Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-07-13
MORE OF THE POsTOFFICE MIDDLE
AT STRAFFORD, MO.
AN ANu-HANklAs STATEMENT.
CONSPIRACY CHARGES DENIED BY
L THE ALLEGED COSsPIRATORs.
Postmaster Hankins Accused of an
Attempt TO Use the Government
in Satisfying an Old Grudge
Against the Men Ar
rested.

Springfield. No, July 12.-(SpecialD The
men recently arrested at the instigatiou OF
| Postmaster Hankins, of STAFFORD, have
prepared statement OF their side of the
! case. IL is an interesting letter In connec-
| tion with the redhot postoffice fight that
has attracted so much attention there. The
statement. in full, is as follows:
There are no more law abiding citizens
| in this or any other country than the men
who were arraigned before United States
Commissioner McLain Jones at the infOr-
| nation Of Postmaster Hankins. Messrs.
John McCabe. +. NJ. McAdoo, Theodore
ThOrson. Frank Smith and Jack Langston
are as good men as this country affords.
They have clear record. Never before in
the lives of any of these men were they
arraigned in court, civil or federal. for the
commission or supposed commission OF
crime. They are not old and hardened sim
ners' and chronic breakers of the law.
constitutional or otherwise, as Mr.. Hankins
would have the world believe.
The fact is Mr.. Hankins holds grudge
at these men. He has not spoken to most
OF them for years and, realizing that he
had the United States back OF him. he but
vented his personal spleen In effecting their
arrest. Postmaster Hankins charged these
men with conspiracy and the prevention OF
his procuring a suitable place In the village
10 carry on the postoffice. The case devel-
oped on the evening Of the trial that this
was entirely supposition on his part. He
himself knew absolutely nothing in regard
10 the matter and his witnesses knew less.
The, case was dismissed, of course.
oft1ce-Theodore Thorson, Edward Lane and
William S: Bryant. He did not win in a
had but six more votes Than one of his a COM me-
petitofs. His farm joins the village and his
dwelling house, in which the postofflce is
kept, is. according to his own statement
but forty-ive rods from the depot. instead
of mile. He does not drive in and out for
the mail; but walks to and fro from his
office. The ONCE, however. is kept in a
very inconvenient place for all the patrons
He did not have an understanding with Mr.
Curtis for the house in question, as Mr.
Curtis evidence on the witness stand
showed. and his statement TO several par
ties here corroborates the evidence. He did
not make any extra efforts to procure a
place in town to keep the office, as his own
evidence on the witness stand showed. The
truth Of the matter. is. he wants to keep
will be convenient for his daughters to at
tend to it. and where It will not be Of any
expense to him. Mr.. McAdoo treated him
with due respect in turning over the Office,
and permitted Mr.. HankinS TO keep the
office case until he could procure another,
as he preferred not to buy Mr.. McAdoo's.
There has been no conspiracy existing
here, as the case against the defendant de-
rented for a barber shop before Mr.. Han
kins was even elected as postmaster. Mr.:
McAdoo was the legal authorized agent of
building was rented. and hence had per-
feet right to rent 1t. There has been no
war declared on Mr.. Hankins. He simply
keeps the Office in an out-of-the-way place,
and the business men here cannot take the
time to run away out there TO mail their
letters when they can mail them on the
trains They often mailed their letters on
the trains even when the postotice was
kept downtown.
MIR Hankins himself, was in the habit
of mailing his letters on the trains before
he took the Office, his statements on the
witness stand to the contrary notwith-
standing. There has been no letters gath
cred up here by any one and mailed at
Nogo. as the evidence of the postmaster at
that place plainly showed. His statement
was to the effect that no more letters were
mailed at his Office since Mr.. Hankins took
charge of the Strafford postoffice than be-
fore There are no stamps being 'peddled'
here. The business men keep them for the
accommodation of their customers, as they
do in other places. There is no game II
'freaZe-out' being played now, nor has
there ever been any such game played on
any postmaster at this place.
There is no gang here. All other post
masters at this place prior TO Mr.. Hankins
gave general satisfaction. or course there
has been some grumbling. heretofore al
other postmasters, but not in a general
way nor more than at any other postoffice.
The postofflce at Strafford doesn't pay
hundred dollars a month. as Mr.. Hankins
supposed il did. hence he is ready to jump
on the citizens rough shod because of this
failure TO realize handsome income.
This is the true state OF affairs in re-
lation TO the pOstofice 'muddle' at Straf-
ford"