The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-05-14
In ForcibIy Entering the Post Office with o
Deputy Sheriff lie Has Probably Laid
Himself Open to Criminal Prosecution.
An Inspector Ordered TO Immediately
Make a Thorough Investigation.
Carriers Forced to Get Their Mail by the Gel
lar Route, and Afterwards Followed BY
Donham's Men-Threats of the Burglar.
THE TERRE HAUTE POsTOFFICE.



Bisseips Department
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
WAsHINGToN, May 13.-The Postoffice
Depar tment at Washing gton has been food
ed with kilograms. to-day. from the seat of
war at Terrs Hante. where Mr..
Donham has forcibly taken pos
session of the postotfice, sgainst
the protests of the Postmaster general,
represented in the correspondence by
First Assistant tmastsr- general Evans.
the Civll-service bureau, represented by
Mr. Z. ID. Bailey, at Terre Haute. and Post
master Greiner. who. according to time
honored custom. is entitled to the posses
sion of the Office until Saturday. midnight.
of the week during which the incoming
postmaster receives his commission. The
Postoffice Department officials are astound-
ed at the audacity OF Postmaster Donham
and his unwarrsnted usurpation of the
Office after the action taken by First As
sistant Evans yesterday in advising Mr..
Donham to desist from any attempts to
enter the Office until Saturday. Mr. Evans
represented the poetoffice in this matter.
and In speaking of the occurrence to-day
he said: IF / were the President there
would be successor to Mr.. Donbsm to-
morrow"
kilograms have been received at frequent
intervals to-day from Dir. Don ham, all to
the effect that he has taken possession of
the Office and will hold 1t. In one of his
te;egrams he states that he entered
the Office late last night during Postmaster
Greiner's absence. accompanied by O
deputy sheriff. and thus assumed control
of the office. This statement was received
with the greatest sstonishment at the Post
Office Department. as Mr.. Donham may. if
he speaks the truth have laid himself open
to criminal prosecution. No deputy sheriff
has any right to enter q United States
postotfice In the dead of the night. and Dir.
ponham Will have to be very explicit in
explaining those circumstances To the In
spector. who will be sent from Washington
to examine into the matter.
THE gravity of Mr.. Donham's action can
be understood. said Mr. Evans. when il is
reInem bered that Mr. Greiner's bondsmen
have virtually been relieved from respon-
sibility by the forced entrance TO the post.
Office before Mr.. Greiner had formally
turned the office over to Mr.. Donham In
the presence of the representatives of both
the incoming and outgoing Dostmasters.
The exalnlnatlQn of accounfs and assets of
an Office as large as that at Teffo Eante Is
q very serious affair and, according to q
wise and long established custom. Mr..
GreIner should have been allowed to re-
main In charge of the office until after the
Saturdays business should have been con-
cluded; also. as to have had ample time to
straighten out his money order accounts
for the week and get the books aud cash
of the Office ready for inspection
by Mr.. Donbam in the presence of wit
nesses. Should O shortage IN Mr.. Greiner g
cash on hand be found his bondsmen could
very properly waive all responsibility : and,
in view of Mr.. DOnham's action the Qov-
ernment could hold no one TO account. In
view of the seriousness of the situation.
viewed from this point. an inspector will be
sent at once to Terre Hante. by the POST
Office Departments. and very careful IN
vestIgation will be made"
AT the civil-service bureau to-day it was
learned that Donham's action vas entirely
unnecessary, as it was based upon the de-
sire to change the force of the Office before
it shall be placed in the classified service.
According to the construction placed upon
arecent opinion of the Attorney-general by
the Civil Service Commission, the free de-
livery offices included in the order of Presl
dent Harrison. of Jan. 8, which included
Terre Haute. are not brought within the
classified service until after the examina-
tion has been held and the register of the
eligibles established. In the case of the
Terre Hsute Office this cannot be done for
three months yet, so that MIR. Donham
really had plenty of spare time on his hand s
and there was no occasion TO hurry.
The Civil Service Commits ssion held n con-
ference this afternoon TO consider
the probable violation of the
rules and regulations of the Civil
service Commission by Mr. Donbam. but
adjourned without formally discussing the
matter, owing to lack of detailed informa-
ton. On receipt of full report and q
specific statement of facts from Mr.. L. ID.
Bailey of the commission. now at Terre
Haute, the commission will take up the
affair and carefully consider it in all its