Evening journal., 1903-09-12

ances: August w. Machen. former
general superintendent of the free de-
livery system; James W Erwin, for
mer postohice inspector with head
quarters in San Francisco; George II.
Huntington and Isaac S. Mcclellan,
both of New York city. owners OF the
Columbia Supply Company, of that
city; and Eugene d. Scheble, of To
ledo, O., a dentist and interested In
the firm Of Maybury 6 Mills. OF De
troit, Mich, letter box manufacturers.
Beavers. Machen and Erwin are
named jointly in one indictment for
conspiracy TO dofraud the United
States. Another indictment is against
Mcclellan. Huntington and Machen
for conspiracy to defraud the United
States. and still another is against the
same three for conspiracy to commit
bribery. both under section 5440, re-
vised statutes; scheble and Machen
are indicted jointly for conspiracy
against the United States and again
for a conspiracy to commit bribery.
Another indictment is against Nc
Giehan and Huntington for bribery,
and the last is against Machen singly
for accepting bribes under section
55O1, revised statutes.
All of the indictments are based
on transactions relating to the
supply of letter boxes and pack
age boxes and devices. Some sen
sational charges are made. The
indictment against Beavers. Machen
and Erwin alleges that the Postal De-
vice and Improvement Company, of
San Francisco. formerly the Montague
Indicator and Letter Box Company,
was composed almost entirely of west
ern postal employees; that in 1889 1t
set aside 1000 shares of stock for
forwarding its interests" and that
armed with this authority its presi-
dent Daniel s. Richardson, and In
spector Erwin came TO Washington.
saw Beavers. Machen. Heath and 9th
ers and got an order for equipping
2O89 letter boxes with their device.
The indictment says the company
was systematically relieved of its
obligations in the way Of pay
ing freight. Grating and printing cards
for the devices It was furnishing The
Indictment charges that beavers and
Machen owned stock under assumed
names. Most of the thousand shares
of stock set aside. the indictment says,
went to different pOstofiice officials
and again President Richardson came
to Washington. and following an In
crease in the contract price he got
for the company, dividends were paid
on the stock.
Mcclellan, principal owner of the
Columbia Supply Company, Of New
York, is charged with agreeing 70 pay
Machen 50 cents for each dollar and
c quarter paid on the package box
contract by the government Specific
payments TO Machen are cited in con
sideration Of increased compensation
under the package box contract, os
tensibly for attaching a different sap
port to the boxes. Schebel became in
terested in the firm Of which Mayor
Mavbury. Of Detroit. Mich. Is a mem
Der. and which furnished letter boxel
to the government, and Schebel ans
Machen, in a joint Indictment are al
legged to have schemed TO defraud th'
government by the supply of excessive
quantities of boxes. The indictmen
says that Maybury and Ellis -bai,
/ Schebel to the extent OF the latter
interest in the company. and that h
in turn paid large sums to Macher
In II counts the indictment cites sps
c.dc navrnents to Maehen by Schebe