The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-06
TYNER and BARRETT INDICTED
ACCUSED OF OBTAINING MONEY
FROM FRAUDULENT CONCERNS.

Thousands OF Dollars Paid Them by Bond
Investment Companies to Prevent
Exclusion From the Mails-James +.
Metcalf. Harry G. Hallenbeck, Norman
X. MetcaK and w. d. Dorcmus Also
Indicted-MOre Indictments Against
Machen. Beavers and Senator Green.
WASHINGTON. Oct. S.-Shortly before
adjournment this afternoon, the Federal
Grand Jury of this jurisdiction, which
has been in continuous session for several
months, finished it's work in the postal
service scandals by bringing in thirteen
indictments some OF them the result of
months Of persistent detective work against
the following persons:
James N. Tyner Of Indiana, former As
sistant Attorney General for the Post Office
Department, who WAS summarily dismissed
last April for official misconduct and who
is now in a dying condition at his home in
this city.
Harrison J. Barrett, Tyner's nephew and
Office Department. who for the past several
wears has appeared as counsel before the
Department for various alleged fraudulent
concerns.
James T. MetcaK. former Superintendent
Of the money order division Of the Post
Office Department, who was summarily
dismissed some time ago for endeavoring
TO divert q contract for printing money
order blanks.
Harry C. Hallenbeck, senior member Of
the firm OF Wynkoop, Hallenbeck, Craw-
ford Co OF New York, the firm which
formerly had the contract for printing tho
blanks used In the money order service,
and to which Supt. Metcaf endeavored to
divert the contract mentioned above.
Norman r. Metcalf, son Of former Super
lntendent Metcalf. who is alleged to be
involved In the printing contract frauds.
William d. Doremus, inventor and pro-
prietor Of the Doremus cancelling machine,
who Is alleged to have used bribery to
introduce his machine into the postal
service.
State Senator George E. Green Of Bing-
hAmton, N. Y, who is alleged to be in
vulved in the Doremus machine frauds.
George W. Beavers, former Superin-
tendent Of the salary and allowance d.
vision of the Post Office Department, who
Is alleged to have received a commission
on sales Of the Doremus machine to the
Government.
August w. Machen, alleged to have re-
ceived a commission on the purchase Of
rural free delivery carrier badges from
Charles j. Heller Of Philadelphia.
Barrett was arrested here this afternoon
and later released on $4,000 bail. Owing
TO Gen. Tyner's critical condition, the usual
formal process Of arrest was dispensed
with and Tyner merely held in 5000 bail.
The indictment of Barrett and Tyner
is the result Of months Of painstaking and
persistent work on the part Of Fourth
Assistant Postmaster General Bristow, As
sistant Attorney General Robb and In
spectors Fulton and vickery Of the detec-
tive force Of the Department and Is a climax
to the reports in general circulation for
the past two years that fraud and corrup-
ton existed In tho office OF the Assistant
Acknowledgement for the Post Office De-
partment.
The securing OF evidence against Tyner
and Barrett has been admittedly the
most difficult portion OF the inquiry. At
the beginning Of the investigation, last
March, Inspectors Fulton and yickery
we're assigned to- the Assistant Attorney
Generals Office. They have been working
practically ever since, endeavoring to
hnd sufficient evidence against the two
men TO warrant the drawing OF indct-
ments.
On a number Of occasions during the
last three months they were on the verge
Of success, and each time indictments
we're drawn and presented to the Grand
Jury for action. But on each occasion
legal flaws we're discovered In the docu-
ments and the work had to be gone over
Recently, however, additional evidence
was secured, and the indictments drawn
Up by Assistant District Attorney Tasgart
and made public to-day are satisfactory
In every particular to the Post Office De-
partment officers, who express confidence
In Barrett's conviction. 1yner will never
be tried. He is over 80 years old, and his
death Is expected at almost any time.
The facts upon which the indictment Of
Tyner and Barrett are based are as follows,
Tyner being Assistant Attorney General
for the Post Office Department and Bar
rett being assistant attorney in his office
and soon to resign to practice law, entered
into a collusive agreement to use their
respective positions for financial gain when
Barrett should open an Office of his own.
Barrett was to resign on Jan. l, 1900, and
for a considerable time before that Tyner
and Barrett had under consideration the
cases of about eighty so called bond in
vestment concerns.
1t was ryner's province to decide whether
the business Of these companies was fraudu-
lent and whether the use OF the mails should
be denied them. 1t is known that Barrett
and Tyner decided that the schemes were on
the order Of lotteries and were therefore
fraudulent. They should have reported
this to the Poatmaster-Generalf for the
issuance OF orders denying the concerns
the use Of the mails.
One Of the indictments Ia based on the
fact that these reports were not maze;
Instead Of this Tyner and Barrett decided
TO hold the eighty cases open until Barrett
should begin the practice OF law, and then,
BY means In their power, to create the i'm
preston in the minds OF those operating
the concerns that Barrett was the only
man who could .help the game along.
As part Of this deep laid plot Barrett,
IA Assistant Attorney Of the Post Office
Department. prepared a long opinion on
bond investment concerns, which was
later published and sent out broadcast
where it would do the most good, In which
he paved the way for propositions which
he later made to the concerns as a prac-
Using lawyer, former official OF the Assist
ant Ettornev-G Generals Office and nephew