The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-01-25
IN THE INTEREST OF REFORM
Barney Conroy, a Convicted Highway
man, Appointed to the Postal Service.
Having Served Two Terms in the Penitentiary
for Felony, He Is Rewarded with Sol
diers Position Under the Government.
tFyom Our Second Edition Of sunday


| From Our Second Edition Of Sanday.1
The reform Ao :, Illustration, as an agency for
the reward Of rascais I. =. liking record which
merits, and will doubtless receive, sne ne@'.'
| Endorsement of that element of the Democratic
partys constituency so largely represented in the
great reform institutions of the countryside
penitentiaries. The substantial evidences which
the administration has given OF its desire to re-
ward these unappreciated pupils of reform prin-
ciples should encourage them to express, by reso
luton or otherwise, their approval without any
further hesitation. Within the last twenty four
hours one of the most outrageous acts in further
ance of party reward has been developed in con-
nection with the railway mail service at this
point. Coming out of the army in 1865, with
an honorable discharge after three years of
gallant service in the One-hundred- and eighth
Ohio, bearing the esteem of comrades and the
good will of all who knew him, Fred Steinhauer
secured an humble position in the government
service By faithfulness industry, honesty and
intelligence he made good record, and upon it
was advanced until he gained the place of trans
fer mail agent at the Union Depot. Of and on
for fifteen years he has been in this very respon-
sible position, fulfilling its arduous duties with
out the least complaint from his supsriors or the
public. His position brought the fair remunera-
ton of $1,000 per year. 1t placed in his
care the vast amount OF mail
that is received and transferred
at the Union Depot daily. OF course, no esti-
mate of its value can be made, but the nature
OF the place suggests the need of public SER
want whose character is without a stain, whose
honesty is beyond reproach, and whose intelli-
gence is at least sufficient to distinguish between
the standing of a man of probity and that of
depraved desperate. Mr.. Steinhauer answered
all these requisites, and if it became absolutely
necessary to remove him for party purposes,
should have been honored by having as his sue
cessor one whose life had not the most degrading
aspect Of low robbery and the vilest moral deg
radiation about it.
1t was to be expected that a place like this
would not SO begging under reform Demo
cratic administration. Nor has it. The emf
nent and astute Mr.. Bynum has no doubt had
his congressional Importance increased by the
demands petitions. pleadings and prayers of a
hundred or more seekers for the position of
transfer mail agent at the Union Depot. 1t is
probable there were many worthy men among
the number of pleaders but it becomes con-
gresham to do his best in the interest of renom-
nation, and if it is possible to throw an
official plum to leader Of that peculiar class of
a congressman's constituency known as the
criminal workers at the polls, it will be done.
Bynum's influence with the powers at Washing
- 1.xx L.
in prostituting the mail service for the benefit OF
an ex-convict, and the outraging of not only an
hundred upright citizens, but one with sol
dier's noble record. Mr.. Steinhauer had a right
to look for decent treatment in removal, and,
perhaps, while he has looked for it since the in
coming to power Of the great and
only Democracy, expected to have
timely notice that his place was
wanted Secretly Congressman Bynum has been
working to have him removed, but there was no
intimatoD of his'success until Mr.. Steinhauer re-
ceived yesterday the following orders
WASHINGTON, d. c.. Jan. 49, 1886.
Frederick Steiphauer, Transfer Mail Agent Indian
apolis, Ind:
An order has been issued by the Postmaster-gen-
era that your shall be discontinued from the date
of receiving this notice. JOHN JAMESON,
Superintendent Railway Mail Service.
This meant the summary dismissal of a man
whose record as a citizen and officer is ire
proachable. A dismissal carried with it the
appointment of a successor, an advantage not
to be misused in his own interest by Congress
man Bynum and the Democracy he represents.
Mr. Stenhauer received notification, shortly
after the receipt of the order, to turn his Office
over to Barney Conroy. When this appointment
| reached the public, later in the day, reputable
people of both parties were astonlshed There
was a continuous expression of disgust attended
by the query, "Are officers not excepting
those involving the care of hundred of thousands
of dollars in valuable mail matter to be turned
over to debauchers. rioters. robbers. would be
assassins and ex-convicts" Barney Conroy is
shining light in this class of Democracy. Since
he was old enough to know anything, Conroy
has been under the eyes of the police. They
have had an affection for him. When criminals
were scarce and light offenders few the police
ways count on Conroy helping do his duty.
There has not been a day for the last fifteen
years, the years Steinhauer, the soldier and hon.
est man, has been conscientiously and intelli-
gently doing his duty, that Barney Conroy has
not been liable to arrest. II is not worth
while to retail the instances he has been in the
station-h house and jail for petty offenses. The
atmosphere of those prisons became almost as
Tree 10 MIN as the OUTSIDE ak ne never leIt the
cells of either place free man when the police
and iailers did not calculate on his early return.
A thief, and an associate of thieves. drunkard
and an associate of prostitutes, man with
criminal record stamped on his features talk
| aud demeanor as indeliby as it is upon the dock
cts of the courts Is Barney Conroy, appointed
| through the influence of Congressman Bynum
to take the responsible position of transfer mail
agent at the Union Depot. He has been worker
among his class in the interests of reform De-
mocracy for years So potent has been his in
| fuence in this way that his reputable party
leaders have taken him out of Jail to manage
repeaters, to repeat himself, and do other
| crooked work at the polls. For several
| months Conroy has been ostensibly 10 the
employ of Frank Creelman, Bynum's candi-
date for the postmastership in this city.
Thus Creelman and Bynum have placed their
portege of a remarkable criminal record in the
postal service He is to serve probationary