The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-01-15
THE HEARING
 OF RATHBONE Correspondence with Post
 master General. A DRAMATIC INCIDENT The Accused Confronted by
 Witness Reeves. The Latter is Enthusiastic in the Prosecution of the Defendants
 The Burning of the :.
 old Stamps.

Havana. Jan. 1A-During the examina- ton of Estes G. Rathbone, formerly di- rector-general of posts of Cuba, this af- ternoon, private correspondence between Rathbone and former Postmaster-Gen- eral Smith was introduced.
 Rathbone said he did not take part in any campaigns having for its purpose his appointment as civil Governor of Cuba. Some over-zealous friends began one. but he did not endorse 1t, and wrote to the President and Postmaster-G General. say ing he did not want the position. The Government introduced Charles F. Nee- ley's letter with petition to the Presi- dent. asking for the appointment of Rath- bone. Rathbone said he did not know of it's existence until six weeks ago.
 A dramatic incident of the trial this af- ternoon was the confronting of Rathbone with Reeves regarding the statement Reeves alleges Rathbone made after the latters return to the United States in November, 1899, and two months after the stamps were burned. When Reeves took the stand, Rathbone was sitting opposite him. Reeves said that Rathbone told him that Nicely had arranged the matter of the burning of the surcharged stamps so that fraud would not be discovered. Rath- bone here asked Reeves if he was willing tO SWGdf tU tIftS btdbuihCpt- AhSCFSS Ac- piled: "Yes," to which Rathbone said, God help you.'
 Reeves occupies himself during the trial with making copious notes. He is a mos. enthusiastic witness for the Gov
 LaLucha refers to him as unprepos- sessing, evasive and guarded wifully stupid, and says he has inspired his lis teners with the idea that he Is trying to save himself, and that he is unsatisfac- tory to the purpose of the investigation and contradictory.
 Rathbone admitted having received the letter from Nicely after his arrest. He said it was in answer to a cablegram he sent him to return when Inspector-Gen- erai Burton reported shortage in the postal accounts. On the bottom of this letter was written :.Destroy this letter T Rathbone said this letter was delivered tc him by special agents, and that he opened 1t In their presence. He said Nicely wrote that he did not want to return then, that Inspector General Burton was making an unnecessary stir and that he would ex- plain everything satisfactorily by let ter.
 Rathbone said he sent copy of Neely's letter to former Postmaster Genera Smith and that he had a conference witf the heads of the different departments immediately the frauds were reported. He said that c. M. Rich, Neely's as- sistant, stated he had seen Nicely dc something which he did not understand but that he did not remember Rich stat ing that Nicely wrote on the books, "Ap- proved by the special agents"
 Rathbone said he had stated to Inspec- tor General Burton that in charging the Havana office with stamps, it did not make any difference to Washington whether they were in the form of surcharged stamps or otherwise. and that the total amount of the value of the stamps was charged. He said he had consulted General John R. Brooke, then Governor General of Cuba, about burn ing the stamps and that he had also written former Postmaster General Smith on the matter. Every one had pride in circulating the new Cuban stamps, said Rathbone, and that when they were issued he advised burning the old stamps as they took up too much room in the vaults.
 Rathbone said he had no interest in Neely's brick yard.
 was gone into at length during this afternoons hearing. Some of these war rants were endorsed by Rathbone, while others were endorsed by Fourth Assist ant Postmaster General Bristow. Rath- bone explained that if these warrants had been properly recorded by the auditors such action would have kept the accounts straight.