The Washington times., 1903-05-30
Giving Out Text of Post
masters Reply.
TULL0CH ACCUSED IN TURN
Explanations Given for All Alleged
Irregularities and Accuser Charged
With Marked Misconduct.

John y. Merritt, city postmaster, yes
terday made public through the Post
master General his answer to the
charges against the Washington post
office by S. w. Tulloch, ex-cashier in
the office. who was discharged when Mr.
Merritt took charge. The answer was
in the form of two letters to Postmaster
General Payne, at whose office it was
given out.
Mr.. Merritt denies Mr.. Tulloch's
charges in detail, and takes occasion to
say some harsh things about Mr.. Tul-
loch's reasons for making the charges.
and his own conduct while in office. 1t
is asked in several different forms why
Mr.. Tulloch. if he knew of SO many ir-
Irregularities, did not bring them into
public prominence at the time, but wait
ed until he was discharged before max
ing his statements.
The postmaster says that he dis
charged Mr. Tulloch because he was an
arbitrary man with ane inclination to
run the Office, and because he had SO
many outside ventures that he did not ap-
pear to have sufficient time to properly
attend TO his official duties Mr.. Tulloch
was also venturesome in private hnan-
cial matters. according to Mr.. Merritt,
and for that reason was not thought by
Mr.. Merritt 10 be a desirable man TO
act as financial head of an office in which
about $4,000, 900 was handled annually
Shortly after Mr. Merritt was appoint
ed he was approached by A w. Bling
ham. then chief of the finance division
Of the Postofice Department, with the
suggestion that MIR. Tulloch go on the
postmaster's bond. Mr. Merritt had
reason TO believe that the suggestion
was prompted by Mr.. Tulloch. and it
was Indignantly rejected.
Trouble With Willett.
Postmaster Wrlett. whom Mr.. Mer-
rift succeeded, complained that the af-
fairs for the last quarter of his term
were in tan~led condition, but that
Mr.. Tulloch refused to straighten them
out unless paid $500 for the work. Mr.
Tulloch had said that. having been dis
charged. he had no right TO go into the
vault and handle the necessary papers,
and Mr. Merritt wants to know how pay
ing the ex-cashier $500 would have re-
moved that disability.
Mr.. Tulloch was in the habit for many
years of getting blank receipts from en-
ployes OF the postofflce for their pay and
then filling in the dates and the
amounts This was a practice that
would have been condemned by any bus
mess man, and was scored by the Comp
trolier OF the Treasury. who said that it
made the receipts practically useless.
An Alleged False Voucher.
An interesting recital OF what is al
legged to have been the presentation OF a
false voucher is made by Mr.. Merritt as
follows:
Before I became postmaster, one OF
the employees of the Postoffice was sus-
pended from duty from May to June
8, 1888. without pay, without any reason
OF record, so far as I have learned. and
without any departmental authority.
Mr.. Tulloch. the cashier. retained this
mans pay from the time stated, amount
Ing TO s140.11, against his protest, am
told. obtaining his signature, TO the GUS
tomary form of pay roll. however, and
then sent the account to the Auditor for
the Postofice Department as though
payment had actually been made
The cashier probably had the post
masters order to do this. and it SCENE
he did not make personal use of the |
money; but the transaction appears, |
nevertheless, to comprehend the presen- |
tation of false voucher, which is made |
crime By section 54S3 of the Revised |
Statutes Of the United States.
The money thus unlawfully taken |
was divided by the cashier, or by his |
direction, among a number of persons,
upon orders signed in the name of the
postmaster by his assistant Though in
enc case no order has been found, until
all Of It was used up except 1856. which
is now ia the official possession OF one
iof the bureaus of the Postofiee Depart
nent. It seems rather extraordinary tnat
Mr.. Tulloeh should be making so loud
an outcry against the management OF
the Postofice Department and OF the
postoflce when his memory should cake
In this case, in which he was a parlici-
pant, every feature of which appears 20
have been without warrant of law.
Not Department Bureau.
Mr. Merritt resents the charge that
there was a tendency to make the
Washington postofice merely a bureau
OF the department and gives list of
the changes among the clerks, showing
that only few We're made on the orders
OF the First Assistant Postmaster Gen
eral and that the others were made on
his own Palliative. He denies that there /
are any superfous employees in the Office
and says that, on the contrary, frequent
acquisitions for extra clerks to handle
the business are necessary.
Mr.. Merritt writes that the charge OF
improperly paying department accounts
from local funds was absurd Ever since
the department had been in existence It
had been the custom to pay department
expenses by acquisitions on the funds
in the hands OF postmasters, and the
postofice had for years
been paying the expenses OF several de-
partmental divisions.
Oliver Il. Smith. who was said TO
have drawn two salaries. was an em-
Gent empioye and had drawn but one