Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-18
MR.. BR|STOW'S REPLY
Response to Charges Of Ex-
Cashier Tulloch.
INSPECTORS REPORTS
ALLEGED IRREGULARITIES IN
THE LOCAL POST OFFICE.
Most Significant Documents Yet Made
Public as the Result Of Pend
ing Investigation.

ing Investigation.
Postmaster General Payne has made pub
lie the reply of Fourth Assistant Postmas-
ter General Bristow to the charges Of Sey
mour w. Tulloch. former cashier of the
Washington city post office, regarding the
Irregularities in the postal administration,
and also reports of inspection and investi-
cation of the Washington post Office by in
spectors between June 80. 1899, and July
81, 1900, together with the transcript of the
Tulloch charges made some years ago and
the conclusions thereon then reached by
Postmaster General Charles Emory Smith,
These papers constitute by far the most
significant documents yet made public a
result of the sweeping postal investigation.
The reports show the existence of many ir-
regularities during the period involved The
inspector who investigated the irreguiari-
ties reports that the files of the post Office
cashier show direct orders from superior
authority for the disbursement of all the
questionable items cited. The inspector
urged that the responsibility for the many
illegal. appointments, the payment of two
salaries to one and the same person and
the disbursement of thousands of dollars
for which practically no service was per-
formed, should be placed where it properly
belongs and the many abuses corrected"
Postmaster Generals Comment.
In a summary of the several reports the
Postmaster General says:
THE charge of Mr.. Tulloch is in it's es-
sence against President Mckinley and
Postmaster General Smith. President Nc
kinley is no longer living; Postmaster
General Smith. who carried out President
Mcklnleys policy, has answered for him
self. With regard to the present manage
ment of the Washington post office and the
conduct OF any and all men charged with
wrongdoing who have been in the postal
service under the present administration, a
thorough and searching investigation is
now being made. and when it Is ended all
the facts In the case will be made public,
as also whatever action may be taken in
view of such facts"
The Postmaster General also saws: "It
Will be seen that the whole subject was
taken up by Postmaster General Smith and
investigated by him. At the same time all
matters referred to in the charges affecting
the payment Of bills. accounts and flnan-
clal dealings generally, were under investi-
gauon by the controller of the treasury and
all the expenditures referred to we've ell
lowed by the auditor and controller. with
the exception of $780,
Mr.. Payne quotes from the recently pub
nshed reply of Mr.. Smith and adds that
these papers are now published ..in order
to complete the public understanding OF a
matter, large part of which has already
been published The papers are filed with
out action for the reason that they relate
70 the business of a prior administra ton
The subject matter of complaint is four
years old and all action Hereunder was
closed over two years ago.
Inc documents made public show that on
May last. Mr. Payne wrote a letter to Mr.
BrlstoW calling attention to the published
interview with Mr. Tulloch and asked Mr.. |
Brlstow What truth if any there is in the
statements and particularly upon that part
which speaks of your connection and that
OF the post office inspectors,
Mr.. Bristow's Reply.
Mr.. Bristow's reply in full, dated three
Gays later. is as follows:
In response to your inquiry of Nav |
l9o3, as to the truth or falsity of the as
sertions of Mr.. S. w. Tulloch that appear
ed in an interview by him in the Washing
ton Post of that date, l beg to hand Won
herewith an abstract of three reports made |
Dy the inspectors on the condition of the |
w washington Post Office The first mark |
ed Exhibit A, refers to the transfer of the |
post ONCE to Hon. John A. Merritt incom- |
Ing postmaster, by Mr.. James p WiIlett |
aetrlns postmaster. which ccurred June |
80, 1879 AT the time this inspection was
IN progress, as nearly as can remember |
chief Inspector Cochran and Inspector in
Charge Smith called upon me and advised |
me that the inspectors in the investigation |
OF the post office had discovered MANY ir- |
regular1t1es of serious nature which |
seemed to be authorized by the depart |
men. After discussing the matter at some |
length with them, l directed that a report |
relating In general to the transfer be sub
mitted In the regular way and copies of the |
same be referred to the various divisions or |
bureaus of the department. as followed In |
other similar cases; and that a special re- |
port affecting the irregularities that seem |
ed to be authorized by the department be |
submitted.
During the progress of the inspection I |
was advised by the chief inspector that Mr. |
George w. Beavers chief he caIo
allowance division. had suggested to one of |
the inspectors that when he came to GER |
tain appointments in some Of the stations |
that appeared irregular he had better
make no reference to them as they had |
been ordered personally by the Postmaster |
General l told the chief inspector to in
struct the inspectors to report the facts
as they would in any other inspection; that |
l did not believe the Postmaster General
had knowingly authorized any irregular-
ties.
Capt. w. B. Smith, inspector-in- charge
submitted special report on July 9th. as
directed. an abstract of which is herewith
submitted, marked Exhibit b. This re-
port disclosed what seemed to me glazing
Irregularities. and / submitted it person.
ally to the Postmaster General suggesting
to him at the time that it contained mat
tiers to which l thought he would want to
give his personal attention.
referring to the statement that ] had
demanded a thorough investigation of the
office of the first assistant postmaster gen.
eral, l beg to state that Inspector-in-
Charge Smith. in his special report here
tofore mentioned Exhibit B." stated
that he had discovered a condition of af-
fairs which in his judgment required an
immediate. thorough and exhaustive inves-
tigation. l submitted this report to the
Postmaster General with my approval; but
l did not consider such approval as de-
mand my part that the Office of the
first assistant postmaster general be in
vestigated.
1.-The third report dated July 81 1900 an |
abstract of which is herewith submitted
marked Exhibit c. sets forth number
of irregularities that prevailed at that time
in the Washington post office. This in
spection was begun when 1 was absent
from the department. When l returned l
was informed by the chief inspector that
complaint was made to the Postmaster
General that Inspector Little. who was en-
gagged on the work. was asking unnecessary
questions and seeking information which
WAS not called for in an insnecfion 1 I'D |