The Dickinson press., 1903-12-05
IN FORCE TEN YEARS
SYSTEM OF CORRUPTION IN POST.
OFFICE DEPARTMENT BE.
GAN IN 1898.
Report Of Fourth Assistant Postmaster
General sristow, Giving In Detail
che Result Of His Investigation
Made Pubiic-Grafter Secured Sew.
eral Hundred Thousand Dollars, but
the Government Lost Many Millions.

Washington, Dec. 1.-The report
OF ]. L. Bristow, fourth assistant post.
master general, who has had charge
OF the postal fraud inquiry, has been
made public.
The records of 1000 postoffices have
been gone over and the files of the
department examined for a period of
nearly ten years.
1t Is found that the system of or
ganized corruption began in 1893 and
has continued until stopped by this in,
vestigation.
During this period corrupt officials
and their confederates have secured
between 100000 and 100000. but this
sum is small in comparison with the
millions that have been lost to the
government through all phases of the
graft.
AS a result of the investigation four
officers Of the department have re-
signed, thirteen have been removed
and forty-four indictments have been
found, involving thirty-one persons,
ten of whom are in the postoffice de.
partment.
In the report the part played by for.
mer Assistant Postmaster General
Heath In the corruption receives Sc.
we're criticism, but no indictment has
been found against him.
Memorandum by the President.
The Bristow report makes 100000
words, but the abstract made public
contains about $4,000 and is accompa-
MED by memorandum" written by
President Roosevelt, in which he COM
ments upon the facts set forth in the
report and delivers denunclation of
the corruption, with his personal char
acterization Of evildoing on the part of
government officials.
One of the most interesting parts of
the presidents memorandum Is his in
direct reference to the indefinite
charges made against Perry S. Heath,
the secretary Of the national Republic
an committee, who was first assistant
postmaster general in the Mckinley
administration. President Roosevelt
expresses no opinion as to the guilt or
innocence of Mr.. Heath but contents
himself with calling attention to the
fact set forth in the Bristow report
that Beavers, the former chief of the
salaries and allowance division of the
fourth assistant postmaster generals
office, who is now under indictment,
made direct charge that in at least
one instance he was compelled to
share bribe money with Heath, state
ment that, it Is admitted in the re-
port. Heath denies, and the evidence
in support of it was not regarded by
the district attorney as sufficient to
warrant his indictment.
Extend Statute of Limitations.
The president expresses regret that
the STATUTE of limitations expires at
the length of three years from the
time Of wrongdoing of officials and he
urges that the limit be extended to
at least five years, as recommended
by the attorney general.
A surprise is the accusation against
General Tyner, who was summarily re-
moved from the office of attorney for
the postoffice department and who, the
publis has heretofore believed, was the
honest victim OF designing subordi.
mates. The president, however, says
that Tyler wass knowingly and will
fully corrupt.
The so called Tulloch charges, relat-
ing chiefly to the lax methods en-
ployed in the department when Heath
was first assistant postmaster general,
are not referred to in the report now
made public but will be dealt with
later.
The greater part of the abstract Ia
taken UP by the history of the scan
dals in the salary and allowance divi-
sion. the administration of Superin.
tendent Beavers, according to Mr..
Bristow, having been more demoraliz-
ing upon the integrity of the service
than that of Superintendent Machen
of the free delivery division"