The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-02-19
EVA BEEN Is HELD
IN THE SUM OF TWO THOUSAND
DOLLARS.

OObbA hSs
The Trial OF Miss Eva BEEN Before u 5
Commissioner Sherman Yesterday
Afternoon, for a Shortage In Her Ac
counts, as Clerk in the Postofnce al
Hutchinson-The Defense Offers no Re
butting Evidence and the Young Lady is
Held in So. 900 Bond, Which is Readily
Furnished by Her Friends.
The trial Of Miss Eva BEEN before
United States Commissioner Shearmar
was called in the federal court room ar
1870 yesterday afternoon. Mr.. Perry
district attorney, being present to con-
duct the examination. II Will be re-
membered by readers of the Eagle that
the shortage in the Hutchinson postof-
fee was discovered by Inspector Coch-
ran on December Is, and the young LADY
readily volunteered to assist the govern
ment in accounting for the shortage in
her accounts. She came to Wichita on
two different occasions when she thought
she was wanted, and was, and is, back
ed by large following of the good peo-
PIE Of her home city. she is a neat,
petite young lady, with regular feat
ures and frank expression.
A. P. Mead, postmaster at Hutchin-
son, was the first witness called. He tes-
titled that he had held the position Of
postma ster at Hutchinson since Septem-
per, 1894.
Mr.. Perry asked: what position in
the office did Miss BEEN occupy"
''She took care of the money orders
ana kept account of the stock"
What do you mean by stock?"
Stamps, stamped envelopes, postal
cards andsoforth.'
did you have anything TO do with
her Department."
mo, not directly. 1 drew drafts few
times when it was necessary in the con-
duet of the office"
Where did you keep the money that
came into the Office through the transac-
tons of business?"
''In the safe
What reserve had you?''
eve carried $3.50 as reserve, accord
Ing to the rules of the department"
10 tine?"
mo. / trusted that to Mr.. Hedrick,
TIE mailing clerk, and Miss BEEN"
When Postoffice Inspector Cochran
came to your Office on December 26 were
the books written up?'
Il cannot say
did you hear any conversation be-
tween Miss BEEN and. the Inspector"
1T seems to me heard her say they
were checked up to the 18th of Deem
ter, and Mr.. Cochran asserted that there
was a shortage of s1,374'
This was on December 26?''
Yes, sir
did you know where the missing
money was?"
Il did rot"
''Nor what became Of it?"
mo. sir
did Miss BEEN have access TO these
fUnds?"
Yes. sir"
How do you get stamps?"
send 10 the department for them"
"Who sends for them?"
"Ny son. usually sent for them, receiv-
ed them and turned them over to Miss
BEEN. The stamps were kept in the
SAFE and the envelopes in a cupboard"
Witness said his son kept the books
and accounts of the postal funds.
Cross-examination by Miss Beem's at
torney:
What time did Miss BEEN come to
the Office each day."
AT about o'clock
WHO opened the safe?"
Mr.. Hedrick usually opened the safe.
but not the vault. My son usually open
ed the vault at about $50 in the morn
ing. Miss BEEN left the Office usually
at about p. m. After she left my son
or Mir. Hedrick closed the safe, at to
Q p. M
What kind of locks has the safe?"
Double combination locks-one COM
bination on the outside and one to what
we call the vault in the interior"
Who had the combinations to these
&ocks?"
MY son and Mr.. Hedrick."
Didn't you have the combinations"
mo. 1 never had them. They were
retained the same as were in use by my
predecessor
did Miss BEEN have the combina-
tions?"
mo. not to my knowledge"
Where were the different funds
kept?"
The postal funds were kept in a sep
arate place in the safe inside the vault
that opened with a key. The funds
were kept separate"
What do you mean by $3.50 reserve?"
1T is a fund required by the rules to
meet emergencies. Whenever the re-
ceipts amount to $S0o-that is to say $50
more than the reserve-we remit it TO
the safe deposit in Kansas City We
RENTED by registered packages. send
ing the identical money we received"
when the money order fund ran
short. how did you get money to pay or
6srs drawn
We drew from the bank
"Who got it?''
"Uusualy my SON Miss BEEN would
calculate how much we would need to
meet the demands
W. II. Mead. son Of the preceding
witness. and assistant postmaster at
Hutchinson, testified that Miss BEEN
had almost exclusive charge of the
money order department Of the office.
who has charge When she is ab-
eent?"
When she goes 10 dinner Mr.. He'd
rick or myself attend to the money or
de- department"
Witness said there was no money or
der business transacted before Miss
BEEN came in the morning nor after she
lat. in the evening; said Miss BEEN kept
her money in two boxes during the day
and placed the boxes in the safe at