Evening star., 1898-11-05
THAT CONAWAY LETTER
The Gentleman Says He Has Never Re-
ceived It Nor the Railroad Ticket
Fish Commissioner Bowers Has Dis
Astray-Investigatio Going On.

In the morning edition of a local paper
published Thursday vas a startling story.
embelished with fac simile cuts, relating
how United States Fish Commissioner
Bowers had sent railroad ticket, good
over the Baltimore and Ohio line, for a
round-trip passage to Piedmont w. Va
to John b. Conaway, an employe In the
Washington navy yard, who resides at No.
5o1 street soptheast, for the purpose of
allowing Mr.. ConaIay to go to Piedmont
and exercise his privilege as citizen Of
west Virginia, and republican by voting
for Representative Dayton. Stress was
laid upon the alleged fact that the letter
was inclosed in an official envelope of the
United States fish commission which can
only be used, Y$hous. being stamped, on
ofnciai business, and that the stamp that
should have beer tfHyed in this instance
had not been placfdon the envelope fac
-simile reproduction Of the envelope in oues-
tion was printed in. order to establish this
allegation. -
Mr.. Conway Never Received 1t.
Mr.. Conaway t0 whom the letter was ad-
dressed, visited FISH Commissioner Bowers
today and Informed him that he had never
received the letter addressed to him or
the railroad ticket incosed in it, and de-
sired to know what had become of it. The
commissioner at cnce instituted inquiry,
ana satisfactory proof was obtained from
his, private stenSg apher that the letter
with the railroad ticket inclosed had been
mailed to Mr.. Conway and that a two
cent stamp had been affixed to the en-
Velope as legally required aftidavits to
this effect being proffered if required
commissioner Bowers. Immediately mott
ilcd the proper post office authorities of
these facts, and an investigation was at
once instituted to. discover how the letter
and its contents got into the possession of
the newspaper in question. The commits
sloner then discovered that at least two
othef letters containing railroad tick
cts to West Virginia points and sent TO
employees in the navy yard to enable them
to go to their legal homes to vote had
lallcd 10 reach the persons to whom they
were mailed, and the post office authorities
were also notified of these cases.
What Mr.. Bowers Says.
In conversation with a Star reporter to-
DAY MI Bowers discussed the matter.
MI. Conaway is a young man employed
IN the navy yard at small salary, and the
expense of purchasing "a ticket to Pied
mont, where he votes, and return would
nave been burden to him." said Com
missioner Bowers. q bought and maid for
MS ticket there and sent it to him The
assertion that the official envelope was
uSeu without stamp being affixed Is pre-
posterous, ana my private stenographer will
hidhe aIldaVlt that such stamps were aftix-
ed to that letter and others of a private
character and similar import, and contain
ing railroad tickets, which l sent as | had
a perfect right to do. to West Virginia vot-
els unable to bear the expense themselves
res, nave received information that two
o.her slmliar letters have failed to reach
tne men to whom they were addressed. l
reckon the post office authorities will as
ceLtaln now Mr.. Conaways letter and
ticket got into the possession of the indi-
viuuals who have thrust so much promi-
ieIce upon me in the last day or two