Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1901-02-23
CUBAN P0STA|.
FRAUDS AIRED
GREAT MASS OF DRY FACTS AND
FIGURES.
RATHBONE POSES AS MARTYR
SAYS HE WORKED LONG AND
HARD, DEsP1sED EASE, AND
IS A VICTIM.
RATHBONE POSES AS MARTYR

Washington. Feb. 23.-Two volumes of
the testimony and exhibits in the Cuban
postal investigation We're reported to the
senate today. They consist in the main
of mass of figures and no matter of
popular interest, except statements made
by eXDirector General Rathbone and
Mr.. E. p. Thompson, postmaster at Hav-
ana. in reply to Fourth Assistant Post
master Bristow's criticisms of their con-
duct Of affairs.
Mr.. Rathbones statement is dated
November Goth last, and in it he takes
up and replies to MI Bristow's charges
Seriatim
Referring to Mr. Bristows charge that
there was no contract as to prices in the
purchase of postoffice furniture from the
keyless Lock company, of Indiana, Mr..
Rathbone says that the statement is con-
tradicted by Bristow's own report. He
also says there was contract with r.
Mosier, Of the lock company. keeping
this fact as a refutatiou of Eristow's
charge.
Continuing, Mr.. Rathbone says:
mo opportunity was given me to de-
fend myself or the service which 1 had
created until the second day before Bris-
tow's departure The scanty time then
available was devoted by Bristow almost
exclusively in the effort to find some in
eliminating evidence, against Perry S.
Health, first assistant postmaster gener-
al or myself. as the interview shows. No
opportunity was given to me to explain
what appeared against me or to make
any showing of the time and labor devot-
ed by me and by my subordnates in the
building up OF postal service from it's
| very foundation. nor of the obstacles that
| were met and overcome by us as best
| we could under the then existing condi-
| tions, but he suppressed documents. let
| ters, etc. which I made part of my
| statement"
Referring to the charges in connection
| with the Neely ..lniscelanenas- -pii1-, 81
I rarnD9ne says:
The statement there made involves
another case of suppra ssion, amounting
to perversion of material facts. General
Bristow knew, for told him myself-and
| the office of the assistant auditor of the
department of posts shows--that there
We're thirteen Of the Nicely bills eight of
which We're approved by myself as d.
rector general and five of which were
approved by p. II. Bristow. chief clerk
of the department, as acting director
general during my absence, when the
duty devolved upon him of approving
bills of this kind
He infers, he says, from these and
| other features of the Rristow report that
that official intended TO deliberately
mis'ead by a plain perverson ami sup
preston of facts within his own knowl-
| edge He asserts that p. II. Bristow
| (chief clerk in the Havana Office, signed
| Warrant i,0S1 for $4,000. which General
! Bristow charged him (Rathbone) with
! signing. Another transaction charged
as a dereliction against him is, he says
chargeabie to ]. w. Irwin, a subordinate
of General BriStoW.
Mr.. Rathbone says there Is no evil
dence and that none can be secured tC
sustain the allegation that he was care
less, loved ease and refused to give at
| tention to details" on the contrary, he
asserts that he worked hard, earnestly
and long"
He says that Auditor Lawshe and not
! Perry S. Heath was responsible for the
appointment Of DIR. w. II. Reeves to 8
place in te Cuban service. He charges
| Bristow With suppreSsing important
parts of his 0iathbone's) testimony.