The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-01-01
AN APPEAL FOR JUSTICE.
Henry Stems Calls on the President to
Right the Wrong Done Him.
A Strong Case Made Out by the Ex-Letter-
Carrier, and the Record Of His Ac-
cuser Laid Bare.

charged by Postmaster Jones, has appealed di-
rectly to President Cleveland to right the wrong
done him by his discharge from the service, and
it cannot be denied that the case made out by
Mr.. Stems is strong one. The record of
Frank Ash, the exconvict on whose unsupport
ed testimony he was so unceremoniously re-
moved, is given in certified transcripts of the
court records. The action of the chief execu-
tive will be awaited with interest. The state
ment of Sterns which is made under oath, is
as follows:
To Grover Cleveland President of the United States:
earnestly ask your consideration of the fol-
lowing facts:
State of Indiana, County Of Marion.
Henry Stems, being sworn, says that, in 1880.
he was appointed by w. r. Holloway, then post
master, to the position of letter carrier in the
postoffice of the city of Indianapolis; that he
continued in said position the balance of said
Holloway's term Of Office and during the four
years term of his successor James A. Widman,
and, also, under said Wildman's successor, Aquil-
la Jones, until Dec. g. 1885; that he at all
times performed the duties of said position in a
competent and honest manner, and. so far as he
was informed. to the satisfaction of his superiors
that on the evening of Nov. % last, accord
ing to his custom, he rode homo from
the postofice on o streetcar; that two other
men were in the car with him, the driver being
upon his platform and the door thereto closed;
that in the car the death of the Vice-president,
which had just occurred, was talked Of that the
conversation throughout was becoming and re-
spectful; that neither of the other men was then
known to this affiant and both. at different
points, left the car before he did; that knowing
this driver, from having been frequently pas
senger on his car, just as this affiant about
to quit the car, he opened the door to the driver
and said to him: tom Hendricks is dead;" that
to the drivers exclamation. "What" this afiant
repeated: Hendricks is dead, and Immediately
left the car; that this was all the conversation
with said driver.
That on Sunday, Dec 6, 1885, while this afiant
was about his duties in the postoffice, he was
summoned to the office of Mr.. Jones, the post
master: that in the room, during the conversation
which followed, were the postmaster and his son,
John Jones mot one of the two employed In the
postoffice Mr.. Dodd, the assistant postmaster,
and the aforesaid ar-driver, Frank Ash. That
Mr. Jones at once said to this affiant, this man
lpolntlng to the street-cardriver), says that You
were very jovial over Mr. Hendricks's death, and
were talking and laughing on the car all the way
home that evening"" That thereupon this afiant,
without qualification, denied the charge; that
said car-driver then repeated his charge,
and this af1iant again denied it and at once
offered to disprove the assertion if he could have
time to hunt up one of the men who was in the
car with him, whom he informed the postmaster
he would know if he saw. being a large man,
weighing $50 pounds That Mr.. Jones answered:
There is no use talking any more about it. y
That this affiant thereupon at once returned to
his desk, and in less than a minute Mr. Dodd
laid upon it the following communication:
INDIANAPOLIS PosToFFICE I
Dec. g. 1885. )
"Henry Sterns:
Your services as carrier are not required after this
date. AQUGLIA JONES Postmaster"
That the assertions of the car-driver Ash were
false; that this affiant did not speak act, and
had inclination to speak or act disrespect-
fully concerning Mr.. Hendricks and of the truth
of this he makes his solemn oath.
That on Dec IA, this affiant succeeded in find
ing out the two men who were in the with
him as aforesaid one of them being Mr.. John FL.
Stewart, president of the Bank Of Commerce,
and the other Mr. A. w. Wishard an attorney
at law, both of Indianapolis, and to substantlate
his own statements this afiant offers their aft
davits, which follow And to support the state
ment of faithful service this aiant attaches also
a certificate from the ex postmaster, James A.
Wildman. HENRY STERNs.
Subscribed and sworn to before me this 2Sth
Gay of December. 1885,
VIM. S. HUBBARD, Notary Public.
State of Indiana Marion County, S.:
John H. Stewart and Albert w. Wishard, be-
ing duly sworn, state that the said Stewart is the
president of the Bank of Commerce, in the city
of Indianapolis, and that said Wishard is an
attorney at-law in said city; that upon Wednes-
day. Nov IS, 1885, the said Stewart was pas
senger on the Pennsylvania street car at short
time after P. NJ, having taken the car at Wash
ington street; that as the car passed Charles
Meyers cigar store about half square north of
Washington street. the affiant, Wishard, stepped
on the car, and walked up to the fare-box, paid
his fare, returned to the rear end of the car,
where the af1iant Stewart sat Affiant, Wish
ard then stated to affiant, Stewart, that he had
just heard in Meyers cigar store that Governor
Hendricks (Vice-presdent Hendricks) had
dropped dead, at which statement the affiant,
Stewart, expressed great surprise, and expressed
doubt at the report just at the time the fore
going conversation took place between the aft
ants Stewart and Wishard, Mr.. Henry Stems,
ma-carrier of said city. stepped into
the car as it passed the postoffice,
going north on Pennsylvania street. AS said
Stems entered the car, affant Wishard asked
Stems if the report of the death Of Governor
Hendricks had been received at the postofice, to
which said Stems answered in the affirm
alive, saying that the report was true,
after which said Stems took seat in the car,
nearly opposite where atlantis Stewart and
Wishard sat. The atlantis then engaged in a
general conversation in regard to the death of
Governor Hendricks, about Governor Hendricks
having been in the bank of which affiant Stewart
is president on the day previous to his DEATH
aud about Governors Hendricks and Morton be-
ing the leaders in their respective parties, ETC.,
in which said Stems took no part, further than
to answer question asked by affiant Wishard as
to the time when the report of the death of
NoFeruoE leuurlckS urSI reached the poStoTnce.
Affiant Wishard rode on the car to Pratt street.
about nine squares from where he entered it.
and affiant Stewart nearly seventeen squares or
near to Seventh street. and atlantis both state
that during tho time they were pas
seneers upon said car, said Storms was
also a passenger. except a part of the
first square, atlantis having got on
the car before said Stems. Atlantis both state
that while they were passengers on the car the
conduct of said Stems WIS perfectly quiet and
gentlemanly: that he did not express any salts
faction qualification over the death of Gov
ernor Hendricks, and that any statement made
by any one that said Stems acted in iovial
manner over the death of Governor Hendricks
is untrue and maliciouslY false
JOHN FL. STEWART,
ALBERT w. WIsHARD
Subscribed and sworn to, this Oath day of De-
cember, 1885, by Albert w. Wishard.
HARMON j. EVERETT, Notary Public.
Cuh- haG md IN hi In