Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1886-07-29
POSTOFFICE CORRUPTION.
Col. Bolton and Other Subordinate;
In the Chicago Postonlce Arrested.
Emhe.zicments Ranging from sixty
90 One Hundred rhou-and Dollars
Charged.

Col, W. IL. Bolton, chief OF the division for
handling seeond class matter at the Chicago
Postoflice, was arrested shortly after noon
July Goth charged with the embeGzlcmcnt OF
public funds by means OF false returns. Post
Office inspectors claim to have traced u short
age OF $1,000 from November, 1884, to Mo-
rmber, loS5, aud intimate that the total
shortage will DO from sixty to u hundred
thousand dollars.
John T. Stuart welghcr was also arrested
Inspectors say they iind the Daily News Pub
fishing company paid him nearly $1,000 more
from November, 1854, TO November, 1855, than
the amount which no turned over to the gov
ernmenL
The arrests caused q sensation In Federal
circles. Col. Bolton was ono of the most
trusted Of TX. Postmaster Pamer's aud Post
master Judd's assistants and stood high In tue
esteem OF thousands of citizons. When placed
In custody Bolton vowed he knew moth NJ of
the alledged discrepancy In his accounts and
could not account for them, Stuart the chitt
wcigher maintains an assumed Indifference
aud stoutly refuses TO make any statement
Bolton stands high In social, army and church
circles, and Is u warm friend OF Senator Logan,
lie is warden in St. James Episcopal church
and has always borne an enviable name His
friends refuss TO believe him guilty Of any
wrong doing and assert he will come out MI
| right, The inspectors claim that after the
| second class matter had been Il strhuted Mt the
postoilice aud weighed by Stuart the latter
would change the figures making the weight
appear less than II really was, Then Bolton,
II Is alleged would send bills for the correct ~
larger amount to tho newspaper offices, aud
after getting them pocket the difference Late
In the evening Bolton secured bondsmcn In
the SUN Of $4,000 but Stuart was looked uP
In default OF 5000 bail.
One OF the inspectors said that In order b.
continue tho practice Of false entry In his
books, Bolton had entered various newspapers
as only paying parts OF their bills, aud carry.
the debit from mouth TO month on his books,
In his statement the same practice was follow
cd, so that while the accounts were correct on
their face, an exa ninatIon Of the books
| developed the shortage 1t Is said thai
| some weeks ago hG became suspicious OF
| the attent on called 10 his division and was
| making efforts to straghtrn out his accounts,
| but the complicated character OF the entries,
| caused by carrying forward the debts OF
newspapers, and his Inab lily to credit In the
proper way the long standing accounts, made
the effort TO straighten them out rather df.
icult proceeding, and the next examination
would certainly have rcv,N'cl TIE operations
had not Suspicion bccn drec y / 10 t',cm, S,u.
ar l. supposed to have made the false entries.
| TIE rcvclHt tons thus far made Indicate that
the Government received full ny Tor carrying
| this class of INA matter AMI tGat the money
obtaincd b. Bolton and his allies actually
came from the newspapers he was 0yercharg,
| ing. II is minated that the further rcyela-
| tons VIII involve parsonage directly con
ncced with city newspaper, who has been
thoroughly familiarwth the methods Of tho
| daillcs and OF other largely circulated parers.
| The fraud IL supposed TO have involved In the
overcharging every widely circulated publica.
| ton In the city.