The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-14

THOS. M. BROWNE.
Witness testified that the commission was
never received by him
w. H. Phillips (recalled) said he was in the
mail service when the Big Four was weighing
mails. Thought the mails were weighed twice
while he was i'll the seFvice-once in 1879 and III
1877. Noticed when the weighing was going on
the difference between the class and quantity of
matter at that time compared with ordinary
mail business. The mails were always weighed
in the month when business was heaviest. The
witness said nearly everything was carried and
a good deal of it was matter that the road had
no business to handle There were more empty
pouches and tie-sacks than witness had ever seen
before 1t seemed as if all the offices in the
country were emptying themselves. When we
stopped weighing mails the light season set IN
Witness spoke Of losing four or five days pay due
him, but which he could not get because French
would not recommend his claim
VIM. Rutedge recalled): Ten dollars and
some cents had been retained from his pay for
January, 1884 On the I'd of February talked to
paymaster and postmaster at ST. Louis about
this deduction of salary. Asked how it was
made, and they said that it was withheld by or
der of French They said that his authority
went so far that they never would pay witness
that money unless he got an order from the Sec
ond Assistant Postmaster general. The de-
duction was made for failure to take my trip.
The reason | did not take it was because l had
been notified that had been suspended from
service. Promotions are made by trenchs dl-
rection. and thus salaries are controlled by him.
Frank Wesley, city, formerly in the service,
was called. but his evidence was immaterial.
He was overworked and while. for ten weeks,
his wife lay i'll with typhoid fever, he was eX-
amined for new scheme, failed, and was forced
to send in his resignation.
w. s. Young, township trustee at Franklin,
testified that he had been a soldier, serving from
April II, 1861, to September, 1862 when dis
charged by reason of losing one Of his feet.
Appointed route agent July, 1874, and resigned
April II, 1882, when he rendered his resignation,
because he was worn out in the service. First
appointed to run from Cincinnati to Kankakee as
route agent at $3.50 year. Run extended to
Chicago, 80 miles, emitting witness to
81, $50. Run 1860 salary for sew
eral weeks. Wrote to Mr.. French, asking
alb out the additional salary. The letter was
treated with silence and contempt. Congress
man John Coburn got the increase for witness.
French afterwards informed witness that since
he had received additional pay he expected ad-
ditional work out of him. The mail was heavy
and clerks did best they could under the eireum-
stances After postal cars were placed on the
line instead of witness and associates receiving
! the promotion they deserved and desired, new
men were broughtin and after while most ofthe
| former clerks were removed. He thought the
old clerks would certainly be recognized for pro
motion but in this mistaken. Among the
old clerks who were dismissed were w. T. Eos
! ter p H. Mcdowell G. W. Smith, w H. Phil
lips and John Baker Witness afterwards ran
| on the Jefersonville road. Reported by letter
| to French that once when the bridge
| over the Muscatatuck river had broken
down passengers and baggage were transferred
and taken on to Louisville, while in violation Of
| postal law, the mail and the postal clerks were
| left behind for several hours. To this letter
French made no reply whatever and the railroad
| company was not in any way, that witness ever
heard, called to account.
4 .-. SOME DIRECT TESTIMONY.
Louis Kern, of this city, gave the following
testimony and submitted various letters, com
missions, aad other papers in evidence
was appointed in the mail service April IL 1873,
the Chicago and indianapolis railway postofice,
and passed all examinations and gave satisfaction on
my run for period of years to 1879 Mr. French,
duty for seven consecutive weeks, and had time
to prepare myself for examination charge that Mr..
French knew that could not be prepared for exam
ination, and that 1t was his object to have me
| examined when l not could not be
prepared and then recommended and did get dis
charged from the service for not passing examination
or not making the required per cent, which man
| could do without he had opportunity to prepare
himself which did not have These Facts were made
known to the Postmasterge general and [ reap
pointed Jan. 81 1879. I only out of the service
about thirty-one days. My reappointment placed me
on the Cincinnati, Hamilton Indianapolis at a salary
of 5000 per year. On the Chicago & Indianapolis h.
P. o. was getting 81 $50 per year charge that it
to illtreatment because l felt the freedom that
any should feel but which no one under
Frenchs administration safely feel After l
was reappointed this persecution continued. | was
ordered up for examination when made my fist run
on the c., II. l. Ipassed that examination and
| made but one error vet next morning before taking
my received order from French to appear for
examination within thirty days after had passed just
the day before. In various ways he has thus taxed
! and oppressed me, yet l received from Mr.. W. b.
| Thompson, general superintendent of the railway
mail service, letter d thanks for the very good
9 s7g passes I s letter is dated April 10
II, G. l. and assigned to the Cleveland & Indianapolis
railway postoffee only got the pay Of route
agent $500 but did the duty of postal clerk whose
salary is 81 800 I did this for two years. Mr..
French knew this and yet repeatedly refused to allow
me the rank and pay of postal clerk, which
| duty l performing. He ignored all
my applications until Postmaster-general James 5
order issued that the who did the work
should have the pay, which should have raised my sal
airy to Fl 100 per year. charge that Mr. French,
for malice and personal revenge kept at a salary
of 5000 per year and compelled to do the duty of
81 100 per year position for over two years. When
Postmaster general James issued that order No. AZ
Mr. French ordered to go back to the route agency
on the c., H. & l., at 5000 year. He was deter
mined that l should not have 81 $50 year This ty-
rannical treatment became burdensonle that qp-
pealed to Senator Harrison for relief The Senator
| had my investigated and he had Justice done
toward me. ] received the 81 $50 thereafter.
| Captain Kerns here turned to MIR French, and
| pointing his finger at him. said that he (Kerns)
had made calculation, and found that Mr..
French had wrongfully deprived his wife and
family of about $468 in money that he had
earned That might look very well as a showing
of saving to the government. Mr. French wanted
| to make it appear that he was running his de-
partment cheap but it was an injustice. He
asked the commission who he ought to look to
for that money. Some of the commission thought
this serious and reasonable question from the
| ingenious old soldier q matter for trihinS and
| jocularity, though it did not so impress itself
| upon others than the commission.
| The investigation will continue this morning
|
| A Stable Burned.