The Portland daily press., 1900-05-17
His Statement As To How He
Took Money.

Havana, Hay l6.-Postmastar Z. +.
Thompson Of the Havana local Office has
signed q sworn statement In which he
says that September i6 last, being In need
of money, he took from the money order
funds S4S5. giving his me~orandum -
receipt for the same. when the inspec-
tiona were held Mr.. Thompson ordered
clerk In charge OF the money order de-
partment to place rsmittancss received
that day, which would not have to bs ao-
counted for until the following day,
sufficient to cover the amount OF his re-
ceipt, which was then Withdrawn until
after the inspection. This was kept mp
until April 2. when the special agents
unexpectedly discovered the rsosipt,
which Mr.. Thompson then paid. de
also admits that Charlss y. W. Nesly, iats
fnan Dial agent OF Posts at Havaaa In
dorsed bill for $3.50 which Thompson
bad discounted by the North AmsricAn
Trust company. Thompson aimits otheI
Irregularities In conjunction with his de-
p.rtmsnt.
II is asserted by lawyers that On Mr..
Tnompscn's own statement. he 10 liable
to arrest for embezzlement according tc
the provisions Of the postal law. Much
sympathy is expressed for him. however,
as it is felt that nothing would ever bs
heard regarding this action to which Ehs
has CON fessed had not the present inves
tigation growing out Of the general pos
tai frauds brought the matter to Hight.
II is friends are positive that the money
would have been repaid, the memorandun
receipt taken up and the incident thu
closed. As the AFFAIR stands now. MIR.
thompson career In the postal servic'
must necessarily cease, even II he escapes
term Of Imprisonment. Moreover. his
action In giving orders to postal clerks
to alter figures regarding stamps as the
re- quest Of Carrydon Rich, without mott
Tying Mr.. RAthbone, makes things lool
worse, evsn II he acted inneoently In tn
belief tina. everything was correct. -Four
DO tai inspectors arrived this morning
and after conf srence with General Wood
and Mr.. Rathboue, Immediately bcgar
work.
The local papers praise General Wood
for the indsfatigable manner In which
he has handled the Investigation.
Every development connected with the
frauds, 1t 10 asserted, tends to show th'
far reaching Influence Of Nesly and ever,
man who Ii plnosd under arrest bring
to light additional facts. Each one GOMEZ
willingly TO tell what he knows regarding
Nicely, while sndsavoring to exoneraee
himself. The only person, however, who
will be accepted By the authorities as
a witness for the stats 10 Carrydon Rich
who will not be placed in jail, but will
be closely watched. as 1t IL felt that hif
testimony is absolutely Indispensable.
As the casss are for the civil courts, Il
has bean decided thaS 1t would be mis-
take to confine the arrested persons in
military prison. Consequently, when
the men now under arrest, who are tenn
porarily detained at their homes, ar
placed In jail. they will be sent to tn
CarceL Probpbly this will OCCUR tomor
row.
Warrants were Issued this Afternoon
for the arrest Of Mr.. K. p. Thompson
the Havana postmaster, Ar. W. ID
Reeves, deputy auditor OF the island. ant
Edward Moya and Jorge Mascara, CubaI
clerks In the stamp department., and b
seven O'Clock all were lodged In the viva
ths tombs of Havana. This was dose un
der the advice Of the postal inspector
| who arrived today. It Is considered nov
that Reeves 10 equally guilty with Nesjy
Investigation into the record OF this
clerk in the military department VIII
handled several hundred dollars worth o
stamps, proves that the Transaction, .
far az he was concerned. was legitimats
The stamps were purchased at the re
quest Of his brother who IL q stamp col
leotor In the United States. for $500.
They were of the old Issue and were oh
tained from Neely.
The arrest Of Mr.. Thompson caussd
great surprise In the city. II IL leeks
upon a. the precursor Of many other ar
rests.
Gansrai Wood felt, a. did ths posts
inspectors, that 10 would be better
4 a