Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-26

tp6CI6I dSSuts tOtQ IGfeCtOr ttNefdl ftdtu-
bone that there was something wrong
with the accounts of the bureau Of finance
| In regard to the receipts Of the Matanzas
post ohice. He stated that the receipts
| the records OF the bureau OF finance show
| ed Director General Rathbone states
that he remembers nothing OF these con-
versations with Williams or Marshall. and.
regardless of these warnings, Nicely seems
| to have retained his full confidence"
The report finds that Rathbone's expen-
| ditures in the payment OF debts and living
expenses were much in excess Of his sal
| airy: that in September and October. 1899.
| within thirty days after the destruction Of
the surcharged stamps. Rathbone paid over
5000 Indebtedness. In discussing this sub
| ject the report says: ut is evident that
| the money with which this indebtedness
was paid was secured from some other
source than his salary. and up to this time
Of income that Director General Rathbone
had other than his compensation as d.
rector general Of posts"
The report closes follows:
Grossly Careless or Incapable.
I'm this report have not endeavored to
go into minute details. presenting as briefly
as practicable the more salient features.
Additional Information VIII probably be Sc
cured. but not of such a nature as to mate
rally change the conclusions.
Director General Rathbone maintains
that he is innocent Of wrongdoing: that
these extensive entertainments are the re-
suit OF dishonesty on the part of subordi-
nate officials who had been well recon-
mended to him as honest and upright men.
and that he had found cause to doubt
their integrity or efficiency of administra-
uor: that the revelations brought out by
the investigation were great surprise to
him and wholly unexpected; that he had
believed up to the 9th day of May last
that the accounts of the department of
posts were kept systematically and hon.
estly.
Granting that what Director General
Rathbone states is true he convicts himself
of the grossest careleSSness in the admins
ira ton of the affairs of his Office or of an
utter incapacity to comprehend its duties
and responsibilities.
THAT he was careless, loved ease ard
refused to give attention to details there is
no doubt. He depended largely upon his
subordina ties, even requiring his chief clerk
to sign his name to a large part of his
correspondence. apparently for no other
purpose than to save the physical labor
| necessary to append such signatures him.
self.
Criminal Acts.
But carelessness cannot account for the
drawing Of fraudulent per diem. unwar-
ranted personal expenditures from the
postal revenues, nor for the cashing of the
warrants and a failure to account for the
money received thereon. Whether General
Rathbone was guilty with Nicely in the en-
beZziements endeavored to be covered up
by the destruction of surcharged stamps
is at this time question more of opinion
than proof: but there can be no doubt that
| in the matter Of the per diem personal ex-
penditures and the warrants which were
cashed and the money uraccounted for he
unlawfulIy and fraudulently appropriated
to his use money from the Cuban
postal revenues. Nicely Reeves. Thompson.
Moya and Mascara are now under arrest.
and Rich is held a government witness.
From the information obtained by this
investigation, which I have endeayored to
set forth in the foregoing pages, it is my
belief that 1 justified in recomme ndng
the removal of Director General Rathbone
from office, and 1 further believe that he
should be required to answer for fraudu-
lently and unlawfuily appropriating to his
of Cuba.