The Indianapolis journal., 1889-06-19

Charles L. Moore. the reinstated clerk,
was called and questioned concerning his
he had been arrested in his room while
playing poker with friends, and had been
fined on plea of guilty without appearing
before the Mayor. John w. DOdd, ex-
investigation of Mr.. Jones he had called
Moore to account for his gambling habits
six months before his arrest, and that Moore
had promised to reform.
recess was then taken for dinner. Ex-
Postmaster Jones was the first witness in
the afternoon. He testified that Moore
had been told to stop gambling,
and he said he would stop. He
Ga o the e1s sePd PPd ooPe tas was msfsn sSt
or rather was allowed to resign.
X. b. Mundell was called In and told his
story. His appearance and manner were
greatly In his favor. He said that while
working at the letter case one of the special
delivery boys had come into his depart
ment with dead frog, and with two other
delivery boys began to play with it. He
ordered them out as it was against the
rules for them to be there. Two of the
boys went out The other boy refused to
go and made some ugly reply. Mundell
did not kick him, but took him by the col
lar and bumped HIM out with his knee.
The boy complained and Mundell was
fined by justice of the peace. ID. NJ.
Bradbury, who had been MIR. Mundells
attorney on the occasion, explained that
the evidence showed that the assault was
only technical.
Mr.. Lyman suggested that as Mr. Wheat
was an honOrably-dis discharged Union soldier
he could, under the rule be reinstated, but
Mr.. Tousey must be dropped. Before the
afternoon was over. Mr. Wheat was sworn
regular. Mr.. Thompson remarked
that, with vacations coming on for carriers,
without a special examination the service
would be seriously hurt. Mr.. Roosevelt
remarked there were enough men on the
80 70. Co. - -I.-
these men if not fully qualified would not
have to be retained, as early in August an
other examination will come. He said the
commission had arrived at the conclusion
that no special examination should be held
now.
A little spatfollowed between Mr.. Roose-
velt and Mr.. Thompson, in which the
former remarked that attention had been
intimate that the civil-service laws could
be evaded. This brought Postmaster Wal
lace to his feet.
II utterly disclaim 1hat," said he. 81
have never had it in mind to evade the law,
and do not think my subordinates have
had any other purpose than to obey the
law What was done grew out of the exi-
gencies of the Office. [ have appointed in
the unclassified service sixteen; have pro-
moted three persons-they- were those
found here; have reinstated ten from the
classified list. There are holding over to-
day in this office twenty-seven clerks,
forty-three carriers and two messenger
. boys. / have retained in the money
order department. a young man named By
field, son of the late Judge Byfield. His
widowed mother made personal appeal to
me, which was not necessary. told her
he should not be disturbed. There is an
other young man named Morgan Ia nephew
of the late Vice-president Hendricks). a
very clever. competent man. told him he
could stay until he could get a better sit
nation. MIR. Taylor is here, too. He is
hnxr, 1x..x
faithful officer. Half the carriers are
Democrats. 1 may have made a mis-
take in the case of Moore. but it
came to me that it was a set-up job
George F. Kuhn. and discharged him and
Moore took his place. / am only anxious
to make the service in this office the best
it can be made. 1t is the home of President
Harrison. and he looks to me to do this
thing / will perhaps be denounced in some
of the newspapers for having made these
one or two mistakes. As to this young man
Moore. no suggestion was ever made to me
gambling before l am sixty-three years
old. and l know that no man who
CANDLES can be trusted; that a man who
CANDLES is ready to commit crime. have
also announced that when n man drinks
that is cause for dismissal, and if a man is
not kind and courteous to the public that
is good cause for mis- dismissal Now, if
Mr.. Tousey goes out there is no man in this
city to take his place. He is q substitute
Mcdonald. Mr.. Kerr has consumption. /
did not discharge him. l took counsel of
my good feelings, thinking i might pro-
long his life., have been practicing law.
and do not know much about postoffice
Thompson, or Mr.. Craft, or Mr..
yelling, and Others would
not have accepted the Office of postmaster
If | had not known could get back those
oil WI bn yix off r
and bring it back to its former standing
under Mr.. Holloway and Mr.. W1ldman.
when it was one of the best Offices in the
country.
"It is only fair to you, Mr. Wallace said
Mr.. Roosevelt, Ito say that we recognize
You have peculiar difficulties OH account
of the general character of this postoffce.
1t is not as if you succeeded in postoffice
We have none of us the least doubt of the
honesty and integrity of your Intentions
The comm ssioners then spoke of increas-
ing the number of members of the local
board to five, and taking two additional
members who are in government employ as
they have to be, from outside the office.
Mr.. Roosevelt mentioned the name of w.
p. Fishback. Postmaster Wallace said he
would be an excellent man for the place.
The suggestion was not considered further,
but 1T is not unlikely the board will be in
creased as indicated.
During the investigation it came out
tDaU Tie cases against MuQQell ana moore
were in q great measure set forward by
George Z. Kuhn, discharged clerk
1t also came out in the testi-
mony that Kuhn was an enemy of
Mundell because the latter knew that
Kuhn destroyed twenty-five cards in q
case examination, not knowing where to
distribute them, and that Mundell had in
formed the postmaster of that fact. AS to
Moore. it appears that he was arrested in
his room while playing cards with friends
on the night that Tom Taggart gave his lit
tie local demonstration" during the presi-
dential campaign, by Captain Colbert and
patrolman SOrter, and that one of the party
arrested was allowed to slip, being Demo-
crat. He was told that it was a set-up job
on Moore. who was a Republican, to get
him out of the postoffice.
Mr.. Lyman, In conversation with Jour-
nal reporter last night said: "A gentle
man made statement to me this evening
IN which he said he knew. for he was there.
no gambling was going on the night of the
raid In which Moore was involved. This
gentleman said he was told by one of the
policemen who made the raid that it was a
put up lob; that they were hired to mako
the raid, and were paid forit that the hope
was to catch this young man Moore for the
purpose of getting him out of the postOffice.
and that he this gentlemenl did
not believe Moore to be q gambler.
What took place in the private meet
ing we held this afternoon latter the
reporters LETT was a conversation with
members of the local board of examiners
relative to their duties, and instructing
them definitely on certain points so that