The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-27
VINCENNES POST0FFICE.
MIR. Keith Presents Evidence In Be-
half of the Removed Carriers.

To the Editor of the indianapolis Journal:
For the sake Of truth and justice l am
compelled to ask for space to reply to the
article of r.. E. Purcell published in your
paper Oct. 49, The article is full of misrep-
resentation, evasion and suppression of
facts He does Mr.. H. T. Keith, the soldier
carrier he removed a. gross injustice, and
not only does he fail to give the facts, but
takes particular pains to suppress them and
tries to leave the impression, when he
knows it is incorrect, that Mr.. Keith was
inefficient and inactive, and that numerous
complaints had been made and that ne mad
ample opportunity to defend charges, etc.
But as what Mr.. Purcell says concerns the
Republican letter carriers more than me,
and as they know more than / do as to
whether his statements are true or false,
they may speak for themselves. The dis
charged soldier carrier makes his own re-
ply to Mr.. Purcells reference to him, which
is as follows:
81 notice in the Indianapolis Journal of
the 18th a letter from r. e. Purcell, form
erly postmaster of this city, in which he
refers to me as the only soldier etc, and
goes on to make statements IN reference TO
me, while carrier of this city. His state
mentS are misleading and some so en-
tirely incorrect that simple justice to my
self requires me to answer. He says, car
riers against whom charges are preferred
are given ample opportunity TO disprove
those charges That sounds love-
ly. in theory. but let me pre-
sent Mr.. Purcells Interpretation of
this ruling of the department. When
he had man ready to take my place he
notified me that Mr.. Greene would take
my position. I asked for his reasons for this
and what were the charges. II any, against
me. His answer was this: Mr.. Keith, there
are no charges against you. You know how
this is; you cannot expect to hold your posi-
ton (meaning, as ! understood it, that as
we were Republicans we must give way to
Democrats), so If you, Mr.. Keith, will go
out without making trouble you may con-
tnue in your position until you teach the
new carrier the route Realizing that re-
sistance would be useless, / went out. Then
he goes on to state that the basis of the
removal of this only soldier was letter
written by a Republican. on my route, maxi
ing complaint of the nondelivery of let
ter addressed to his wife. Now am glad
he mentioned that letter, for thereby hangs
a tale, the true inwardneSs and tWo-faced-
ness of which does not appear from his
statements. The facts of the case are as
follows The man mentioned, Mr.. Calendar,
had at that time a vicious dog on his prem
ises. so 1t was not safe Tor me TO enter
his yard. j notified Mr.. Calendar that /
could not deliver mail at his house until
he made 1t safe for me TO do so. But, at
the same time, offering TO deliver the fam
lily mail at his fathers office, where he was
at that time employed; also calling his at
tention to the fact that the postal laws
did not require a carrier TO deliver mail
where a vicious dog was kept, unless ii
was made safe for him TO enter the prem