Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-04-29


Washington, April 25.-A most SEN
sational development of the investiga-
ton of post office department affairs
occurred just before the department
closed Thursday, when Postmaster
General Payne announced the sum-
mary dismissal of James N. Tyner, as
sistant attorney general for the post
office, department, coupling with the
announcement the startling charge
that all the papers and records in the
safe in the latter's office had been alb
stracted by Mrs. Tyner, wife of the
discharged official, with the assistance
OF others. The postmaster general
states that Mrs. Tyner has refused the
demand of the government for the re-
turn of papers taken.
Asks Public to Suspend Judgment.
Gen. Tyner asks from the public a
suspension of judgment until he can
put before them the facts relating to
his removal from Office and the cause
assigned therefor by the postmaster
general. The matter has come upon
make a detailed statement, but must
necessarily confine himself to the
brief statement that, "realizing that
his usefulness as a public officer was
seriously impaired by his illness, he
conferred with the postmaster general
as to the time of his resignation, and
it was agreed between them that it
ch lo 10 4o11
May /, 1908. On Tuesday last, feeling
that the time of his retirement from
office was very near, he realized that he
should remove from his office certain
private property and papers belong
ing to his wife and to himself. These
were contained in a safe in his room
at the post office department.
Asked Wife to Get Papers.
Being unable himself to do so he
asked his wife to go to the office and
secure from the safe these papers. This
Mrs. Tyner did. 1t is easy to see now
that it would have been better had
Mrs. Tyner gone to the postmaster
general and asked him to be present
and supervise her act. But neither
| Gen. Tyner nor herself contempla ed
any wrong doing or ina gined that such
would be imputed to them. His many
years service and her frequent visits
to his room made it seem only natural
that she should go there to take his
property since he could not go him
self. When the inspectors came to his
residence and demanded these papers
Gen. Tyner upon the spur of the mo-
ment and without other guide than
his indignation refused to deliver
them. Later on the same evening he
sent letter to Mr.. Bristcw asking him
to come to his house, intending to put
the papers in his charge. Unfortu-
nately Mr.. Bristow was unable to
come. These papers are now in the
possession of Gen. Tyner in the same
condition in which they were when
taken from the safe. They are all the
private papers of Gen. and of Mrs Ty.
ner, save one bundle, which relate to a
matter not at all connected with any
thing now pending in the department
and long since closed. These papers
will all be placed at the disposal of
the proper authorities of the govern
ment"
Long in the Service.
Mr.. Tyner has been in the govern
ment service in various important ca.
Pacities for many years. He is from
Indiana. He served as assistant at.
torney general for the post office de.
partment, later was first assistant
postmaster general. Subsequently
he became postmaster general and
later he again assumed Office in the
department. He is one of the best
known men in official life in Wash.
ington. He and Mrs. Tyner and Pres.
ident and Mrs. Grant were intimate
friends. During the universal postal
congress which met here in 1897, he
was one of the committee which rep,
resented this government.
Attorney General May Act.
The postmaster general has certified
to the attorney general for such action
as he may deem necessary in the cases
of persons involved in the abstraction
of the papers from the safe of the as,
sistant attorney general for the post
Office department.. Postmaster Gen.
eral Payne's letter makes no recon-
mendation beyond submitting the case
for such action as the department. of
justice might deem necessary and
proper.
Senator CuIlOm Faints.
Springfield, ILL.,, April Ex-senator
Shelby Cullom fell over in a faint in