St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-09-29
THREsHING OLD WHEAT.
The House Pos tmaster Acknovl-
edges to BOOdIeiSm.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27.-The house
committee on accounts to-day began an
investigation into the charges preferred
against Postmaster Wheat, of the house,
in the resolution introduced by Mr.. En-
loe. The charges are, in effect, that Mr..
Wheat required a contractor who car
red the mails from the house to the
postoflice to pay him $50 month from
the contract price; also that the post
master has on his roll of employees at
500 per mouth a Mr.. Bradley, who
works in the government printing
office, and that Bradley pays $95 of The
800 TO Mr.. " heats son. Mr.. Boothman,
a member OF the committee, asked to be
excused because of the existence OF GER,
tain relations with tie postmaster (hel
being d tenant of MIR. Wheat'S). His
request was granted. The committee
first took up the charge relating to the.
letting of the mail contract, and called
Mr.. Wheat to the stand to make a state
ment. The contract was entered into,
he said, in December last with Mr. Gull
bertson, at the rate of 5000 year. of
which sum Mr.. Culbertson was to give
MIN $3.50 per month. Some time after
the letting of the contract he learned
that it was being talked of by dis
thing. The charge subsequently APP
peared IN the newspapers. He then
talked the situation over with other per-
sons and came to the conclusion that
the contract was violation of law. He
then wanted TO give the money he
had received from Mr.. Culbertson-s75O
back to him, but was advised that it
did not belong to him, but to the govern
ment. He then went to the treasury
department and deposited the money,
AMI received a receipt for it. He had
received no more since from Mr.. Gull
bertson under the agreement. Replying
to Mr.. EnlOe, the postmaster said that
he had consulted the clerk of the house.
Representative Caswell. the speaker
and others about the matter. He was
asked if his son Walter had not gone to
the contractor, Mr.. CulbertsOn, telling
him there was likely to be an investi-
CATION, and asked him to put the $3.50 IN
the hands of third party. He declared
he knew of no such conversation. Sub
sequently the contract was taken away
from Mr.. Culbertson and given to
MIR. Daish at $4,000 per year. In an
Swer to a question as to how he
had come to fix the first contract at
s., 600 per year, witness said that when
he first came to Washington the office
contract OF the previous year copied, as
he supposed 1t was all right. He also
found that the appropriation allowed
for this purpose was 5000 year. Mir.
" heat said further that number of
persons had spoken to him concerning
the perqulsite of $50 per month before
the contract was entered into, but their
names he did not recall. Harry gilbert
son, the contractor, who carried the
mails, was then sworn, and identified
the contract. He had carried the mails
for Mr.. Dalton, the former postmaster,
for six years previous to December
last. He had received as compensa-
ton $1,000 per year. Witness declared
that he had not made similar previous
payments of $3.50 per month to the post.
master. He explained how it was that
the present transaction came about.
Mr.. Wheat had asked him to come to
his room. Mr.. Wheat asked him at fist
for $500 per month in return for the con-
tract. Witness said he could not give,
him that, but made a counter PROPOSE
ton to give him $50. This, he said,
would require him to do the work at
starvation price. A Mr.. Dillon was
called in as witness to the affair. He
did not pay any part of his contract
money to any person during the six
sears of Postmaster Dalton's admin.
istration. In reply to member of the
committee, witness said that he was
Dalton's tather-in-law. In reply to
further questions. he said that after he
had paid the money five months, he
asked to be allowed to keep the $3.50 for
one month to buy harness and feed,
Witness said he had paid the money to.
Mr.. Wheat's son Walter. One day
when it was apparent that an investiga-S
ton was probable, Wheat's son had
come to him and wanted TO have the
money $3.50 handed over temporarily
10 third party, but this was not done.
He had received notice subsequently of
desire to close the contract, but there
was months pay still due him. Ad-
burned.