The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-01-21
NEELY EXAMINED AGAIN
EXPLANATION OF SOME OF THE
CHARGES MADE AGAINST HIM.
Did Not Remember Writing n Letter
to Rich-Why He Wrote the
sDestrOy This" Letter.

HAVANA, Jan. 20-The examination by
the government of c. F. w. Neely, ex-di-
rector of finance of the Cuban postoffice,
in the trials of the charges growing out
of the postoffice frauds, will be concluded
tomorrow. when the government will put
witnesses on the stand to corroborate the
accusations.
At to-day's session of the court, the
fiscal asked Neely if he remembered writ
ing to c. NJ. Rich his first assistant in
November 1899. asking him to come to
Havana, where there was a good opening,
$50 a day. Neely said he did not remember
writing this letter. He said he did not
consider. the writing by Rathbone of the
word ordered" under the recommended
tions to the inspectors to be in order, and
that all orders should have been published
in the weekly bulletin. The recommenda-
tions referred to were to the effect that
the Cuban postmasters should make
monthly reports.
Neely said he had $1,000 in his possession
when he was arrested in New York; that
this money was not part of the postai
funds, but was given to him on his arrival
at New York. He denied that he in
terested in other business.
n answer TO the governments claim
that the reports from the Matanzas, Glen
fuegos and Santiago postoffices showed
that more money had been collected from
the sale OF postage stamps than Neely had
dedited them on the books. Nicely explained
that Postal Inspector NJ. G. FOsnes on his
trip through the island in 1899 sold stamps
TO the postmasters, that the postmasters
sold stamps to each other and that il was
impossible under these conditions, to make
the books tally
Neely said he had written Destroy this"
oil his letter to Rathbone from New York
because, in this letter he had said things
against the military government and the
government was already against him be
cause of an alleged interview with him
published in New York.
Reeves confronted Neely with his state
ment that he had told him that he (Neely)
had seen Rathbone the Sunday before the
burning of the stamps, and said that Rath-
bone was willing to go in the deal Neely
denied saying this 10 Reeves. CrosseX-
amined by Nicely, Reeves would not say
whether this statement by Neely had been
made the Sunday before the burning of the
stamps or the Sunday Neely ex-
planned TO the court that this date was
important as he had been in the United
States continually for the six weeks previ-
Gus TO the Sunday before the stamp burn
ing incident.
Reeves was confronted with Fourth As
sistant Postmaster General Bristows re-
port according to which he had stated that
Nicely told him this week or ten days
before the burning of the stamps Reeves
said he did not recognize the statement.
Regarding the burning of the stamps,
Neely said that Reeves, Marfield and him
self had counted them and that their
amounts were the same as reported. lie
had said nothing TO Estes G.. RathbOne
about the latter's campaign for the civil
governorship of the island
Senior LanuZa, counsel Tor Rathbone,
asked time to look into the documentary
evidence The court replied it would con-
slider the matter and probably grant the
request after the witness had testified.