Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-11-30
BRISTOW'S REPORT.
Reign of Graft Cost Government Many
 Thousands

Reign of Graft Cost Government Many Thousands
 WASHINGTON, Nov. 30.-The repon of Fourth Assistant Postmaster Gener- al Bristow on the postal investigation, just given out, shows that in 1893 a great conspiracy to loot the government was started in the postotfice depart ment. It shows that that conspiracy
 spread into division after division until ] wholesale robbery of the people became a regular and recognized feature of the letting of contracts.
 Attached to the report of Fourth As sistant Postmaster General Bristow is memorandum written by President Roosevelt, in which the president stated that he approved of MT. Bristow's find- irrgs and in which he declared that the l prosecution of those officials found guilty of corruption must be pushed with the utmost vigor
 Perhaps the most amazing feature of General Bristow's report is the dis closure that while the government was defrauded out of millions on single | deal the aggregate amount received by all the official conspirators combined did not amount to over $500, 1000 or $40O,00O. In other words, the public money was thrown away in so reckless fashion that the robbers themselves did not get more than a small percent i age of the golden stream.
 A striking illustration of this is the fact cited by MT. Bristow that Harrison J. Barrett received only $6,O0O from the Arnold turf investment scheme, "yet that concern defrauded the people out of over $3,0oO,OOO
 l Perry s. Heath's name appears prom inently in the report, and he is openly charged with participation in Beavers work. The evidence against him, how ever, was insufficient to cause his in- dictment, though the department sought to have him indicted with State Sena- tor George Fl. Green of New York. ! In connection with the Fraudulent scandal MT. Bristow declares that Judge George E. Baldwin, now United States consul at Nuremberg, Germany,
 knows as much about this fraud as any other party, not even excepting Beavers and Driggs." Baldwin was 1 Mifler's father-in-law.
 Heath is prominent also in the reve-
 lations about the canceling machine 1 scandal
 The investigation made by MT. Bris- tow discloses condition of gross cor ruption in the office of the first assist ant postmaster general and in that of the assistant attorney general for the post office department. Tn the case of Int n4 qann Nn1$
 Machen, the evidence shows that his misconduct began immediately after 1 his appointment in September, 1893. In the case of the general superintendent of salaries and allowances, Beavers, it
 began soon after he was appointed to that place In 1897. Tn the case of As sistant Attorney General Tyner 1t has gone on for & number of years but it is impossible to say exactly when 1t be- i gan. A melancholy feature of the case Is that, with one exception, all the of 1 lenders have been for a number of years in the government service. The following is list of the fourteen post office employees in the service at the time this Investigation was begun who are apparently most seriously impli- 1 cated in the wrongdoing:
 l Ex"Ffrst Assistant Postmaster Gen.
 eral Heath, left the service July 81,
 1900; James N. Tyner, assistant attor-
 ney general for postotfiee department.
 removed April 22, 1903, has since been
 indicted three times; A. W. Machen,
 general superintendent free delivery
 system, removed May 27, 1903, has
 since been indicted fourteen times; 1 George W. Beavers, general superin-
 tendent of salaries and allowances, res
 ignation accepted to take effect March
 S1, 1903, has since been indicted eight
 times; James T. MetcaIf, superintend- l ent money order system, removed June 1 IT, 1903, has been indicted once: Dan- l iel v. Miller, assistant attorney post
 office department, indicted once, after l one mistrial was retrted and acquitted; l Louis Kempner, superintendent regis ! try system, removed Oct. 21, 1903;
 Charles Hedges, superintendent city 1 free delivery service, removed July 22 | 1903; James W. Erwin, assistant super
 tntendent free delivery service, remov-
 ed Sept. 16, 1908, indicted once; W.
 Scott Towers, superintendent station c, Washington, removed Oct 1, 1903, l indicted three times; Otto F. Weis as
 sistant superintendent registry division,
 removed Oct. 21. 1908; T. w. McGreg-
 or, clerk free delivery division, remov-
 ed June 5, 1903, indicted twice; c. F.
 Upton, clerk free delivery division, re-
 moved June 5, 1903, indicted once: M. 1 W. Louis, superintendent supply divi-
 sion, removed Oct. q, 1908; Charles R.
 Terry, clerk supply division, removed
 Oct q. 1903 .....
 Hon, M. A. Wells Dead.