New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-10-10
4 COMICAL DETECTIVE.
POST OFFICE INSPECTOR MORRIS AND THB
FORGED FRANK.
HE GIVES A STRANGE STORY OF HIS WORK oN
THE CASE TO DEMOCRATIC NEWSPAPERS
BEFoRE HE REPORTS TO HIS ofFIcIALsC'

THE CASE TO A DEMOCRATIC NEWSPAPER
BEFopE HE REPORTS TO his oFPIcIALsU'
pERIoRs-THE FACTS ABOUT HIM
One of the most anu ing contributions TO tho Itcrs~
ture OF the campaign was made IN y" Inc "or'a' !.'
teIay by Post Onlce Inspector C. L. Morris, OF this
ats,r,ct II was I'm relation TO the alleged forgery OK
Congressman Coxs frank on package Oh ca'npagn
documents sent out by the National De'norrau" cor
mitec n; explained at length In Inc tribune VI W.
tob,r q when ac-srnile In miniature oil INC noze
hrndIe was printed. SIR. Norris II appears was nc
,auod m investigate the matter 1t Is customary iof
,,,,on, officials IN such cases to mako Immediate
rcnorts 10 their superior officers, but Mr MOTIFS
,owed his contempt for such trivial fofmah'ios W
giving the results OF his Inquiries first 10 pemo
cratic newspaper lie said yesterday 'hst ne was
M, ready even then to favor the Post once Depart
ment with his report io WI" w.
cornmodafe % later A., -,
a,,s h,,,co OF the Inspectors report is this: For
-, nurnose Of bringing wretchcd cuipnt 10 lusee'
Mr. Morris visited the Office oil ths paper s''' n'S'
a desperate effort TO throw lgh' on INC 'e'ny " -"
mysterious forger by Earning the name OF inc mr.
sepcer who had brought tho package W mo '.""
office Failing In this and bclhs u'''d'i,"'. =.
careful inspection OF the alleged fofscrs' no "" !"
30 .roued to take the package home to PDnher over
A. IN. actual need for this not apparent Anu -
the package vas the property OF u"l" P.'' -
r,ouest was OF course politely dechho"' ar ''
was assured however, that the pachssc 'n'Oia ~
hold ar a
further the ends of iu tice oy secohu anu
longed contemplation OF the iranh' ,.,
Tbcreunon Mr. Cox's guileess cmissafy h'HH'a
TO South Apaachin, and successfully oa'o''
Susan b. Beebe, the lady 20 whom inc doc uh''s
originally sent, into signing an orher i"r '" "a
livery 10 him. Armed with this, nc rct"r'lo" "
umphantly to demand posses ion OF 'ne oun' i
prt IN his cutter asfonishment,' hr. ho't
dsregartng his solemn promise, aosoiu'e'S ie'a
IN turn the package over to him.
savs this outraged official =" he gave no io'eo" 80
This violation of his agreement, merely rcpe"uns
former suggestion that the Inspector couiu use no
fac smile just well as the original "
eouonce of this deporable perversene5S on tne Part
~ Mr. Reid he says. the whole Investigation vas
practically blocked. There were some lur'ner '",u
instnuations as to the forgers being hlnhsu III II"
Tribune Building. and as TO certain uihamro y"
nuhlIcan rascals,. but the foregoing were INC maj"
points OF the article. ~.
4, nalnfu 70 have 10 state that the allegations OK
Mr. Morris in aThe World while possessing many
remarkable qualities, are singulaTly des"'u' Vi run
Mr. Morris never talked with Mr. Red, never Sd" n',
IN fact The gntleman Of the stan to whom Ms rcae'
for the package referred, naturally ueciinou W
surrender loaned property, excepting under authority
,, ,be owner The inspectors second request was
also courteously declined, not because OF his al
mission that the order for the package was "ruel
by Mr. Morris himself but because MIS-. beeoe hSa
ooun,ermanded that order by telegram 10 the haor
of The Tribune In her own name, asser"ns ''a' '"'
had furnished her signature under misappehens Oh.
This dispatch first read to the inspector anu
subsequently given to him read, with the expana'
ton that Others even more emphatic had also Oeeh
received
When. in the face OF this revelation, be calmly
sought 10 make The Tribune parry TO gross ore"h
OF faith by suggesting that he be permitted to taks
the package away, he was frankly toid that
doubt existed as to whether IL would
over return II once placed In his hands, the ohy
outcome OF the investigation so far having oeen an
abusive letter from the PosimasterGenera puohshci
| with caumnious comments in the Democratic news
papers and one or two udcrous attempts on his own
| part 10 unesrth the alleged criminal by discovering
the name of necessarily innocent third person, who
had not and have had any possible connection
| with the crime IL crime there was.
Mr. Morris was seen at his Office In the Federal
| Building yesterday. lie writing when the Nc
porter entered, but consderae enough to l0oA up
from his work at intervals TO answer questions about
The worldp article. This he admitted having read
"Is 1t correct, Mr.. Morris ~
ayes, substantially
| "You have no criticisms corrections to makei'
| "well, 1 think not, but let me see read IL
hurriedy. perhaps
suppose you read 1t again more Carefully sus
| gcsted the reporter.
Mr.. Morris took the slip and read 1t slowly and
thoughtfully to be all right" he remarked
when he had finished. "The only corrections would
| make are unimportant.7
do you mean to say that The Tribune refused 70
give you any for not srrendering the bundle
on the order prepared By you which Mrs. Beebe was
induced to slgn!'
The inspectors face assumed a troubled and far
away expression. "Mr Reid did give reason he
said, after some cogitaton But didn't consider 10
| sufficient,
what have you 10 say TO the published ann. incs-
ment that you had supposed the whole thing 10 be
| miserable forgey!'
| "Oh. am prepared TO say that vet. I haven't
| finished my report | am not responsible for that
| statement
The Inspector then proceeded 10 reerate his pub
shcd charge of insncerity' against the Editor ot
The Tribune. This charge rests solely on the novel
ground that because his own sincerity had been Ques-
toned, be thought the best way TO set himself right
was to question somebody else's and because unlike
the Postmaster General and The World, he was not
open to the imputaon that he had permitted himself
TO be influenced by base political motives, and conso-
| lucntly resented IT,
1t Is natural that some curiosity should be felt about
the personality Of the remarkable detective genius
| ected by Mr.. Cox, the Democratic state Committee
| and the Democratic Administration. TO trace crime BY
| beginning AS far away from the criminal possible.
anu tempting 10 procure evidence BY coercing
spectacle matrons into signing documents whose pur-
port had not been properly explained
Chef Inspector Dosser protested profound Ignorance
as to his assistants antecedens but from other rust
worthy sources IL learned that Mr. Morris va,
porn IN Monticello and educated his brilliant
The grocery business in Port Jervis His life work
began however, about i've months ago, when Com
sasssman Bacon paid lifting tribute to his eminent
taien Tor providing Democratic newspapers with fool
ment. r ~ ~ WHY