The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-04-23

DEEPLY 1MPLtCATED-OSEO Or INT VA"
IN WHICH THE CONVENIENT WAS
ROBBED.
New York Times, Republlcan'l
WASHINGTON, April 2l.-The forced re'
Irement of General Brady from the Pos'
Office Department has causeda painiul nutter
among the star-route group, and bas brought
prominent members Of II TO Washington
for consultation. II has also created great
In the Post Office Department
among those who are known tc nave oeth
OF the star system, and numer-
ous rumors are nf1oat tonight in reference
10 impending dismissals. Among these Is
one TO the effect that Sixth Auditor Megrew
and DEPUTY Lilly are marked for decaplta"
lion. These gentlemen are officers OF Inc
Treasury Department, and cannon, there
fore. be directly reached by Postmaster
General James. 1t is believed that the
fraudulent practices in connection Win STAR
roules could not have been successfully
carried out without the knowledge ana con-
uiyance OF the Sixth Auditors Once, ana u
i likely, therefore, that the Secretary OF tue
Treasury will direct an Investigation OF tDae
office for the purpose OF ascertaining Inc
truth or falsity OF the
UNPLEASANT RUMORs
that are freely circulated in connection WIN
this branch OF the postal business. NO lur-
Their changes were made In the Posi-. Oihce
to-day, but as soon as tue eVi'
dence now being collected Is completed
number OF removals will speedily follow.
case that illustrates the boldnes- Oh tue
fraud Systematically practiced durlng ihc
mast four years in the management OF tue
star postal.routes Is furnished by Inc route
known as No. 40, l04, and running rom
Mineral Park. Arizona, to Phoebe, NeVaua,
a distance OF 232 miles. This route was let
on July 1, 1873, to Miner, Peek 20. at
81 OOO per annum for a weekly service. III
Anoust or September, 1873, the route was
.ub.let by the contractors 10 Isaac Jeh-
mines. OF 81. Thomas, Lincoln county, Ne
yada. at S4.700 per onnum, or sl,o0o more
than the contract price. Soon alter receV-
ing the sub.contract Jennings was requested
TO gel I'D a petition for trl'weekIy service,
hut refused TO do 80 on the ground That tie
increase was wholly unnecessary.
withstanding his refusal, however, to
make a movement 10 secure Increased SER
vice,
He WAS SURPRISED
10 receive from Washington a sub.contract
calling for tri-weekly trips aud raising the
pay TO $4,000 per annum. THIS Is eN-
blamed by the fact that in April. 1879. the
original contractors, through their in
auence with the Post. Office Department,
secured an increase to trI.wecklv service
and had the Day raised to SD 800 per an
mum. Thus it will be noticed that Jen-
niugS. who was performing heiscIYice, re-
ceiyed 81 this increase only Sl2,G)O, leaving
80. 700 10 be divided among the principals.
In July, 1879, or about three months after
the first increase was made, the SER
vice was still further increased without
any solicitation from Jennings, aud with
out his knowledge, to seven trips per
week, and the yearly paw was raised at
The same time to $4,000. When this last IN
crease was made Jennings was ordered to
put on daily service at the rate OF S2o,OOO
per annum, thus leaving $4,000 per aunum
to be divided among the principals. before
the route was increased to daily service the
contract was transferred from Miner, Peek
Il Co. to J. w. Dorsey. When The change
was made Jennings was not Informed OF tue
fact that the Department, in addition TO al.
recting increased trips, had also expedited
the service. About three months alter the
transfer to Dorsey Jennings was informed
by VI. &. Riedell that the schedule time had
been shortened TO sixty hours. Riedell
was the clerk and agent OF Dorsey, and, IN
order the more effectually to carry out the
FRAUDULENT PURPOSES OF THE RING,
Dorsey made contract with Riedell at the
full contract price named above, and filed
this agreement at the Department After
making the nominal contract with Rledell,
Dorsey made an actual contract with Jen-
nings for both tri.weekly and daily service,
specifying that he should be paid $4,000
for the tri.weeky and $4,000 for the daily
service, which was $1,000 per annum below
the sum fixed by the Departmentfor the trl-
weekly service and S24 900 below that fixed
for the daily service. Jennings acted I'D
perfect good faith, and was ignorant OF the
transactions between Dorsey and his clerk.
The agreement made between Dorsey ana
Jennings was forwarded by the latter to
Representative Daggett, OF Nevada, with
the request that il be flied with the Post
Office Department. Mr.. Daggett, imme-
diately upon receipt OF the agreement, left
it with j. l.. French, chief clerk Of The
Contract Office, requesting him to place II
on file. 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-
ceiye the pay due, but he received notice
from the Department that
FINES HAD BEEN IMPOSED
for failure to perform service, and that IN
stead OF the Government owing him $1,000,
ne was debtor 10 the Government by reason
of the fines imposed in the sum OF 500.
These fines, it seems, were imposed because
OF jennings failure to perform the service
ON the expedited schedule, OF which he had
no notice until Informed by Riedell, a.
above explained. Not comprehendng this
msthod OF dong business, and being star
tied by the large pecuniary loss which
threatened him, Jennings at once proceeded
TO Washington. Before leaving the West
he obtained a number OF signatures to Il
protest against the frequency and eXpedi-
ton Of the service ordered by the Depart
ment. There was no necessity whatever
for this increase, As
THE ROUTE WAS THROUGH WILDERNESS,
and the number OF letters carried over it at
any time did not average three per week.
Arriving at Washington Riedell ascer-
tanned that Jennings intended to file this
protest with the Department, and in order
to prevent such damaging testimony being
made part OF the public records be gave
Jennings SO 800 not to place the protest on
file. In the mean time, however, Riedell
received from the Government full pay less
the penalties, all OF which were charged to
Jennings. For the two following quar-
tiers Jennings was paid only 1880, his
principal claiming that the balance was
consumed by fines. Jennings having been
thus exhausted the route was sold by the
owners to Salisbury, Gilmore Il Co. Jen-
nings remained in Washington with The eX-
pectation that he would obtain justice from
the postal authorities, not supposing, Of