Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-06-05
.NEELY HAD A SYSTEM
Was Very Simple; Just Divided
Receipts Between Himself
and the Government.
NETS HIM ABOUT $4,000 A MONTH
How He Disposed OF Scheme That
Would Have Been in His Way
Press Comments.

Havana, June 5.-Acting Director OF
| Posts BristOw yesterday inquired as
i to the amount of postal funds taken
| by G. + w. Neely in May, 1899. and
| ascertained that it was Sd, 1,312.95.
| Neely's monthly average was about
200. His system of bookkeeping
was simplicity itself. Apparently he
/ merely divided the amounts received,
taking one half for himself and ac-
counting for the other. Yesterday
morning the examination of Estes q.
Rathbonefi former director of posts,
was continued. 1t lasted more than
four hours. The most startling fact
developed was that on May 26 of last
year Rathbone ordered Special Agents
Leatherer and Sullivan TO examine the
accounts. They found u shrotage, but
it was not thought that anything had
gone wrong. They reported, how
ever, that there was no check upon the
bureau of finance, and they recon-
mended that certain blank forms be
made which would answer the pur-.
pose. such as all postmasters use when
making their reports to the depart
ment monthly.
Scheme That Neely Pigeon-HoIed.
Maynard, then chief agent, indorsed
the recommendation and forwarded il
to RathbOne. The latter approved il
and sent il to Auditor Reeves, who in
itialed and forwarded il 10 Neely. Aft
er he had initiated ii, instead of put
ting the scheme into operation, he
quietly pigeOn-holed Il, and it did
not see the light until May II OF this
year, when the plan was put into
effect. Bristow says he is almost sure
that the extent of the steal will amount
to something between $4,000 and
100000, but that this will not touch
the item of Surcharge statements,
which is S411 900. AS to how many of
these were burned and how many sold
il is impossible TO obtain definite in
formation.
says the System Was Very Rotten.
AS many have been traced it is
known positively that all were not de-
stroyed, but If Nicely sold $4,000 or a
100000 worth il would not be sur
prising, BristOw thinks. TO find them
scattered all over the world. The
postal inspectors say ii is astonishing
that 4 system SO rotten could have
been concealed beyond the first month.
Every day only adds To the surprises.
Lieutenant Colonel Burton Jones Ghe
special prOsecutorl and Stevens left
last night for the United States.
Not as BAD ns the Spanish System.
Hopes are expressed by some of the
local papers that as Governor Roose-
welt has signed the eXtradition order
no further time will be wasted in
bringing Nicely To trial. These Journals
point out that "Neely'S conduct has
diSgraced the Americans in the eyes
of Cubans." and they declare that the
best way for the Americans to redeem
themselves is to bring him to n prompt
trial" The Cubano says: Cuba is
not primarily interested. but she looks
TO see what the United States will do.
Fraud is not the monopoly of any ma
ton: and there Is IL great difference
between the frauds of the postoftice |
and those committed under the Span |
ish regime. Now thorough investiga- |
ton is being made with view of |
punishing the criminals. In former
days the criminals went Scott-free." |