The Red Cloud chief., 1903-12-04
sRisTow TELLS OF FRAUDS.
Astounding Revelations Of Lcns-E sist.
inu Corruption.

Astounding Revelations Of Lcng.Esist.
ing Corruption.
Tho report OF Fourth Assistant Post
mastcr.Gcnernl ]. l.. Bristow on the
postal Investigation liz substantially az
follows:
lie first takes up the case Of Michael
w. Louis W Cincinnati. appointed In 1897
Acting Superintendent VI tho supply d.
vision. His populations amounted to
many thousands of dollars, lie was re-
moved IN October. 1903.
The administrative methods Of Tyner
and Barrett are clearly Illustrated In a
lumber Of cases which were passed upon
10y them.
MIR Bristow shows how many fraudu-
lent achcmcS We're accorded protection by
barrett and allowed usc OF the mails.
These include many small swindles In
the shape OF lottery inducements. land
Investment schemes. etc.
OF the f.investment' swindles Mr..
Bristow SAYS:
T.. j. Arnold & Co.. of ST. Louis. Mo.
wrr" conducting what IL known an a
turf. Investment" scheme. On Novem-
Der -. 400. tho inspectors, having inves-
tigatcd the company, recommended that
u fraud order be issued against II. In
the meantime the company had employed
barrett ~ it, attorney and paid him n
Zee Of $1,000. And instead of issuing n
fraud order Tyncr gave the company n
letter " commentator Two days after
Tyncr wrote this letter Barrett received
u check of $1,000 as an additional fee.
The npa failed In February, 1903
assets. S76. 900; liabilities. SO. i20.7 76.
j. j. Ryan & Col. j. Ryan a. Co, OF
st. Louis, was "A kindred institution 70
, Arnold 4 90, IN October, 1907, the In
5pocloIs iotomm, nded a traud order
against this company. The company was
given n herring by the Assistant Attor-
ncy Generals Office and another investi-
gntion by the inspectors WA requested.
In the meantime J. M. Johns, an nttor-
ncy AT Rockville, Ind. made n proposition
tn Ryan that Tor n fee OF So, 900 he could
help him. through his friend ID. V. Mil
lcr. of the Assistant ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
office, After some negotiations II was
agreed that $500 would be paid to Johns
by Ryan n he would give him n clean
bin before the post-Ontce department,
This Johns agreed to do, and Miller &C.
cured "A favorable ruling for Ryan a. Co,
which he sent to Johns. As IA result of
this transaction Miller and Johns were
indicted.
Riiing Of the safe.-On April II. 1909.
while the investigation of the Assistant
Attorney-Gcncrals Office was In prog
ress. Mrs. J. n. Tyncr. In a clandestine
manner. admitted Mrs. barrett and Mr..
Hammer. n safe expert, Into q private
room of the Assistant Attorney Generals
Office, where he unlocked the safe and
took out all Of the contents, which Mrs.
Tyner carried of. What was In the safe
no ono knows but the Tyncrs. Mrs.
Tyner stated that she went to the office
and secured the contents OF tho safe un-
der the direction of her husband. which
statement he confirmed. As n result OF
this episode Tyncr WAS summariIy re-
moved from the office of Assistant Attor-
ney-Genrral and Christiancy resigned. :
For uix stnAAr rxv,Art nAxNtptu-
tration certain favored frauds and lotter-
les were given free use OF the mails.
Barrctt's scheme to resign and practice
before the Office. and Tyner's part in
that scheme, ns set forth In the body OF
this report. was the climax OF official per-
fdy. more evil in Its results and more
demoralizing to the public conscience
than outright embezzlcment or open
theft.
Tyner and Barrett were Indicted on
October 3 by the grand jury for the Dis
trict OF Columbia for conspiracy to de-
fraud.
The frauds in money order forms, In
which James y. Metcalf. superintendent
OF the money-Order system. Is involved.
and for which he wns removed from
office. are next taken M.
A Ions list OF swindles carried out by
August w. Machen OF Ohio Is enumerat-
cd. and the charge ~ made that he has
been guilty OF forgery. The schemes by
which the government was defrauded In
cludc carriers satchels. the Groff fasten-
ers for letter boxes. painting OF street
letter boxes. carriers leather cases. the
contract for street letter boxes. package
boxes. the Montague Indicator. a device
attached to street letter boxes showing
the hours OF collection. and rural carriers
badges.
Thc report continues:
I'm August, 1897. George w. Beaver
was appointed chief OF the salary and al.
lowance division. Beavers methods hav,
been reckless and without rule or regu'
larity. Increases OF allowances for clerl
hire in post-ofiices were made as mat
tiers OF favor regardless OF the necessitie,
OF the service. Promotions were fire.
quently made without consideration o.
the merits of the clerk promoted. Long
time leases for post-oflce premises wer,
Cancelled and the rent increased upon tn,
recommendation of prominent politica
leaders. sometimes without regard to tn,
rental value OF the premises"
In the list OF Beavers misdeeds ar,
Included the sale of promotions, and tho
padding of pay rolls for clerk hire. oper-
atoms which netted Beavers many thou.
sands OF dollars.
The report shows that the government
has been swindled out OF a vast amount
OF money by fraudulent leases. Twenty
cases are cited, in all OF which Beavers
WAS lHIllltuttu, uliu Whitn udNt DttU
fully proved. The revelations in this
connection. and in the case OF the pur-
chasing Of large amounts of Brandt
Automatic Cashiers are astounding.
MI. Brlstow says:
eliminating from consideration all I'm
dications of fraud and passing upon the
case wholly as a question OF administra
tive judgment. 1t appears to me that this
transaction would have justified the sum
mary removal from office OF First Assist
ant Postmaster-General Heath and
George w. Beavers. -.
But the element OF fraud can not be
eliminated. Men Of ordinary intelligence
rarely waste the public revenues In such
Il manner without "a personal motive. A
bride Of 312. 500 was paid Congressman
Edmund II. briggs to secure the order
for 250 machines. A part OF this money
has been traced to the bank account OF
Beavers.