The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-19
POSTAL INQUIRY HA.MPERED.
DIIatOry Methods Of the PrOsecutOr--in.
dictments Found, hut Not signed.

WASHINGTON, June IS Serious frct ion
has dcyeloped between the officers in charge
of the investigation Of the postal service
scandals and Assistant District Attorney
1aggart. This condition is entirely due,
according to high officers of the Post Office
Department. to the dilatory and entirely
unsatisfactory methods employed by Mr..
Taggart in prosecuting the cases in his
hands. It is alleged that the delay is seri
ously hampering the progress of the inquiry
and may even result in the failure of certain
carefully laid plans of the investigators.
Mr.. Taggart, when asked tonight to assign
a reason for the alleged inexcusable delays
in the cases under his charge, indignantly
refused to discuss the matter and practically
ordered the reporter out Of his house.
1t became known to-day that nearly a
week and a half ago the Federal Grand
Jury of the District OF Columbia returned
indictments against two men who have
been drawn into the web of Post Office
scandals, on information presented to t 1t
body by Fourth Assistant Postmaster
General Brstow, the clef investigat ing
Officer and his chief assistant. Inspector
Mayer, who worked up the case against
former Superintendent Machen OF the Divi-
sion of Free Delivery, now under indictment
for accepting brides.
The cases against these two men. whose
names have been frequently mentioned in
connection with the present inquiry, We're
considered by tie Grand Jury 10 be so
conclusive that a very short time was spent
ia IT. liberation, and the indictments We're
immediately returned. Although nothing
remained TO be done prior to the issuance
of warrants for the two men named in the
indictments except to have the formal
papers signed by the foreman of the Grand
Jury this has not been done, notwithstand-
ing that the jury was in session all OF last
week and also this week up to to-day.
To make matters infinitely worse, III the
opinion of Post Office officials, Mr. Taggart
this afternoon adjourned the Grand Jury
until Monday without having the fore
man sign the two indictments in ques-
ton. Apthis signature must be affixed
while the Grand Jury is in sess! ION. the war
rants cannot now be issued until next
Monday at the earliest. This delay will
undoubtedly prove extreme y embarrass-
ing to the Post Office Department officials
in charge OF the investigation, and. be-
cause OF certain important matters which
hinge upon the expected arrests. may
even seriously hamper the progress of the
inquiry.
But this is said to be not all that Assistant
District Attorney Taggart has done to
impede the progress, Of the inquiry. In
formation on which the Grand Jury will be
asked to bring further indict ments against
former Superintendent Machen and the
Croft brothers. his associates In the patent
fasteners bribery scandal, and indictments
against George F.. ;Lorenz and Mrs. Lorenz
OF Toledo, Ohio, the alleged go-betweens,
is said to have been in Mr.. Taggart's hands
for more than a week, and in this matter,
az in that relating to the signing Of the COM
pleted indict ments brought in a week and
a half ago, Department officers are com
pletely in the dark with regard to the
motives Of the Assistant District Attorney.
Further than this, it was learned to-day
that upon one of the arrests, which has
been made a matter OF the future instead
of the present through the course pursued
by Assistant District Attorney Taggart,
depends in large measure the success Of
the Department in a further matter Of
postal service scandal.
The investigating authorities had affairs
so arranged that II was confidently eX-
pected that this specific arrest would do
more To open up heretofore difficult
field Of inquiry and assure its complete
success than any card now In the hands
Of the Post Office Department officers.