The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-06-05
Total Receipts i'm May Was $31 ,312,
and NeeIy's Monthly Average
Was About $4,000.
RATHBONE IN SWEAT BOZ
CHECK SYSTEM THAT WAS NEVER
PUT IN OPERATION.
Latest Estimate of the Total Shortage
-Roosevelt's Reasons for Grant
ing NeeIy's ExtraditiOn.

HAVANA, June 4.-Acting Director of
Posts Bristow to-day inquired as to the
amount of postal funds taken by c. F. w.
Neely in May, 1899. and ascertained that it
was s31 ,S1295 Neelys monthly average was
about $1,000. His system of bookkeeping
Was simplicity itself. Apparently he mere
ly divided the amounts received, taking
one-half for himself and accounting for the
other.
This morning the examination of Estes
G.. Rathbone, 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, Mr.. Rathbone or
dered Special Agents Leathers and Sullivan
to examine the accounts. They found a
shortage, but 1t was not thought that any
thing had gone wrong. They reported, how
ever that there was no check the Bu-
reau of Finance and they recommended
that certain blank forms be made which
would answer the purpose, such as all the
postmasiers use when making their re-
ports to the department monthly. Mr.. May
nard. then chief agent. indorsed the recon-
mendation and forwarded 1t to Mr.. Rath-
bone The latter approved 1T and sent 1t
to Auditor Reeves. who initiated it and for
warded ii to Neely. After he had initiated
it. instead of putting the scheme into opera
ton he quietly pigeonholed 1t, and it did
not see the light until May Is. of this
year. when the plan was put into effect.
Mr. 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 sur
exff oln
how many of these were burned and how
many sold 1t is impossible to obtain def
mite information. AS many have been
traced it is known positively that all
were not destroyed, but If Neely sold, say
| fifty or, a hundred thousand dollars worth,
| it would not be surprising, Mr.. Bristow
| thinks, to find them scattered all over the
world.
The postal inspectors say 1t is astonishing
that a system so rotten could have been
concealed beyond the first month. Every
day only adds to the surprises.
Lieut.. Col. Burton, Mr.. Jones, the special
prosecutor, and Mr.. Stevens. left tonight
! for the United States. Lieut.. Col. Burton
expects to return here in about ten days.
Hopes are expressed by some of the local
papers that as Governor Roosevelt has
signed the extradition order no further
| time will be wasted in bringing Neely to
| trial. These journals point out that Nicely S
| conduct has disgraced Americans in the
| eyes of Cubans, and they declare that ''the
| best way for the Americans to redeem
| themselves is to bring him to a 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 nation, and there is a
great difference between the frauds of the
postoffice and those committed under the
| Spanish regime Now thorough investiga.
| ton is being made with view of punish
| ing the criminals. In former days the
| criminals went scot free. The Americans
are proving themselves more honest than
the government which ruled Cuba for four
| hundred years"