Evening star., 1900-06-05
NEELYS WHOLESALE THEFTS
HE BEGAN STEALING ABOUT A YEAR
AGO.
He Took About One-Half of All Public
Funds That He
Handled.

A dispatch from Havana yesterday says:
Acting Director of Posts Bristow today in
quired as TO the. amount of postal funds
taken by C. F. w. Nicely in May, 1899,
and ascertained that it was $31 Nee
ly's monthly average was about $1,000.
His system of bookkeeping was simplicity
itself. Apparently he merely divided the
amounts received, taking one-half for him
self 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
dercd Special Agents Letherman and Suli-
van TO examine the accounts. They found
a shortage, but it was not thought that
anything had gone wrong. They reported.
however, that there was no check upon the
bureau of finance, and they recommended
that certain blank forms be made, which
would answer tie purpose, such as all post
masters use when making their reports to
the department monthly. Mr.. Maynard,
then chief agent, indorscd the recommends
tion. and forwarded it TO Mr.. Rathbone.
The latter approved il, and sent it to
Auditor Reeves, who signed it and for
w&rded it to Nicely. After he had ini
tailed it. instead Of putting the scheme into
operation he quietly pigeonholcd it, and ii
did not see the light until May 10 of this
year, when the plan was put into effect.
Mr. BriSiow says he is almost sure that
the extent of the steal will amount TO
sonnet thing between $4,000 and $1UGVoy but
that this will not touch the item of sur
charge stamps, which is SILL, 900. As to
hcw many of these were burned and how
many sold 1t is impossible to obtain defn-
lite information. AS many have been
traced it is known positively that all were
not destroyed. but if Nicely sold, say s5O,OOO
or 100000 worth it would not be surprising
Mr.. Bristow expects to find them scattered
all over the world
The postal inspectors say 1t Is astonish-
ing that system rotten could have
been concealed beyond the first month.
Every day only adds TO the surprises. Lieut..
Col. Burton, Mr.. Jones, the special prose-
cutor, and Mr. Stevens will leave tonight
for the United States. Lieut.. Col. Burton
expects 10 return here in about ten days
Hopes are expressed by some of the To-
cal papers that as Gov Roosevelt has
signed the exiradiiion order. no further
time will be wasted in bringing Nicely to
trial. These journals point out that Nee
lys conduct has disgraccd Americans in the
eyes of Cubans,' and they declare that the
best way for the Americans to redeem
themselves is TO bring him to 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 be-
tween the frauds of the post office and
those committed under the Spanish reyim..
Now thorough investigation is being made
with view of Furnishing the criminals. j..
former days the criminals went scot free.
The Americans are proving themselves
more honest than the government which
ruled Cuba for 400 years.
Statement by Gov. Roosevelt.
A dispatch from Albany, n. Y, last night
says: Gov. Roosevelt tonight made public
his reasons for granting the application for
the extradition of Charles f. w. Neely,
implicated in the Cuban postal frauds He
said:
Il went over the briefs submitted to me
by both sides carefully, and also consulted
very carefully with the Attorney General
in the matter While admitting that an
argument could be made out on both sides
II seemed perfectly clear to me that in
both law and morals 1t was my duty TO
grant the extradition of Mr.. Neely. l was
glad that the decisions before me war
ranted this action, because | feel that the
reasons for granting Gn extradition in the
case OF another state apply with tanfoll
greater force in the case of Cuba where
the United States is bound by every con
sideration to see that its officials give il ln
administration that shall be literally stain.