Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1900-05-02
Why THE POSTAL SYSTEM DON'T PAY.

private ownership OF railroads. Every
sack of fake mail is paid for at Sc per
pound every day for years 400
times! These railroad owners tell you
it would ruin the government to own
and operate the railroads! THIS thiev-
cry is done on all railroads aud they
''see" postal officials to wink at it.
WASHINGTON. March 27.-The
padding Of mails at a time when the
average weight is determined for four
years contract between the railroads
and the government is exposed in
clear. convincing form by the remark.
able affidavit of Is. G. Fechtig, form.
or employe of the Colorado Midland
Railway company.
Letters, kilograms and photographed
fac SMILES show the methods by
which the government is annually rob.
bed OF millions of dollars. Railroad
employees are forced to assist in this
robbery, though they do not share the
spoIls.
Tons and tons of "faked'' mail con-
gressiOnal records and franked docu-
ments are shipped and reshipped in the
United States mail sacks between
points on the same road for period of
about thirty consecutive days, when
the average weight is obtained and
used as a basis of compensation, for
the four years following. Fechtig IS
now 2 cyOVarpmnnt nnopiovo
In an affidavit, now in the possession
of the postmaster general, Fechtig
swears that in April. 1894, while EN-.
ployed as station agent on the Colorado
Midland division of the Atchison, To-
peka and Santa Fe railroad. he assist
ed in the padding Of United States
mails by direction of his superior Off
| GERS.
While stationed at New Castle, Col,
he received two United States mail
sacks containing congressional records
each weighing 125 pounds. Each sack
bore tag addressed to B. C. Fechtig,
and the contents came through the
mails as franked or free matter Fech-
4 elluudNlC loduS
FOUND A SACK OF DUMMY MAIL.
when | received the first sack
supposed it was legitimate mail.
intended to deliver 1T to the postmast-
er on the following morning, as was
my custom each day.
After had locked the mail in the
baggage room found letter address
ed to me among the railroad business
letters that arrived on the train with
the fraudulent mail. Such letters are
sent in care of the baggage master of
the train and require no postage y
The letter reads as follows:
THE COLORADO MIDLAND
RAILWAY COMPANY.
Superintendent Office.
Colorado Springs, April 26, 1894.
"PERSONAL.
''B. G. F.:
There will be mail sack full of
congressional record books reach you
on No. 5 this p. m.
You will, Of course, understand in
connection with the reweighing OF
mails that is at present going on as tc
this matter. After retaining them a
day or so retag this sack to E. A. Baty
trainmaster at Leadvllle. ibis, OF
course, should be considered confden.
tial and this destroyed after reading.
"Mr. Baty will also send you a sack
in few days, and after holding for a
day or 80 return to me here. Answer
If understood. AS you have Colorado
Midland cipher code No. 4, use this in
reply. b. II. B."
On the margin of the letter is this
annexation: Received by No. 9O5
April 26. Sent to E. A. B. by 9O6
April %. Received by sos, May l.
Sent B. Ii. B. by 906 May 30
A letter to Fechtig, dated Colorado
Springs, May IA, reads:
1905 tomorrow will have two OF
three mail sacks addressed to you
Please send them to Mr.. Bryant at Col
orado Springs on 906 the 10th. 1 10,
You 49,
| LIZ " III ~ III
FECHTIG OBEYED ORDERS.
~ 1917 is the cipher for II under
stand" Mr.. Fechtig carried out in
structions, as shown by the margina
notes on the first letter.
''B. Il. B." referred to was B. II
Bryan. general superintendent of the
Colorado Midland.
In May, 1896. Mr.. Fechtig was in the
employ of the Southern Railway com
pany as stenographer in the superin
tendent's Office at Columbia, s. G.
Two weeks later the newspapers were
filled with accounts of the padding OF
mails of the Seaboard Air Line. Il
was openly charged that 800 sacks Of
mail passed over that line. Mr.. Fech
tig says:
Il then learned through several mer
who were in the United States mai
service and through an official of the
Southern Railway company, that that
company had been engaged in the pad
ding of mails on large scale in March
1896. From what the mail service meI
told me am satisfied that the fraud:
existed on a number of railroads in the
east and south.