The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1902-04-10
THE CARpETBAGGERS' WAY

Familiar Methods Used by Of
HciaIs Found Guilty in Ha-
vnna.
The verdict in the postal fraud cases,
as given out, finds g. Il. w. Ncelev.
w. II. Reeves and Estes G. Rathbone
guilty of the main charge of embcZzlc-
ment of over 800 900, and that Ncclev
and Reeves originated tho idea Of
burning the stamps, to which Rath-
Dono consented, prolitcd thereby,
'hough 10 what extent could not be
specified. Neeley and Reeves, accord
ing to the verdict, appropriated 81
olI ~ by series of entities, charging
TO the postal fund certain amounts for
llghterage, wharfage and other matters.
for which there were no warrants or
vouchers. Rathbone also was found
guilty of participation in this. These
entries were made in what Is known as
the miscellaneous account.
Rathbone, it was alleged, charged
the department Of posts with private
expenses, such as washing, rep airs to
MS coach, express charges, three boxes
q.
certain household accounts, amount
ing to $l57.25. lie was found guilty
on this charge, but was acquittcdgon
That OF paying for furniture for his
house. the bill Of New York store
for furniture and other articles, on the
ground that number of army officers
in Cuba had obtained similar articles
at the expense of the government, and
that these expenditures had been
passed subsequently by The Senate.
Ncclcy and Reeves were found guilty
OF having issued duplicate checks for
the salaries of postollicc employees,
and for payment to the Ruiz com mpuny
and the gas company, the amount IN
volvcd beng 81 ,O27.GS. They were
also held responsible for 81 ,S5S.32 for
stamps sold.
Nccley alone was held to be guilty
of fraud in the issuing of four dupli-
cate warrants for IS ,0j7.Gl for salaries
of clerks in the Havana postollce and
for the purchase of mules. lie was
found guilty also of having drawn a
duplicate check for s 900, nominally
issued for the transfer of funds from
the postal account in the bank to the
account OF The tr, asurer, and Of having
given G.. M. Rich, his former assistant.
- 900 worth OF stamps to sell. He
took his salary Of $3.50 before going to
the United States the last time. Il
is alleged also that he received COM
missions III connection with the Ncclcy
printing company and the Kcylcss
lock company, prOlitlng by this means
n n n,tn
For this, however, Ncclcy was not i'll
dictcd by the fiscal, as he was cXtradit.
cd on the charge of cmbczzlcmunt. 1t
was also charged that he asked Reeves
to arrange the books, giving him ST.
600 to do SO. He was acquitted Of this
Tor tho reason given above. 1t was
charged that Ncclcy also appropriated
500 in money resulting from the sales
Of stamps by Moya and Mcscara, stamp
clerks at Havana.
Rathbone Was found guilty of hay
ing paid the expenses of his wife and
family on Il trip to Santiago and on
second voyage to the United States,
he beng unable to separate his private
and official expenses, and also issuing
two warrants for $500 each.
i''''H' 'll'l'l'l tNtCt t'ib, "illCil
was returned to him by nathbonc.
The latter was acquitted on the charge
OF having unlawfully taken a daily al
lowancc of - after the Postmaster
General had disallo we'd his claim.
Rathbonc, Reeves and Ncclcy were
found joiDtly guilty, under the postal
code OF the cmbcZzlcmcnt of $lO2 ,97i :,
II fine in which amount was divided
between them. Ncelcy was guilty
alone of umbcZzlcmcnt Of $2l ,SJ7 ::
Reeves OF $G73, and Rathbonc Of
- 900, while Necley and Reeves joint
ly cmbeZzlcd Isl ,30G.
In summing up tho court said the
facts brought out showed that various
schemes had been used by Reeves,
Ncclcy and Rathbonc to appropriate
The postal funds, but that these should
be taken To constitute only one iniac-
ton Of the law, each item not being
regarded separately.
Rathbonc's attorneys have applied
to the court Tor Il writ Of habcas cor
pus.