The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1903-05-29
SENSATIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
General Superintendent Of Free Delivery
Service Arrested OIL Charge Of Ac-
cepting "Rake Offs"

postof1ice investigation up to this
time occurred today, when August
w. Machen, the general suprrlnton-
dent of the free delivery service, was
arrested ON a warrant issued upon
tn" information Of postotfice inspec,
tors charging him with having re-
ceived "rake offs" from contracts
made with the local firm of Gotf
Brothers for patent postal box
fastener. The warrant specifically
charges him with receiving $lS,0Sl.7S
since August 8, 1900. 1t is alleged,
however, at the department that this
amount does not represent all that
| Machen obtained in connection with
these contracts, it being charged that
he protited by them for several years
prior to the date of the first contract
mentioned in the warrant. Other
arrests are to follow.
Immediately after Mr.. Machen
WAS taken inio custody the Postmas.
ter general issued an order removing
him from office. He had been pruc-
tically under suspicion for fort
night pending the investigation into
his bureau The discovery of Ma
chen's alleged interests in the con-
tracts was made quite accidentally
| by the inspectors some three weeks
ago, and since then their energies
had been directed toward making out
a case. Last night, after tho au.
thOrities had bee Come convinced that
they were IN possession of the Deces
sary evidence, Mr.. Machen was no
tiged to appear at the department
this morning. He did 30 and was
subjected to sweating" process by
the inspectors and Mr.. Bristow for
three hours, but no admission that he
had protited by the contract conld
be obtained from him. He declined
to answer many questions on tho
ground that they related to his pri
vate business, but insisted to the ond
that he had not received cent i'm
properly.
Nevertheless he WAS arrested on
the warrant which had been prepared
and was taken before United States
commissioner, where his attorney i'm
mediately demanded full hearing.
Assistant District Attorney Taggart,
however, was not ready to proceed
with the case and the hearing was
set for June S. Mr.. Machen gave Il
$4,000 bond, furnished by PhiIa-
delphia bonding company, for his
appearance, declining to accept the
proifer of friends to go on his bond
After his release he decliu ed to make
any statement beyond the single
declaration that the whole thing was
a grand stand play and would come
out all right.
MR. PAyNE's EYES OPENED AT LAST.
Postmaster General Payne says
that the evidence against MacheI
was of the most conclusive character
ut is very sad affair."" MIR
Payne added: "it is very serious bu
siness. The probabilities are tina
the end is not yet"
The Postmaster General said tina
, the department WAS running dow
all of the charges that have beel
made concerning postal administra
tion; that many charges had bee
made which are not known to tb
public, and that where few wor
: substantiated great numbers of tn
: allegations proved without founds
o tion.
s. He made the significant suggos
/. ton that there we're many othe
y charges Of irregularities in the fre
delivery office now being investigated
Commenting on the arrest of Dant
s V. Miller, the assistant attorney
Z. which preceded by forty. eight hour
8 that Of Mr. Machen, Mr.. Payne sai,
Y that he had asked Assistant Attor
ney General Robh whether the RyuI
decision, which Mr.. Christinnc,
signed at the instance Of Miller, wa
proper under the law and under tn,
facts. Mr.. Robb's answer has no
been received.
WATCHING ANOTHER SUSPECT