The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-12-13
CLERK WRITES
 TO PRESIDENT Airs Montgomery Post
 office Controversy SERIOUS ACCUSATIONS
ACCUSATIONS
E. J. Hughes Calls Attention to Advertiser Publication.
Makes Public Letter in Which He Says Stigma Has Been Placed on Him That Must Be
 Challenged.

E. J. Hughes money order clerk at the Montgomery postcfice, yesterday made public the following letter to President Roosevelt which Is self explanatory:
 Montgomery, Ala, Dee. ,, lsc2. "The President:
 My apology for addressing you in this open and plain way is the appearance of a telegram fIom MT. Julien Walker. the Washington correspondent of The Mont gomery Advertiser. printed in that paper on Friday, December G. lsoe. a copy of the telegram being enclosed herewith. The high character of MT. Walker and the high estimation in which that paper Is held in Alabama, causes the semi-ofhcial authority on which the telegram is avow- edly based to be accepted here, and ad- monishes me that, in justice to myself. I must no longer be silent. I am moved to address you directly because your lcng career of devotion to raising the standard of the public service advises me that wrong in any of its departments or offices. however remote, is .matter of both on1- cial and personal concern to yourself. l know you will resent any assault upon Its integrity. I am the more bold to do this because have no favors to ask and no appeal to make, but am standing pat under my record as an oficer, upon my rights under the laws of the land and upon my conduct and reputation as a eiti- zen.
 T have been an employee of the Mont gomeW postofflce for many years and steadily rose in that service to the place of money order clerk. which new hold. During these years I enjoyed the confi- dence and esteem of Judge C. W. Buck ley. formerly. as now, the postmaster. My first intimation that there was any change in his feelings towards me reached me last winter and spring through reports that my place was being displayed on the political bargain counter as prize in the settlement of fsctional difficulties within the Republican Party. It was made the subject of trade in that unhappy strife.
 On May 18th. 1902, I received an off, ficial letter from Postmaster Buckley in- forming ne that an order for my re- moval had been issued, suggesting that 1t would be an advantage to me to resign rather than to be peremptorily removed, and saying that he had determined to make change in the oface. His state ment was false as he had no such order, and his design to frighten me into giving up my place that he might use it in the settlement of some political trade mis- carried.
 Judge Buckley then preferred charges against me to the effect that was guilty If 6 display of temper and spirit and had informed him that there was stealing going on In the postefYice. did give him the information and 1t was trae In response to the postmaster's charges In- spector Greenaway was sent here to in yestigate. and on the result of his in- vestigation and on bis report I am will ing to stand or fall. In reply to hisi questions made the allegations that the postmaster had offered my place in poli- tical bargains; that he had known of the thsfts by a clerk in the ofice. had cen nivsd at their concealment and retained the clerk: that he had borrowed $234 from the money order fund and retained it for more than q month, using the money to cover the shortage of this favored clerk who is stiil an employe of the postoffice. This last allegation Judge Buckley de- nied until the written evidence was pre- dQced to the inspector. when he made some excuse which was an afterthought. So thoroughly was Inspector Greenaway convinced of the rOttepness and crim- n6lity of Postmaster Buckley that he sought to have a warrant issued for his arrest, and was only prevented from doing so by operation of the statute of limitations against the offenss.
 q beg to call Your Excellency's special attention to these several facts: The in- vestIgation of charges against me was called for by Judge Buckley: uncovered the charge to the satisfaction of the In- seector; l made charges of a grave nature against Judge Buckley and substantiated them; the result was report adverse to Judge Buckley and recommending his removal for violations of law committed in the conduct of his office and for con- ceallng theft. What the Inspector re- ported as to the charges against me do not know, but I repeat 1 am willing to stand or fall by them that report. But I am not willing that the matter should rest where 1t now is before the public, the stigma On me. The official records containing the inspectors exanjnation of myself as a witness. are on file at the department at Washington, and embody the proof of all have charged. The Issue between the postmaster and myself is sharp and clear. have no doubt that ano+ber InvAsti1ation would end as dis