Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1903-06-18
FROM WASHINGTON.
Correspondence of the Alexandra oa1e'F'i
Washington, d. O., June IL.


Washington, ID. O., June 10.
lanes r. Metcalf, until yesterday
s,ner;ntendent of the money order sys-
tenn Of the Postofice Department, had a
Lengthy conference with the Postmaster
General this morning. He knew yes
terday that his conduct was under lnves-
tigation but he had no suspicion OF his
removal until last night, when he was
served with the formal notification while
at the dinner table. There Is an nell
nation on the part of some to question
the accuracy of the information upon
which the Postmaster General acted.
Bv the dismissal of Metcalf Edw'd f.
Kimball, chief clerk, has been made
acting superintendent the money order
division. IIimball has been one OF the
closest friends of II. II. Rand, confiden-
tial secretary to the Postmaster Gen
eral. Metcalf was the protege Of SEN
ator Allison, of Iowa, and the pollt-
zeal contingent here from that state, de;
clare that the Postmaster General should
have given time for fuller investiga-
ton than three hours, when the man
interested most deeply has served SO long
and faithfully and was vonched for by
the republican leader Of the United
States Senate. Postmaster General
Payne's friends fear that he is on the
verge of an attack of nervous prostratlon.
He is known to feel keenly the public
criticism of his course, and for several
DAYS past he has been complaining OF
mental distress. Yesterday evening ne
broke down completely when attempting
to reply to question relative to the
Metcalf case. 1t was several moments
before he could regain his voice. Tears
were in his eyes. To the score or more
of newspaper correspondents who were
silent witnesses, this incident was con-
sidered one of the most pathetic OF the
many which have taken place in connec-
ton with the investigation.
President Roosevelt has begun to move
to OYSTER Bay. A wagon load of Office
stationery is now on the way to the
Presidents summer home and during
the next ten days enough more will be
shipped there to run the summer capital
until the President returns to Washing
ton in the fall. The presidential offices
will be located this summer in the Morse
block instead of the bank building
which was last years official home. a
grocery store is on the ground floor, an
other grocery occupies the lot diagonally
opposite and meat shop and dry goods
store are upon the other corners. The
new Offices will be much more cOmmodl-
ous that the quarters in the bank build
ing. When the President goes to Oys-
ter Bay on the morning of the 9th, he
will be accompanied by Secretary Loeb,
Stenographer Latta and Messengers Hall,
Lightfoot and Dulaney.
A report of the Senate civil service
committee of several years ago has been
the means of bringing to light some
startling information regarding A. W.
Machen, of the Postoflice Department
which has not heretofore been published.
Machen was charged by witness of the
name of Hill with obtaining money upon
a forged voucher. Machen appeared be
fore the committee and denied the story
His word was accepted The evidence
of Machen's forgery, it is said, has been
found in the Postoffice Department
Notwithstanding all this Machen was
,rmitted to continue in Office and wai
entrusted with the expenditure of con-
s.antly-increasing appropriations.
The President today appointed
number of cadets at large for the class
to enter the military academy at Yves
Point in June 1904, among them Henry
Fairfax Ayres, son of Major Chas. G.
Ayres, Sth Cavalry, and Simon Bolivar
Buckner, son of Gen. Buckner Of Ken
tuck.
Col. Mackenzie, who has been con
nected with the river and harbor i'm
provements for several years, has beer
assigned to duty as a member of tho
newly organized general staff.
The federal grand jury, which has
been investigating postal affairs probably
will bring in Advertisements today against
persons involved. 1t is learnnd on
good authority that the jury has voted tc
return indictments against A. w.
Machen. Diller b. Croft, Samuel A. Croft
George f. Lorenz and Mrs. Lorenzo, the lat
ter being residents of Toledo, Ohio. Tit
specific charge, il is understood, will be con
spiracy to defraud the government.
1t is said that Postmaster General Payne
she'd tears when he announced the dismissal
of James Metcalf, chief of the money ordei
division. His removal was based on m
ground of "indiscretion." He had served II
| The ,,nsifinn for imenfv.nne Years