The Washington times., 1903-06-20
NEW CHARGE CITED
AGAINST MACHEN
Story That He Conducted q
Promotion Syndicate.
PARISH CLAIM INVOLVED
Charles Hedges, Superintendent of City
Delivery, Accused of Having Urg-
ed That Cause Before Congress.

the indicted superintendent OF the
free delivery division OF the Postofice
Department is that he had a hand in
promotion syndicate in his bureau by
which employees were taxed for their
appointments and promotions There
have been innumerable charges that
Maehen used his appointments and pro-
motions for political purposes. but not
until yesterday was II openly stated
that ne received direct financial pay
meRts for them.
The story is that another postofics
official and two outsiders were invcl-
we'd in the promotion syndicate" with
Machen. and that the inspectors have
the afadavits OF people who say they
were held up by the syndicate The
inspectors are hard at work on this
charge.
The labors OF the force of eleven in
! spectors who went to work in the Office
Of George W. Beavers. ex-superintend-
ent Of the division OF salaries and al
lowances. have apparently not been
without result This was shown yester-
day when Postmaster General Payne or
dered that letter be written TO each
contractor who made contracts through
the division that his contract is apt to
be summarily abrogated at any time.
Leases and Contracts.
In probing into the division the in
I speetors have found the contracts SO
mixed up that It was decided that it
would be necessary 20 stop some OF
them in the near future. What specinc
| instances of shady transactions. is any,
have been discovered is not known. but
/ II IS kncwn that many of the contracts
and all the leases executed by the de-
/ partment are receiving most minute
Investigation from the inspectors
Charles Hedges. superintendent Of city
delivery and assistant 20 Aaehsn. will
I have to explain away the charge that
I he assisted in the prosecution before
| Congress Of the celebrated Parrish ice
claim. Parrish made a contract with
an army surgeon in 1868 to deliver 80
OOO tons Of ice TO the Union troops at
various points on the Mississippi The
total amount of the contract was $780,.
600. He delivered 1900 tons, and re-
ceived S22s.91
/ RIVER S-lGE lie mas DGEn DODDluB Up II
| Congress with a claim for various
amounts. The claim before the last
Congress was for 1881. .OS6 1t was
passed by the House by three votes
after Representative Serano E Payne
had declared 1t to be a most barefaeed
case
Hedges is accused OF having been ac-
tive in pushing this case. Such activity
is discouraged BY the United States Re-
vised Statutes. which prescribe punish
ment of $1,000 fine or Imprisonment for
one year. or both. He is also accused Of
using his position to sell mining stock
in which he was interested 20 postmas-
ters. which is considered exceedingly
bad form and is said 10 have once be-
fore gotten him into trouble with his
superiors and caused him TO be severely
| reprimanded.
The briggs Case.
The grand jury in New York city was
busy yesterday with the pOstoffiee scan
dals in that city and examined a dozen
witness. fhe principal matter under in
vestigation was the connection Of ex-
Congressman briggs. Of New York. with
the company which sold automatic cash
registers to the Postonice Department
he has admitted that he received $4,000
for his services. but claims that he did
not know that he was doing wrong
Bruce Correll. OF Canton. Ohio, was
one of the principal witnesses He was
for eight years assistant doorkeeper -
the House OF Representatives. and said
that he was the man who introduced
Mr. briggs TO a representative Of the
company and that this cOmpany's rep
resentative wished 10 meet SOM
prominent Representatives
Postmaster General Payne was busy
this morning and sent out word that
he would not be able TO see the news
paper men at noon. Up to that time
nothing had been done in the matter
Of reoOnside-ing the case Of James T.
Metcaf. the dismissed superintendert OF
the money order division. and there is
very little hope entertained by his
friends that he will be able 70 obtain
reinstatement pending a more exhaus-
tive hearing on his connection with rhs
letting Of the contract for money order
paper.