The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-08-19
POsTOFFICE Frauds.
History OF the Case Recently Unearthed In
south Carolina.

WASHINGTON, d. c.. August ls.-The
Postofiice Department Is in receipt
through unofficial. though reliable. sources
OF startling news concerning the South
Carolina postal frauds. owens, one OF
the conspirators under arrest, tells
story that Barrett whom the inspectors
have Gagged. as being the ringleader, want
ed him (Owens) and McE.lrath. also in
jail, TO Kill Washington Dill. postmaster
at lnman. All the mail 10 and from the
postoflices to McElrath and owens had 10
pass through the postofIice at Inmau.
IL was Dill who did the checking against
McElrath and Owens, which gave the
inspectors evidence TO work on. He held
the key to the situation. lie knew how
much mail passed through his office for
the dummy offices on that route. and
knew that there was a wide discrepancy
between the mail actually going through
and the returns made 10 the department
by the offending postmasters. Owens has
this 10 say: "As long as Mr.. Barrett has
had his say, | think ought 10 be allow
ed to put I'm n word. too. Barrett says
my word Is not good. that Il was broken
in Judge Strbblings court I was never
there as a witness. but was there twice
as a juror. l knowed nothing about
swearing false TIL struck up
with Barrett As TO my house
being searched for stolen hog,
that amt so. After 1 was arrested
IN the postofiice business, Barrett would
come around five or six times day and
tell me to keep a shut mouth. Then he
tried to get me 10 swear false. Post
master Dill was a witness against him
and us. and he tried TO get me and Neil
rath to kill Dill. lie said the best way
to dispose OF Dill was TO take a shotgun
and fix him, and then swear out. He
promised to stand by me and swear me
out. told him would go to Albany peni-
tertiary for thirty years before 1 would
commit murder
"Since | have been I'm jail Barrett has
been 20 see me many times day. and
has been trying TO post me how 10
swear He wants me TO swear TO a pack
of lies, and told me II ] would do as he
said the case against me would soon be
stopped, and / would never have TO go
on the stand. / saw that Barrett was
trying TO clear himself. and l would be
In Il as bad as ever. so l got my father
10 get the inspector TO hear my state
ment. The inspector told my father that
he did want 70 hear my story. because
he had enough evidence TO convict me
and Barrett. 1 can put the inspector
onto another one OF Barrett's postofiices.
| didn't know anything about ordering
goods till Barrett told me that we could
order typewriters and lots OF other
things, give a mortgage on them and
never pay for them. The plan was that
the man who held the mortgage was
70 get one-third, Barrett was 20 have
a third and ! was TO have the other
third. lie said that / had better let
Jim Harmon do the ordering, because my
handwriting didn't look businesslike
enough. I never wrote n letter for any,
thing. He said we must get somebody
10 hold while we skinned. meaning the
man who held the mortgage. We never
did have a settlement OF the ordering
business. He got a desk, bookcase table
and some chairs from me. We had set
Elements on the stamps. / think II was
about three hundred dollars worth OF
them lie took some stamped envelopes,
postal cards and stamps from me and
sent them Off by express He told me
never 10 pay anything In stamps. or
the inspectors would catch me. Barrett
told me that when he was arrested on
the Georgia case he was as guilty as a
hog. but got off by playing shut mouth"