The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1903-10-15
WASHINGTON LETTER
(FROM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT
Washington, D. g., Oct. 10, 1870

Washington, D. G., Oct 10, 1903
A little more than four months ago
Postmaster General Payne declared in
an interview that reports of scandals in
the Postoffice were "hot air" and a
stump speech" Today thirty persons,
including a former postmaster general,
four heads Of divisions, and two assist
ant attorneys Of the Postoffice besides
an ex-congressmsn, a New York state
senator and Pennsylvania mayor, stand
indicted and awaiting trial for defraud
ing the government through the Post
office Department. Against one official
fourteen indictments were found against
another six and against several of them
two or three. On Monday the Washing
ton grand jury was dismissed and its
last act was to announce thirteen new
indictments against ten men. The
names on the list are James N. Tyner,
Harrison j. Barret, George w. Beavers
w. Scott Towers, James I. Metcalf,
August w. Machen, Norman r. Met
calf, Harry O. Hallenbeck, William d.
Doremus and George E. 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
purchased by the department, the ac
cepting of considerations in return for
allowing fraudulent concerns to use the
mails and the incorrect charging Of ex-
pense accounts to the department.
Among the latest indictments the most
interesting is that Of Tyner. He is near
ly eighty years old and has held high
positions in the Postoffice Department
for many years. At one time during
the presidency of General Grant he was
Postmaster General. Before his recent
dismissal he was Assistant Attorney
! General for the Postoffice AS such he
was the chief legal adviser to the dt-
partment, yet he is th.c very one, who
with his nephew -in-Iaw Barrett allowed
the misuse of the mails by get rich
quick" concerns. The report Of Fourth
Assistant Bristow will be ready about
| October 60 1t is said to consist of $50
type written pages This will practic-
ally end the Investigations, unless the
republicans carry ont their present in
tentions of calling for q congressional
investigation, Ito forestall the demo-
Gratis"
Washington was startled last Monday
by the news that an armed lunatic was
arrested at the White House where he
had gone in vain attempt to see the
President The watchman expected
him as he had sent his photograph a few
days before to Secretary Loeb in letter
asking for an interview with President
Roosevelt. The police officers tried to
induce him to leave quietly but he re-
fused and in a dispute which followed
he became violent and drew revolver.
He was disarmed at once and carried off
to the police station, On his way there
he struggled with his guard who was
severely injured in the arm by the glass
of the window which was broken during
the scuffe. The police later learned
that the man was Dane named Peter
Elliott and that he had just come to
Washington from Minneapolis, where
he spent his time trying to invent per
petual motion machine. He WAS pro.
nounced insane and sent to an asylum.
| 1t was also learned that on the proceed
| ing Sunday he followed the Presiden. 10
/ church and shook hands with him after
the service. This fact shows the fulfill
ty of the Presidents guard, for had
Elliott so desired he might have shot
the President rs he shook hands with
him. though it is probable the President
would have quickly disarmed him. The
incident has lead to another discussion
of the question of ihe Chief Executive 8
body guard. The present secret men
are detailed from the Treasury Depart
ment without any special authority and
therefore regarded as a kind Of make
shift There is some talk of iptroduc-
ing bill at the next session providing
for regular guard detailed from the
War Department 1t is said that the
members of the Presidents cabinet will
advocate such measure.
A report has just been issued showing
the Postoffice transactions for the fiscal
year. The expenditures amounted to
$13s, 764, 4S7. 81 and the receipts $l34,
224, 443. "a thus leaving deficit OF 81,
$50, 044.73. The total financial trans.
action for the year including the money
order system, were l,O26, 73l 407. 96,
| thus for the first time passing the billion