Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1903-07-30
ANOTHER REMOVAL
Superintendent Hedges, of Texas
Loses His Position.
He Is Charged with Ealsifyin2 HE
Diary, Loaning Travelling Com-
mission and Collecting Illegal
Expenses-HedgesT Thinks
Dismissal Is Unjust.

Washington, July 23.-Charles
Hedges was yesterday removed from
the Office of superintendent of free
delivery of the pos.otiice department
on the charge of falsifying his diary
and loaning his travelling commission.
1T is charged that he reported him
self at various places when in fact he
was not at those places on the dates
mentioned, in some instances being
hundreds of miles away.
Mr.. Hedges, while making no gen
eral denial of the charges, contended
that they were not sufficient justifi-
cation for removal. Erwin II. Thorpe,
postoilce inspector in charge at New
\ orii, who has been assisting in the
administration of the free delivery
service since the inception of the in
vestigation, has been designated act
ing superintendent of free delivery
in place of Mr.. Hedges.
The following is the official state
ment of the case made public by
Fourth Assistant Postmaster Cen
eral Bristow
Charles Hedges was today re-
moved from the office of superintend-
ent of free delivery for falsifying his
diary and loaning his travelling com
mission. He reported himself at
various places on public business
when in fact he was not in those
places OH the dates mentioned, but
elsewhere, in some instances hun
dreds of miles distant. On October
%, 1900, he states under cath in his
diary that he was at Joplin, Mo-, on
extension of free delivery service,
when in fact he was in Mansfield, o.,
attending the funeral of eX-Secretary
John Sherman.
"On December Z, 1899, he reports
himself at San Antonio, Tex, inves-
tigating carrier service while in fact
he was in Mexico examining mining
property. In October, 1899, A. w.
Machen, superintendent of free de-
livery, was sick with typhoid fever
and Hedges was at the department
acting as superintendent. In his
diary he states, under oath, that he
was at various places, namely, New
York, Philadelphia, Bridgeport,
Conn: Camden, \. j., and elsewhere,
actually engaged in travelling on the
business of the free delivery service.
"Assistant superintendents of free
delivery are allowed a per diem of
$500 per day in lieu of expenses for
each day engaged actually travelling
on the business of the department.
Hedges false statements as to his
whereabouts on these days were
manifestly for the purpose of collect
ing per diem to which he was not en-
titled.
There are many other instances
of similar Justification. The facts
were submitted to the postmaster
general some days since, who direct
ed Hedges removal for the reasons
above set forth"
The case was worked up by Post
Office Inspector George Sutton, as
sisted by Inspectors Bennett and
Jones. There we're several charges
on file against Mr.. Hedges, but none
of these constituted the basis of his
/ dismissal. The acts which led to his
/ removal were discovered by the in
spectors in the course of their gen
eral investigation of the records of
/ the free delivery office. The case has
been under Investigation for several
weeks. Mr.. Bristow summoned Mr.
/ Hedges shortly before the close OF
office hours yesterday and notified
/ him of his dismissal. Mr.. Hedges re-
/ iterated his contention that his dis
miSsal was not warranted.