The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1881-05-06
REPUBLICAN, OFFICIALS CAUGHT sTEALlNa
$4,000 a YEAR

Washington, AprilZl.-A case that Illus.
trates the boldness of the fraud systes,ati
oally practced during the past four years in
the management of the star postal route is
furnished by the route known as No. 1O1O4,
and running from Mineral Park, Arizona,
to Phoebe, Nevada, distance Of 232 miles.
This route was let on July l, 1878, to Mi
ner, Peck Il Go. at 50 900 per annum for
weekly service In August or September,
1873, the route was sub-let by the contrac.
tors to Isaac Jennings, of St. Thomas,
Lincoln County, Nevada. at 400 per nm.
mum, or $500 more than the contract
price. Soon after receiving the sub. contract
Jennings was requested to get up a petition
for tri-weekly service, but refused TO do so
on the ground that the proposed increase
Ss sssss!s
to secure increased service, he was surprised
to receive from Washington a sub. contract
calling for tri-weekly trips, and raising the
| pay to Sl2,60O per annum. This is ex.
plalned by the fact that in April, 1879, the
original contractors, through their infl flueuce
with the postoffice department, secured an
increase to tri-weekly service, aud had the
pay raised to 1928 per annum. Thus it
Will be noticed that Jennings, who was per.
forming the service, received of this increase
ouly $4,000, leaving $1,000 to bs divided
among tho principals.
In July, 1879, or about three months af.
ter the first increase was made, the service
was still further increased without any soil.
citation from Jennings, and without his
knowiedSe, to seven trips per week, ard the
yearly pay was raised at the same time 10
q &, 1~ok
Jennings was ordered to put on daily ser
vice, at the rate of $4,000 per annum,
TINS leaving S24 900 per aunum to be di-
vided among the principals. Before the
route was increased to daily service the con.
tract was transferred from Miner, Peck &
10 to j. w. Dorsey. When the change
was made Jennings was not Informed Of the
fact that the department., in addition to di-
recting increased trips, had also expedited
the service.
About three months after the transfer to
Dorsey Jennings was informed by NJ. G.
Riedell that the schedule time had been
shortened to sixty hours. Ried.ll was the
clerk and agent Of Dorsey, and in order the
more effectually to carry out the frau lent
purposes Of the Ring, Dorsey made con-
tract with Riedell at the full contract price
named above aud fled this agreement at the
department. After making the nominal
contract with Riedell, Dorsey made On actual
contract with jennings for both tri weekly
and daily service, specifying that he should
bo paid S12 500 for the tri-weekly aud s2S.. :,
600 for the daily service, which was $4,000
per annum below the sum fixed by the de-
partment for the trisweekly service, aud
$4,000 below that fixed for the daily Ser.
vice. Jennings acted in perfect good faith,
and was ignorant of the transactions between
Dorsey and his clerk.
The agreement made between Dorsey and
Jennings was forwarded by the latter to Rep
rcsentative Daggett, of Nevada, with the
request that it be filed with the post.
office department. Mr. Daggett, imme.
diately upon receipt Of the agreement, left
it with j. l.. French, chief clerk of the con.
tract office, requesting him to place it on
he. For the service of the first quarter
under the tri.weekly contract Jennings re-
ceived his full pay according to the terms of
his contract. At the expiration of the next
quarter, however, he not only failed to re.
ceive the pay due, but he received notice
from the department that fines had been
imposed for failure to perform service, and
that insoad OF the government owing him
1000, he was debtor to the Government
by reason of the fines imposed in the sum
OF 500. These fines, it seems, were in,-
posed because Of Jennings failure to per.
form the s,rvice on the expedited schedule,
OF which he had no notice until Informed
by Riedell, as above explained Not com.
pretending this method of doing business,
and being startled by the large pecuniary
loss which threatened him, Jennings at once
proceeded to Washington. Before leaving
the West he obtained number of sicna>
lures to protest against the frequency and
expedition Of the service ordered by the
department. There was no necessity what.
ever for this iucreasc, as tho route was
through wilderness, and the plumber of
letters carried over it ut any time did not
average three per week.
Arriving at Washington, Riedell ascer.
tanned that Jennings intended to file this
protest with the department, aud, 10 order
to prevent such damaging testimony being
made part of the public records, ho gave
Jennings $500 not to place the protest on
file. In the meantime, however, Riedell re-
ceived from tho Government full pay, less
the penalties, oil Of which were charged to
Jennings. For the two following quarters
Jennings was paid only $3.50, his principal
claiming that the balance was consumed by
fines: Jennings having been thus exhaus:.
ed, tho route was sold by the owners to
Salisbury, Gilmore & Co. Jennings remain
ed in Washington with the expectation
that he would obtain justice from the postal
authorities, not supposing, of course, that
the very persons from whom he expected
protection and redress were parties to the
practices by whicli he had been defraude6.