubbs in her stead, and a way out of the
difficulty he ended by kindly suggesting that
Se snGIa s sonT to PC
position Something" he wrote in conclusion,
must be done to settle the clamor." Mrs. Mowers
friends claim that 1t was Mr. Tubbs' aim all the way
through-in declining to get the bonds signed and in
bis subsequent actions-to become postmaster him
1t is said deprived the local politicians OF
an opportunity to use 1t political ma
are the only government offices in tho town they
wished to obtain full control of both At any rate
Washington and on their reprcscntations the de-
partmcnt sent on man to inquire into the affair
were found all right so far as Mr.. Waller was con-
cerned.
GREAT MEr IN SMALL BUSINESS
But the law requires that there shall be two bonds
men, and that each shall qualify in about equal
to SIT 600 and in regard to the qualifications the
second bondsman complaint was made. Mrs.
Mower had become frightened at the prospect
Of losing her means Of livelihood, and went to
Washington, where she had an interview with the
President General Sherman also calling upon him in
her behalf. The influence Of the politicians how
Waite af Sov,nS was smrb ~ !. aa
duce the President to remove her and appoint Mr.
Tubbs in her place. with the stipulation, however
that Mrs. Mower, or somebody to represent her.
should hold clerkship in the Office Mr. Tubbs took
his position. and Is there, but his appointment
The friends OF Mrs. Mower claim that her early re-
appointment by President Hayes took the local poll
ticans by surprise. ~ they intended to him and
have Tubbs appointed long before question Us to
MOWERS CHANGES AGAINST rUBDs
And now in the point on which the present !
investigation hinges. Mrs. Mower states that in her
conversation with officials gnd through the new |
channels of information opened by the removal and
the struggle that preceded it, she learned that Mr..
Tubbs acted dishonesty both to herself and to the
government while her assistant. She alleges that
while her salary increased very heavily with tho
growing business Of the Office he kept her in gnor-
ance Of that fact and continued TO hand her |
the comparatively small sum sine 1T first |
received and in other ways dcfraudcd her. She has
begun civil suit in the superior Court against him
fur fIpu md la &bq uicn prafa N
charges against Tubbs to the authorities ut Washing
ton and an official sent to this town 10 invcst
gate them. lie reported that, upon general review
of the administration of tho Post Oicc, he found
enough to excite grave suspicion and rcqurea formal
Investigation. Hence the present inquiry. Tho |
charges which Mr.. Bisse Is investigating allegc that
MIR. Tubbs, while acting deputy, pro- |
cured fraudulent vouchers and by means Of !
them heavily ovcrcharged the government FOR