Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1893-08-16
srARrLINa p1soovnRY.
south Carolina Postal omeial. Have Zee,
stealing FOR Ncar..

south Carolina Postal omclais Have n.e-
stealing Tor Ncsr-.
NNstttNoroN. Aug 9-Ihe inspect
ors ~ the post Office department. after
having been AT work Cor two wars In
the detection Of certain frauds in south
Carolina. have az last uncovered one Of
the most colossal and complicated
schemes ever operated against the gov
ernmcnt About dozen arrests have
already been made and many Others
are expected
Capt barrett one OF the most promi-
nent attorneys in Spartcnburg aud ono
NJ the most esteemed citigcns 81 that
part of the state, is in jail Ina default ~
$500 bail and r. n Low. also II
Spartanourg, II behind the bars AZ
Chattanooga. Tenn. in defaults
~ si.ao0 bond. MIR barrett seemed
10 have been the head aud front Of tho
gigantic scheme and having received
his own appointment as rcfcrcc i'm
south 'urolina post Office appointments
during Mr.. liarrison's administration.
hc go once went o. work 10 create post
mnstcrs on "a Wholesale scale. IIo had
men, selected by himself. appointed TO
post offices ail over the state. and then
put la operation his grand plan for re-
alieing from his appointments
The methods OF the Rarrctt syndicntc
were various and complicated. aud arc
best shown los the counts ON file AT tho
post office department one method To
secure funds was 60 report false can.
collation. of postage stumpa A. h
well known. postmaster of the lower
grade gets NO salary. but is allowed a
percentage on tho stamps cancelled
10y him ON the first $50 worth hc Is
allowed one hundred per cent The
barrct scheme was e. report .hc cancel.
intion Of Say. $50 in stamps Perhaps
ihcy mny not have been cancelled one
uiuoth Of that amount They would
then draw their commission Tho
stamps loft liza hand would. IL a
charged. - turned over to- Tar.
rctt, who would dispose OF them and
'whack mp thc prices
The department was aware that Bar.
rctt was selling stamps at less than
cost but could not until lately locate
the source of his supply As an ian.
stance Of the way things were worked
one Owens now arrested. was appoint.
ed postmaster NJ Owens. spartan conn.
" The place was only hut Ia the
hackwoods Then his friend Mr.. Mo.
Elrath was made postmaster at McEcl.
rath' another hut in the woods two
miles mp the road. Owens then resigned
and was succeeded by his wife. Then
Owens was made special mail carrier
between those two places and the rail.
road station Of Inman, Ave miles from
the senior post Office A. special mail
carrier is allowed as compensation one.
third OF the cancellation on his route,
Mrs. Owens would report 10 the depart.
ment $50 In cancellations, and make a
good bit on the lie: Mr. McElrath would
do likewise. and then Mr. Owens would
receive from the treasury ono-thlrd Of
the combined amount OF the reported
cancellations Then. Il Is said, there
would bc general "divy."
The men are also charged with using
the mail 10 defraud. IL being alleged
TINT ON their standing as postmasters.
barrett's men ordered safes. pianos.
typewriters, desks. furniture and other
valuable articles. which were realized
on bcng transferred TO the third party
on mortgage