The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-08-15

A Washington correspondent Teie.
graphs that Postmaster mr.. W. u.
thadbourn May be Prosecused-Noth>
Ing known OF &c at the District Attor'
neys Once as sfAietgh

-. AootA u ~ - y
neys Once at tkaietgh
The following special dispatch is TAX
en- from yesterdays Raleigh Post:
Washington. Aug. 9.-Special.-The
/ official decapitation OF former Post
master Chadbourn. OF Wilmington,
may not end his troubles. A striped
convict's suit and prison bars may
await him. The officials at the post
| office department. now have his case
under consideration and will within a
| short time determine Via further ac-
ton. IL any, shall be taken The re-
| ports OF the postofice inspectors show
| ed conclusively that he had engaged in
| a conspiracy TO defraud the revenue
by making false returns OF the ordi-
| nary revenues of his office. Upon these
false returns the salary OF his office
was increased in the annual re-adjust-
| ment of salaries Of postmasters
| throughout the United States. which
is made on the first Of July OF each
| year. He received under this read
| fustment his salary for July and part
of August. He received a salary at
the rate OF $1,000 per year. when, had
not the fraud been committed, il would
| HdNt pSSH al the rate u S-,spV. Inc
difference in amount is trifiing, but the
manner in which il was brought about
is serious. Under the law II is fraud
upon the revenue. 1t is receiving
money under false p~retences. II is
punishable under the law by fine or
imprisonment, or both. In he rdi-
nary course OF government business
the postmaster general will deliver the
inspectors report to the attorney
| general and he will direct the United
States district attorney for the East
ern district of North Carolina (Mr.
Bernard) TO proceed, if in his judg-
ment the facts in the case warrant
such action. These facts will be laid
before the grand jury and if in their
opinion il is shown that they are true
and conclusive, ar indictment will be
found n criminal proceedings COM
menced
Nor will Mr.. Chadbourn BE- without
company. The men. his clerks or
{ others, who enabled him to perpetrate
the fraud upon the government will
also be called before the bar of justice.
AT the postoffice department little
sympathy is expressed for C~hadbourn.
He showed no ingenuity, as the trick
is an old one, familiar to all inspec-
tors, and sure of detection. Already
politics is cutting a ngure in the prose-
cution. Chadbourn's friends are en-
deavoring to stop it. His present de-
graduation, they assert, is sufficient
punishment. Senator Pritchard is TAX
ing no hand in the matter at all. Chad
bOurn, by his course, has lost Pritch-
ards friendship, and he will, it is
stated, hold hands off.
NJ Chadbourn's friends here believe
he has a friend in the district attorney,
but those who know Mr.. Bernard say
that he wants a nance TO show the
department of justice that he is not
simply a figurehead in his office. His
course has not met with much favor
and he may endeavor to right himself
with the attorney general. 1t is rather
a bad mess that Chadbourn has gotten
into, striving for an extra $780,"
The above dispatch is regarded in
| Wilmington as a rank piece of absurdi-
ty. If there is really any intention to
prosecute Mr.. C~hadbourn, it would have
every indication of being malicious.
Postmaster Chadbourn belongs to an
opposite political faith to that of The
Messenger, but we doubt whether
among the host of his political oppon-
ents in Wilmington that one can be
found tina believes that Mr.. Chadbourn
was conscious of any wrong doing even
if there were an unusual sale of stamps.
No sensible an unprejudiced person will
believe for an instant that Mr.. Chad
bourn's motive was to increase the re-
ceipts of the office in order to get his
salary Increased. He was already get
ting a salary of 81, 900 and his salary
under the new designation of the offices
under the first class would be only
5000 per annum. 1t was not a paltry
extra 500 he was after. but aur citizens
are confident taht if he was instrumen-
tai in increasing the receipts by the sale
Of stamps, that his only motive was a
laudable ambition to make Will
mington the postoffice in North Caro-
lima. Under all the circumstances in
connection with this affair, we are con-
fident that our democratic citizens are
in sympathy with Mr.. Chadbourn.
We learn as a matter of fact that Mr.
Chadbourn has never drawn any salary
on the basis of SO, 900, hence the Wash
ington dispatch is in error as to that
statement.
NO TRUTH IN THE STATEMENT.
The Messenger las night received the
following special:
Raleigh, N. c., August 10.-A a
here, in a Washington dispatch today
hints at a prosecution Of eX-Postmaster
W. H. Chadbourn, of Wilmington, fol
inducing people to buy great quantities
of stamps so as to raise the rating OF
the Office. Nothing is known of Ii a.
the United States district attorneys of.
flee here. 1t is said here not to be a.
all probable that any such step will be
taken.