Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1903-10-16
PAYNE'S "HOT AIR."
INDICTMENTS ARE FOUND BUT
NO CONVICTIONS FOLLOW.

The Policy of the G. o. P. Is Delay and Prob.
ably a Congressional Committee to White
wash the "Rascals Body Guard From
the War Department Suggested for the Pres
ident-The Business Of the Postal Depart
ment-Nesroes Demand More Than Ac-
acknowledgement Of Debt Of Gratitude From
the Administration Party-Secretary Shaw's
Extraordinary Financial Exploits.
(From our regular correspondent
WASHINGTON, Oct. 8, 1903.
A little more than four months ago
Postmaster General Payne declared in
an interview that reports of scandals
in the Postoffice were Z" hot air" and a
"stump speech" To-day thirty per-
sons, including q former Postmaster
General, four heads of divisions, and
two assistant attorneys Of the Post
Office, besides an ex-Congressman, .
New York State Senator and Penn
sylvania Mayor, stand indicted and
awaiting trial for defrauding the gov
eminent through the Postoffice De.
partment. Against one official four.
teen indictments were found, against
another six and against several of
them two to three. On Monday the
Washington grand jury was dismissed
and its last act was to announce thir.
teen new indictments against ten men.
The names on the list are James N.
Tyner, Harrison J. Barrett, George w.
Beavers, w. Scott Towers, James T.
Metcalf, August w. Machen, Norman
r. Metcalf. Harry G. Hallenbeck,
William ID. Doremus and George f.
Green. The trials of these men will
begin during the present session of
the court and they are expected TO
drag along through the winter and
through next summer. The frauds
may be divided into three classes the
taking OF commissions on supplies pur-
chased by the department, the accept
ing of considerations in return for nj.
lowing fraudulent concerns to use NE
mails and tho incorrect charging of
expense accounts to the department.
Among the latest indictments the
most interesting is that Of Tyner. He
is nearly eighty years old and has held
high positions in the Postoffice De.
partment for many years. At one
time during the Presidency Of General
Grant he was Postmaster General. Be-
fore his recent dismissal he was As.
sistant Attorney General for the Post.
office. As such he was the chief legal
adviser to the department, yet he is
| the very one, who with his nephew-in.
law Barret, allowed the misuse of the
mails by =" rich.quick" concerns. The
report OF Fourth Assistant Bristow
will be ready about October Goth. 1t
is said to consist of $50 typewriter
pages. This will practically end the
Investigations, unless the Republicans
carry out their present intentions OF
calling for q Congressional investiga-
ton, A" to forestsll the Democrats"
Washington was startled last Mon.
day by the news that an armed lunatic
was arrested at the White House
where he had gone in a vain attempt
to see the President. The Waterman
expected him as he had sent his photo
graph a few days before to Secretary
Loeb 10 a letter asking for an inter-
view with President Roosevelt. The
police officers tried to induce him to
leave quietly but be refused and in q
dispute which followed he became VIC.
lent and drew a revolver. He was dis.
armed at once and carried off to the
police station. On his way there he
struggled with his guard who was Sc.
verely injured in the arm by the glass
of the window which was broken dur
ing the scuffle. The police later
learned that the man was Q Dane
named Peter Elliott and that he had
just come to Washington from Mime
apolis, where he spent his time trying
to invent a perpetual motion machine.
He was pronounced insane and sent to
an asylum. It was also learned that
on the preceding Sunday he followed
the President to church and shook
hands with him after the service. This
fact shows the futility OF the Presi-
dents guard, for had Elliott 90 desired
be might have shot the President as
he shook hands with him, though il
is probable the President would have
quickly disarmed him. The incident
has led TO another discussion of the
question OF the Chief Executives body.
guard. The present secret men are
detailed from the Treasury depart.
ment without any special authority
and therefore regarded 40 Q kind Of
makes shift. There is some talk of in
Producing . bill at tho next session
providing for . regular guard detailed
from the War Department. It is said
that the members Of the Presidents
Cabinet will advocate such measure.
A report has just been issued show.
ing the Postoffice transactions for the
fiscal year. The expenditures amount
ed to $138, 7S4 ,487.97 and the receipts
$I34 ,224 .443.24, thus leaving = deficit
of $4,56OO44.73. The total financial
transaction for the year, including the
money order system, were 81 ,O26, 73I,.
4O7. SO, thus for the first time passing
the billion dollar mark. illustrating
the magnitude OF the postal opera.
lions, an official said, If errors escape
detection in the Auditors Office
amounting to 1-100th of l per cent. Of
the business handled, the sums lost in
six years would reach $500, 600. or FIVE
times the amount involved in the pos
tai frauds now under investigation"
The negroes of the District Of Co.
lumbia continue to criticize the Re-
publican party. At . recent meeting
at which many members of the Suf-
frage League we're present. the Presi-
dent OF the league declared that the
colored people were going to create .
stir il their liberties were taken away
from them. Another speaker added, |
"Let US not be led astray by talk Of |
industrial education, and holding OF
property. II they can steal the ballot