Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-04-24
TYNER TURNED OUT
Postmaster General Payne Is-
 sues Sensational Letter.
PAPERS AND RECORDS MISSING.

Wife of Discharged Assistant AttOr.e ney General, Aided by an Expert, E Opens Safe I'm Private office 4 and Takes Emtire Contents. WASHINGTON, April 24.-A most sensational development of the investi- 1 gation of postoffice department affairs 1 occurred just before the department ] closed last night when Postmaster 1 General Payne announced the sum- mary dismissal of James N. Tyner, as- 1 sistant attorney general for the post office department. Coupled with the announcement is. the startling report : that all the papers and records in the l safe of the latter's office had been ab- , stracted by Mrs. Tyner, wife of the discharged officer, with the assistance ]; of others. The postmaster general 1 states that Mrs. Tyner has refused the i demand of the government for the re- i turn of the papers taken and said the ] circumstances in the case will be sub 1 Initted by him to the department of ] justice at once Other sensational de- ] velopments are expected to follow. The 1 question Of arrests is now under con- sideration and will be passed on imme- | diately by Attorney General Knox.
 The facts are told tersely in the. let ] ter of dismissal to Hon. James N. Ty- ner, signed by Postmaster General Payne, just made public. The letter is as follows:
 You are hereby removed from the 1 office of assistant attorney general for the postofffce department. st'
 "I deem it proper to give you the req 1 sons for this summary action on the part of the department. Early in the month of March I communicated to you through a mutual friend a request for your resignation. After painful I interview with you and a more pain l full one with Mrs. Tyner I consented 1 to modify the demand for your resig- l nation so that it might take effect on May l, 1903, with the proviso, how 1 ever that you were given leave of ab- scnce from the time of the acceptance of the resignation to the date of it's 1 taking effect, with the understanding l that you were not in any way to un- 1 dertake to discharge the duties of the office. Late yesterday afternoon Mrs. Ty- ner came to the office of the assistant l attorney general for the postofiice de l partment, entering in the regular way, went through the main office to the pri- vate office, closing the door behind her. She then unlocked the door entering ] from Ihe public hall into the private | room and admitted her sister,, Mrs. 1 Barrett, whose son was formerly as sistant in your office and whose con duct is now under investigation by the l department. She also admitted in the l same manner MT. c. G. Hammer, an expert in the employ of the MosleI Safe company, with whom she had made an arrangement to meet her al 1 the department. At her direction Mir, Hammer opened the safe,sin the room l and she took therefrom all papers, rec. I ords and articles Of every kind and carried them away with her.
 Immediately upon learning wha1 had been done I directed the fourth assistant postmaster general to senc l two inspectors to your house to de mand in the name of the postmaster
 general the delivery to them of any papers, documents or other materials 1 which had been abstracted from ths
 safe This demand was refused by
 Mrs Tyner, and she likewise refused to permit the inspectors to see you o1
 to see and examine the papers in hel
 presence. Mrs Tyner further stated
 to the postofice inspectors that sht
 committed the act with your knowl
 edge and by your direction. Further
 comment on this transaction on my part is not necessary
 It is fully realized by the postniastel T general that the case presentsa a deli
 cate situation, and for that reason h,
 declined to enter into discussion O
 the facts.
 MT Tyner has been in the govern
 ment service in various important ca
 pacities for many years. He is iron
 Indiana. He served as assistant attor
 ney general for the postoffice depart
 ment and later was first assistant post
 master general Subsequently he be
 came postmaster general, and later h.
 again assumed office in the depart
 ment. He is one of the best knowI
 men in official life in Washington H. and Mrs Tyner and President and Mrs
 Grant were intimate friends Durin,
 the universal postal congress, whicl
 met here in 1897, he was one of. tn
 committee which represented this gov
 ernment.
 An effort was made last night to ob
 tain from General Tyner or Mrs. Ty
 ner statement, but met with no sue
 cess, Mrs. Tyner stating that they ha,
 nothing to say on the subject.
 General Tyner is in very weak an,
 almost helpless condition from his lon,
 sickness. He remains in his room
 most of the time and sees very fev
 callers.