Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-09-30
POSTMASTER WHEAT DENIES.
He Says He Never Got . Cent From
Employees OF the ONCE.

Employees OF the ONCE.
A. q. Beeks, messenger In the House post
Office, was the frst witness called today in the
investigation Of the charges against Post
master Wheat by the House committee on &C
counts. He testified In effect that Walter
Wheat, the postmaster's son, did his work in
an efficient manner. The postmaster had
always treated witness courteously and kindly.
S. 8. Daish, at present the contractor for
carrying the mails, said he had bought some
horses from the previous contractor, GILBERT
son, who gave him some days TO pay for them
Shortly after this MIR. Dalton. the sX-postmas-
ter. bought . stone quarry in Indiana and Gull
bertson said no wanted the money for the horses;
witness understood that il war for Dalton
He thought Mr.. Dalton and Mr.. Culbertson
cordncted the business Of carrying the mails
between them. He said there was Q general
understanding that the postmaster had the
right to the mail contract business and to the
difference there might be in what he could get
the work done for and the amoant appropri-
ated.
LINT Mr.. WHEAT HORSE AND BUGGY.
To Mr.. Enloe the witness said he had lent
Mr.. Wheat q horse and buggy at times for
short while after the contract had been en-
tered into when he had no use for them He
insisted that he did not pay Mr.. Wheat cent
for the contract in any way. shape or form.
POSTMASTER WHEAT DENIES.
Postmaster Wheat then took the stand TO
make q statement in his own behalf Mr..
Wheat denied the testimony of yesterday that
person by the name of Feister had been put
on the role of the Office and had never done
any work. Feister. Mr.. Wheat said, had per-
formed his duties satisfactorily.
In regard to Martin, whom a witness yester-
day said he had net seen since August /,
Mr.. Whea. said that early in August Martin
had made . satisfactory arrangement with
another emPloye to do his( Martin work Wheat
then expected that the arrangement would
last but few days, but il had lasted until
toward the end OF the month. As the other
man expected did not come witness did not care
to put green hand on the work for a few days
SEvgn GOT CENT.
MIR. Wheat declared that he never got cens,
directly or indirectly, from any employe in the
Office. In explaining the number of charges
made in the post Office Mr.. Wheat said that in
tons temporarily until others appointed By
members OF Congress arrived in the city.
REPRESENTATIVE M'ooRp WITNESS.
The investigation was continued after the re-
cess, Representative McCord being the first
witness. In answer to questions from Mr.. En-
loe the witness said that Postmaster Wheat had
spoken to him several times concerning claim
pending before committee of which he was a
member. He had never thought there was any
harm In the manner in which Mr.. Wheat had
spoken OF the claim.
Mr.. Enloe said he desired to have Mr..
Haugen on the stand, but at present he was alb
sent Mr.. Wheat remarked that he was per-
feotly willing to admit that he spoke
to these gentlemen in regard to the McGarre-
han claim, thinking there was no harm in doing
so.
DR.. James r. Fisher, assistant postmaster
under Mr.. Dalton testified he had no knowledge
| OF any perquisltes received by Mr.. Dalton.
MR.. FISHER DENIED IT.
After the recess yesterday in the Wheat in
vestigation Mr.. James NJ. Fisher, a stenog-
rapher at the Capitol, emphaticaliy denied
that any one had asked him to hold the $3.50
paid by Culbertson to Wheat Culbertson had
told HIM of paying Wheat $50 per month and
young Wheat had acknowledged to him that it
was SO. He regarded the matter confiden-
tial
Mr.. Walter Wheat then testified that he had
never asked Fisher to hold the $3.50.
Representative Caswell was next sworn. Mr.
Wheat was a constituent of his. Mr.. Bright
and Mr.. Wheat had called on him and con-
| suited him as to the legality of the Sl50 per-
qusite. The matter was talked on and IL was
decided that Mr. Wheat was not entitled to the
| money. Mr.. Caswell said he supposed that Mr.
Wheat when he entered upon his duties re-
garded the money as a legitimate perquisite of
the Office.
WALTER wHEAT's TESTIMONY.
Walter Wheat, the postmaster's son, then
| took the stand. Culbertson, the contractor,
had said to him there was nothing wrong in the
| contract; that the money was his (wal:er's).
and he could do with it as he pleased. Had not
| suggested Fishers name as the third party who
should keep the money temporarily. Witness
| testified that in March a man named Denny
was discharged from the Office and he was
| called upon to fill the place. Denny was a
route man, and witness could do his work in
addition to his own without conflicting with his
duties. 1t was only intended that he should
| hold the place for about a week, when
| another man was to arrive from Dakota to
take it. Meanwhile, Bradley having ap-
| applied for work. an arrangement was
effected by which Bradley was to have
| his name on the roll and to get 50
| of the salary while witness was to do the work.
| At the end of the month the Dakota man ar
| rived, but another man having been displaced
witness took his place and did his work fully
For this month Bradley got $40. He had Sc
cured Mr.. CaswelPs Endorsement to Bradley
application, but Mr.. Caswell did not at the time
know of this transaction with Bradley. Wit
ness insisted that he knew the routes well and
had often done work for others in the Office
| when they were temporarily absent, for which
| he got no credit. The committee then ad-
| journed until today.