Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-31
MORE INDICTMENTS
Grand Jary's Action in Pest
Office Cases.
MACHEN AND OTHERS
CONSPIRED TO DEFRAUD The
GOVERNMENT.
w, G. Crawford Indicted for Present.
ing a False Claim Against the
United States.

| evidence in a most careful manner, the
federal grand jury made what is believed
to be It's final report on the post ONCE IN
| vestigation today. No mention Is MADE OF
| Beavers or of several others whom ru-
| NOR had under the searchlght of the
jury's examination, but Machen inquired IN
several of them and two manufacturers OF
| post office supplies. One of the parties In
dicted, John T. Cupper, Is the mayor of
| Iockhaven Pa, and another is the resi-
| dent agent of the Postal Lock and Device
| Company of New York city.
1t is not known whether or not the grand
Jury will continue to consider post office
| cases No other indictments Of any KIND
| were returned by the jury today, the con-
| sideration of all other matters having been
! postponed until the post office cases should
| be disposed Of
The Indictments.
| The grand jury today reported indict-
ments against the following named persons
| on charges growing out of the post office
| investigate Leopold J. Stern of Balu-
| more; William c. Long of this city, and
| August ". Machcn. late general superin-
| tendent of the division Of free delivery Of
! the Pest Office Department, for conspiracy
to defraud the government; August W.
| Machen. Thomas w MacGregor. formerly
| a clerk in th, rural free delivery division,
| and Maurice Runke of New York city for
| conspiracy; August ". M&chen, William
G. Crawford George +. LorenZ and
| Martha j. I.orcnz. also for conspiring to
| defraud the government; August W. Mach
| en- John T. Cupper, mayor of LockhaVen.
| Pa. and William c. Long, consprinB to
| defraud the government: William {. Long,
| bribery; John r. Cuppcr. bribery, and VIM.
| G.. Crawford for presenting a false claim
| to the government. Crawford is the local
agent of the Postal Lock and Devise Com
| pany. a corporation organized under the
| laws of the state of New Jersey.
| The Allegations.
| The Indictment against Stern. Long and
Machen charges them with a violation OF
| section $40 of the Revised Statutes of
| the United States by entering into a con
spracy to defraud the United States. rms
| indictment sets forth in substance that
Stern entered into a contract with the
| United States to furnish letter carriers
| satchels and letter collectors satchels for
| the branch Of the postal service known as
the free delivery service at certain prices
| specified in the contract to be paid by the
| United States, which satchels were to be
| supplied in each case with a leather strap,
| called a shoulder strap and that the cost
| of each of these shoulder straps to Stern,
| in complying with his contract, would
| amount to - cents. 1t then charges that
| Machen in his official capacity was to pro-
| cure shoulder straps at the expense of the
| United States and the delivery of the same
| to Stern, to be used by him In the perform
| ance of the contract to the end that
| saving might be effected to Stern of 70
cents on each satchel, to be furnished and
! delivered by him to the United States; and
| that, notWithS landing the furnishing or
| such shoulder straps by the United States,
| Stern should charge the full contract price
| for each satchel furnished by him. and that
| portion of the saving to Stern should be
| retained by him and the residue paid to
| Long to be divided between Long and
| MacEen.
| Various overt acts of Machen In his Off
| cial capacity, done In pursuance of the
| conspiracy and to effect its object set
| forth such as the procuring of purchases
| by the United States of such shoulder
| straps and the delivery of them to Stern
| to be used In this way. Overt acts on
| the part of Stern in receiving and using
| the shoulder straps bought by the United
| States and the presentation Of bills to the
| Post Office Department. without deduction
| or allowance for these shoulder straps. are
| also set forth; and various overt acts of
| Long, in the receiving of money from
| Stern, in the furtherance of the conspiracy
| and to effect its object. are also set forth.
| Furnishing Satchels.
! In the indictment against August w. Ma
! hen, Thomas w. MacCireKor, former
| clerk in the Post Office Department. and
| Maurice Runkle of New York city, these
| men are charged with conspiracy to de-
| fraud the government. This fraud was
similar to the other, in that Runkle had a
contract to furnish certain satchels with
straps, but failed to supply them. and they
| were furnished py the department. For
| these concessions Runkle paid large sums
| to Machen, aggregating $1,000 to Machen
| and 500 to MacGregor.
| In the Indictment against William @.
| Crawford, w. w. Machen, Martha G. LOr-
| enz and George +. Lorenz. for fraud Craw-
| ford represented the Postal Lock and De-
| vice Company. He got contract for fur
nishing certain letter carriers satchels last
| July. The contract called for shoulder
| straps for the satchels, but he did not fur
| nish them. and they were furnished by tho
United States. and delivered to him to be
| then presented bills for the full amount
| which on the recommendation Of Machen
! were paid. For these concessions Cra ford
paid through Lorenz and wife. about 80 per
| cent Of the amount received from the gov
| ernment to Machen At the present time
the company had received about $21. 900 for
the satchels. OF this amount Crawford
| paid LOrenz about $1,000, and the latter has
| divided with Machen. While the Postal
| Lock and Device Company Is New Jersey
| corporation, Crawford has been the vice
! president, manager and attorney in Wash
| ington. and all of this fraud is chargeable
| to him, SO far as the company is concerned.
Painting Letter Boxes.
Another Of the indictments is against
| A. w. Machen. John c. Cupper and Will
| liam c. Long, and is also for violation Of
| section $40 Of the Revised Statutes. Be
tween July l. 1897, and July l, 1901, Cupper
| procured Machen to get him the contracts
for painting letter boxes in various parts
| of the country. and for furnishing the ma
| terials for painting other letter boxes,
| package boxes and posts He painted them
In various cities. In addition. there were
| 17,771 boxes at the factory at Reading, Pa,
| and 2,O4S at the factory at Cleveland. Ohio.
| which he painted. Cupper paid a rake-off
Of 10 cents box to Machen, through
| Long as intermediary
An Indictment was also returned against
| William c. Long separately for violation of