The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-04-26
Payne Relieves Him at His
Own Request.
COURTS A FULL INQUIRY
The Tyners Submit Papers for Inspection The
Department Does Not Agree to the As
sumption That These We're all
That Were Abs,racted.

ASD'''(
Washington, April 25.-The two i'm
portant developments today in the in
vestigation of the sensational abstrac-
tion of papers from the safe of the office
of the Assistant Attorney General for
the Postoffice Department, which led to
the dismissal of that official were the
submission of what purported to be the
papers to the inspection of the postal
officials and the decision of Postmaster
General Payne to Immediately relieve
Acting Assistant Attorney General G. a.
c. Christiancy from his office pending an
investigation of his conduct. The action
in the case of Mr.. Christiancy was taken
at his own request. He states that he
courts the fullest investigation. Mr..
Christiancy has held the office of as
sistant attorney since January 1st, 1901,
and has been in charge of the legal af
fairs of the department most of the
time since then, owing to General
Tyner's absence caused by ill-health.
General Tyner's counsel today sub
mitted to Postmaster General Payne and
Assistant Postmaster Bristow papers
which they said the Tyners claimed con-
stituted all that had been taken away,
but a statement made later by the Post
master General reciting the correspond
ence on the subject and the submission
of the papers specifically declines to ac-
cept the statement that the papers sub
mitted necessarily constituted all that
were distracted.
General Tyners counsel, after leaving
the Postmaster General made a state
ment in part as follows:
Yesterday in response to a notification
from the Department of Justice that Gem
eral Tyner's offer to deliver the papers
should be made to the Postmaster Gen
eral, Mr.. Perry proposed to the POST
master General that a representative of
the government should meet counsel at
General Tyner's house where the papers
should be examined and such as were
private to return to General Tyner and
others, somewhat public in nature, de-
livered to the department 1t was espe-
cially desired that the government rep
resentatives should question fully Gen
eral Tyner Mrs. Tyner and Mrs. Bar
rett as to what occurred on Mrs. Tyner'S
visit to the Postoffice Department on
Tuesday last, and as to her acts in con-
nection Herewith and her authority
therefor General Tyner explaining that
all of Mrs. Tyner's acts were authorized
by him. The Postmaster General in re-
ply said substantially that If General
Tyner would cause the papers to be re-
turned to the department he would have
the same examined in the presence of
General Tyner and would restore to him
all the papers, documents and other
property found to belong to him. After
consultation the Postmaster General was
asked to permit Mrs. Tyner and Mrs.
Barrett to come to his office with coun-
sci for full examination by any gov
ernment official as to the facts connected
with the taking of the papers. The
Postmaster General refused to permit
either Mrs Barrett or Mrs. Tyner to be
present and declined to question them.
Thereupon, acquiescing in his decision
counsel brought to the Postoffiee De-
partment all OF the papers in question.
They were examined minutely and in de-
tail in the presence of Postmaster Gen
eral Payne by Mr.. Brstow, including the
most private property OF General Tyner,
and especially of Mrs. Tyner. On the
conclusion of this examination all the
papers were. by direction of the Post
master General, returned to General
Tyner, except the papers indicated in a
statement of General Tyner, which re-
ferred to the matter connected with the
conduct of a former inspector of the de-
partment, now dead and which had been
filed and which matter was disposed of
over four years ago.
Subsequently the Postmaster General
gave out a statement covering the sub
mission of the documents which plainly
says that the department does not agree
to the assumption that the papers sub
mitted constitute all those taken After
reciting the proposition of General
Tyners counsel and its rejection by him
(setting forth the text of the letter in
reply) the statement concludes as fol-
lows:
This morning Mr.. Berry and General
Michener came to the department, bring
ing with them package which they
stated contained the papers and docU-
ments which had been taken from the
department in the manner heretofore set
forth. and offered to submit the same to
the inspection OF the Postmaster General
or any other official of the department.
'In response to this offer Mr. Berry
opened the packages in the presence cf
Postmaster Generals Bristow and Mich
ener Careful scrutiny of each paper and
document was held and all the papers so
exhibited we're found to be personal aud
private property of General Tyner or
Mrs Tyner, excepting one package of
papers. which contained the letters,
statements, memoranda and other evil
dence relating to departmental matters
that had been concluded about four
years ago.
THE department does not accept :heI