The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-12-23
THE P0s1OfFItE FRAUDS.
seathisg Report Of Assxs. Con.
rad agd sanapa7is.
The CHARGES oF 5. ". TIILI0gK,
Ex-Cashisr of the Washington
PostofRce, are Sustained by
the Report.

Washington, Dec. 16.-The report
of Messers Conrad and Bonaparte on
the charges made by S. W. Tulloch
formerly cashier of the Washington
city postof6ce. against the administra-
ton of this Office. was made public
today. Under instructions from the
President the report views the Tulloch
charges "from a legal standpoint" J"
The tendency to evade answering
these charges evinced by those reply
ing to the Postmaster Generals re-
quest for such answers, the report
SAYS, is illustrated very forcibly by the
charges against Perry S. Heath, for
mer assistant Postmaster General
which has been made public hereto
fore, and his answers to them.
ssWe consider this answer" it con-
tinues," altogether insufficient, and no
less unsatisfactory in substance than
in form" !"
Continuing the report says the re-
vision of Postmaster Willett's accounts
of itself is sufficient to show that Mr
Heath's official record is not so clear
as to defy suspicion. It adds:
Moreover, the confidential report
of Inspector in Charge Smith, and the
special report of Inspector Little,
tend so strongly to sustain some of the
most serious charges made by Mr..
Tulloch against Mr.. Heath that it is
quite impossible to dispose of these
charges by calling them lies out Of
the whole CLOTH The reasonable in
ference to be drawn from Mr.. Heath's
complete failure to meet fully and ex-
pIicitly accusations which, as Post
master General Payne very justly ad-
monished him, charged him with
many acts of doubtful propriety,' add
ed to the facts appearing from the re-
cord evidence laid before US, oblige Us
to say that at least a strong prima
facie case is presented of wilful and
reckless disregard by the late first as
sistant Postmaster General of the obli-
CATION imposed on him by the regula
tions of his own department., as well
as by the statutes of the United States;
and We feel it our duty to add that
suspicion of his personal integrity
must be inevitably aroused in our
Judgment by an impartial considera-
tion of the facts submitted to Us and
of his plainly inadequate explanations. J"
The report. takes up in detail the
charges of improper appointments of
subordinates and improper disburse
menss of public funds, as contained in
the Tulloch charges, and after analysis
concludes:
$50 far as is indicated by the papers
submitted to Us, the persons directly
responsible for these fraudulent en-
ployments were Messrs. Perry S.
Heath and George W. Beavers, neither
of whom is now in the public service.
It seems clear, however, that his re-
sponsibility extends, in some feature,
to the late Postmaster General, who
appears to have at least tolerated the
practice after notice of it's existence,
and TO the late and present postmasters
at Washington, each of whom appears
to have accepted the transfer to his
Office of number of persons thus en-
ployed without. so far as is known,
any protest or exposure. -
The report comments on Auditor
Castles apparent readiness to disre-
gard the usual safeguards against IN:
authorized expenditures in passing
accounts for employees, the character
of whose services could not be ascer-
tained, and in allowing Reavers's
"illegal and fraudulent claim of ST.
148 for expenses in connection with
the Court of Claims. The report says:
we find it impossible to doubt that
Mr. Heath, Mr.. Van Cott and Mr..
Beavers himself all knew that the
paymnt of this additional compensa-
tion was expressly forbidden by law,
and that it was called expenses to
evade the prohibition. -
The summary and conclusions Of the
report are as follows:
As a result of our inquiry in the
Tulloch charges" and of the consid-
erations hereinbefore set forth, We
have the honor to report that, N our
judgment:
First, the discussion of the "Tulloch
charges has revealed the existence
of deplorable and gravely discreditable
abuses during the years 1898, 1899 and
1890 in the Washington postoffce, and
the Office of the first assistant Post
master General.
Second, these abuses involved con-
duct on the part Of various public
officials which was certainly often
illegal, and may have been sometimes
criminal, but such offences, if COM
mitted, were ordered to investiage the
"charges, and so far as we are clear
ly informed more than three years be-
fore Mr.. Tulloch's interview Of May /
last
Third, the evidence laid before US
suggests the possibility and even
obability, but does not prove that
abuses may have continued both in
the department and in the postoficc
to the early summer of
1900, when We lose sight of them, and
in connection Herewith criminal
acts may have been committed within
the period Of limitations.
Fourth, the report of Inspector
Cromwell, and the facts relating to
the claim of Geo. B. Beavers, indicate