The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-04-30
PAYeE TELLS HIS STORY.
THE EX-POsTOFFICE CLERKS
HEARING WOUND Up.


Decision This MorninE-PayEe says
He Never Opened "A Package i'm the
POstOmce-He Tells About the Con-
spirncy Business.
The investigation Of the Payge case
was concluded last night. with argument
before Commissioner Beckett by Inspector
Bulla and W. r. Beaken, Esq, Paygc's
attorney. The commissioner n served his
decision until this morning and declined
TO give any information Of what IL viii
be. Inspector Bulla seems confident. how
ever. that Payge will be held for trial
before the United States court. a guam
tity OF evidence was taken yesterday,
evidence being heard both in the morning
and the afternoon.
Payge was put upon the stand and made
his statement He said he submitted the
paper. known as the conspiracy paper,
first TO II. W. Butler. next to J. b. Barn
well, and last TO Z. II. Lege. The latter
told him he thought ne was guilty Of a
misdemeanor in drawing up such paper
and he then destroyed it. He related
these facts to Postmaster Haines when
called upon for the paper. and added
that Butler said when he read IT that il
was a good idea, but he would not sign
it unless Barnwen did. Barnwell said
when he read it that he would not have
anything TO do with il at all. and that he
intended TO report it, as he had orders
20 report any irregularities in the office.
That was between . and 10 O'Clock OF the
morning Of March %. That night at 6
o'clock he was suspended
Il did not open the packages 1 am
charged with opening or any other pack
ages. Barnwell did not say anything TO
me about It. / knew nothing of this
charge until I was placed under arrest L
will swear that Brinsons statement as
10 what was said on the steps Sunday
morning is correct. Butler shook his
finger in my face and said Page d. you,
I have done you one and l almost got
Brinson.'
On being cross-eXamined by Inspector
Bulla, Payge said:
In connection with the paper | circu-
lated l made no mention of White, the
delivery clerk. | spoke 10 Mr.. Haines
about 1t when / went to md out why
was dismissed. lie asked me if this paper
Disseminated against White. I told him
II disseminated against no one in par
ticular. / did tell him afterwards that If
any discrimination was made against any
one IL should be against White and others
whose mistakes were not reported
handed Butler an application for member
ship in the Junior Order of American Me-
chanics, as he had requested me TO get one.
"Brinson and have always been friend
~" said Payge Butler and / were al
ways friendly up TO that time. / was not
angry with him for testifying against me
on that examination. got angry because
he spoke about having done me one. /
dropped into the trap on the conspiracy
with Mr.. Kirby's sanction. / wrote the pa
per referred to- There was no signature to
1t. Kirby agreed to sign 1t. His language
was in the paper Butler also agreed to
sign It. The parties having refused to sign
the paper / said / would report everything
/ saw after that, but had not the pleas
ure Of reporting anything up to March "a.
/ thought Kirby, Butler and Barnwell
were my friends / would not have offered
them the paper had not thought so.
Brinson did not know of this paper.
Il have opened papers on several oc-
casons when 1 was employed in the mail
ing department. 1t was the custom when
papers were dropped in without address
to pull out the paper, see who the pub
Usher was and return for address. ! also
opened papers by request of MIR. Waring
TO see II lottery matter was in them. Such
papers / gave to Mr.. Warning. Outside of
this / never opened a paper, parcel or box.
] never read these papers. / had not
time"
Postmaster Haines was recalled by Mr..
Bulla and was asked as to the character
of Clerk Barpwell. The postmaster said
that when he appointed Barnwell he
made inquiries as to his character, and
was satisfied that he was reliable and
would make a good clerk He has been
promoted eince his first appointment
The conspiracy business was reported by
Barnwell. The errors made in distribu-
tigation. After / had reprimanded him
for these errors he stated that there was
something wrong going on down stairs,
Since that time there has not been so
many reports against him
l.. N. stern testified that he was in the
store OF Gardner Einstein when
broken package was received. The end
of a box was crushed in, but the contents
We're all right. Two young men after
S Tards called lS and inquired as to I'll the CON
tifcate as to its condition which was
given. The witness understood it was to
exonrate somebody.
Ernest A. Lege. stamp clerk at the post
office, stated that Payge showed him a
paper to sign to the effect that the clerks
should not report mistakes made by each
other. He refused to sign the paper and
then saw Payge tear 1t up.
Several Witnesses were introduced in
the afternoon to rebut statements made
by witnesses for tine defence rejecting
upon the character of Mr. Barnwell for
Veracity Mr. w d. Thomas was sworn
and stated that he had known MIR. Barn
well for twelve or thirteen years. Mr.
Barnwell was in his Sunday school class
be of good character and would believe
him under oath. The witness said he had
never heard Barnwells veracity question
ed. He Endorsed him when he applied for
a. position in the postottice.
Mr. ID. b. Lester testified on the same
line. He had known Barnwell, he said,
since the latter was a child. He had
never heard his veracity questioned, and
would believe him under oath. Mr. Lester
said that he had been thrown constantly
with the young man. his father having
kept a running account at his store for a
number Of years. He had never heard
any one say anything against him.
Mr. c. G. Anderson, Jr., the contractor
testified that he had known Barnwell
from boyhood, and had always found him
to be perfectly truthful and honest in all
his dealings. He would believe his state
ments under oath or without oath.
Clerk Butler was recalled and denied
that he had said, as testified to by Mr..
Starr, that he would fix Payge to get
him out of the service. The witness said
that he knew that Payge would have to
get out soon anyway, as his appointment
was only a temporary one. He did not re-
member speaking to Mr.. Sarr at all on
the subject, he said and was positive that
he had no such conversation with him as
claimed by Starr. He is not positive as to
the day on which the Payge conspiracy
paper was handed him to sign but
thought it was Saturday. March %. or the