The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-10-07
THE NEGRO POSTMASTER.
Attempt to Run Him Gut of the Office
at HOgansyille, GA.

His Wife Fears That He viii Be Assassi-
mated and Desires Him to Leave, but
He Has Decided to StIek-Bow Gen.
Tyner Settled Similar Case in Grenada
Miss, IN 1876.
Washington, Oct. 4-The Post Office
Department received today many inqul-
ries as to the movements of Postmaster
Loftin of Hogansville, Ca, the coioreo
postmaster who is having SO much trouble
with his patrons = was reported from
Atlanta that he had gone to washington
TO take place here, and would SURRENDER
the officesat Hogansville. Loftln CID not
show I'D at the Department, nor is he ex-
pected. There has been no Office offered
to him other than that of postmaster of
Hogansville, and he desires none other.
Mr.. Lyons the colored politician of At
Ianta called at the department today and
said that he had received no application
from Loftin for transfer, but that on
the contrary, Loftin had announced his
determination to stay in Hogansville and
occupy the place TO which he was APP
pointed through the influence of Mr..
Ls ons. 1t is presumed that the rumors
of change were founded on the known
desires of Mrs. Loftn to have her husband
leave Hogansville.
On Sept. 90 she wrote to First Assistant
Postmaster General Heath stating the
trouble with which her husband had met
In his efforts to manage the post office.
She said she was afraid that sometime,
after the present trouble had blown over
the parties who tried to assassinate him
before would make another and more sue
cessful attempt. She said her husband
was her sole support, and she could not
afford to lose him, nor did she wish him
DO endanger his life. Loftin, however,
refused to consider any proposition to
remove from Hogansville, and said he
would not ask for another appointment.
She asked the department to transfer him
to some place here or in the railway SER
vice where he would be safe from attacks.
Postmaster General Gary has not had
time to consider the letter as yet, but it
will be laid before him tomorrow morn
ing. 1t is not regarded as probable that
buo Will b&E6 any dCblOu I'LL
less Loftin himself shouldsask for another
appointment. The officials of the depart
ment do not like to take the responsibility
of keeping man in place where he
may be killed at any moment, but are
equally averse to setting precedent for
the removal of postmasters who may be
unpopular with the community.
Judge Tyner, the Assistant Attorney
General for the Post Office Department.,
aas not had the case presented to him yet,
and so could give no opinion on it. He
said to Sun reporter today, however.
that he had been called upon to deal with
a similar case when he was Postmaster
General in 1873. The Office was the one
at Grenada, Miss, in the district which
was at that time represented by L. @.
q. Lamar. A carpet Dagger had been ap
pointed postmaster, and the residents of
the place, which then contained several
thousand inhabitants, had undertaken to
run him out of the Office. A series of
expeditions was organized, in which tho
Young men Of the town drank very hard
and then mounted their horses and nu les
after attiring themselves in sheets and
fantastic costumes, and rode through
the post Office. Information reached the
department of what was going on, and
Gen. Tyner sent an inspector to Grenada.
He reported that 1t was not the first time
such an occurrence had taken place Gen.
mai, sent to the nearest town, some seven
miles away.
This aroused great deal of discussion
and the department was denounced in
the harshest terms by the Southerners,
who sympathized with the PEI pie of
Grenada. G en-. Tyner was firm and
declined to permit the mail to go TO
Grenada or to re-establish the office un-
less he could obtain assurance from the
citizens that the postmaster would be I'M
mol .sted. While the matter was pending
and the indignant citizens were transact.
ing their business through the Office seven
miles from home, Gen. Tyner went to the
Capitol, where he met Mr.. Lamar
'fMr Lamar" said Mir. Tyner, "called
my attention to the fact that the Post
Office Appropriation bin was just about
to coma up for consideration, and said
that he intended to make an attack on
me for my conduct in regard to the Gren-
nda matter. told him to go ahead with
his attack He then said Don't YOU
know that your offence is OF an impeach-
able character and that you are liable to
impeachment? | replied that l did not
know. but that l hoped it was and that
he would have me impeached. This took
him by surprise and he Immediately
nsked me what meant. WELL said I,
[ have long wanted TO be President of
the United States. If can obtain the
hOpupiioau uolhth1plui CefH D6 cieCUeu.
Now, you go ahead and have me I'M
peached and I will surely get the omina
tion and the election, and then we will
see what can be done. Mr.. Lamar
thought it over for moment and then
asked me what he should do. told him
70 get the assurances of five Leading eiti-
zens of Grenada that the postmaster
would not be annoyed If the office was
re- established and would have it done.
Mr. Lamar did this, and 1 re-establisbed
the office and had no further trouble.
That is what I would have done in this
CASE