The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-04-24
TYNER PEREMPIORILY REMOVED
His Wife Robs the Safe Of the Postoce Department of
discriminating Papers, Sensational Incident in the
Postohce Scandals-They Are Liable
to Criminal Prosecution

Washington, April 24.--Ross Perry, the
attorney Tor Mrs. James N. Tyner, whose
husband yesterday was Summarily re-
| moved from his position as assistant at
| torney general for the postoffice depart
| ment under rather sensational Circum-
stances, called upon Attorney General
Knox to-day and talked over the case
! with him. He told the attorney. general
! that the papers taken by Mrs. Tyner were
altogether personal, but that they would
be returned when called for. The attorney
general declined to make any statement
concerning the case pending the receipt Of
the papers, which have not yet been re-
ferred to the department by the postmas-
ter general.
Washington. April 24.--Postmaster Gen
| eral Payne has peremptorily removed
James N. Tyner, assistant attorney gen.
eral for the postoffice department on a
criminal complaint and handed over to
| the department Of justice all the papers
| III the case. s,.,4 ~. 81 -
General Tyner has been connected with
the department for nearly thirty years
and at one time held the position Of post
master general He has been a member
of congress He is II years of age, para
lyzed, but after this record and in; this
physical condition, he is liable to criminal
prosecution. The penalty is a fine Of
Public Records Abstracted. -
General Tyner has ben under investiga-
ton and his resignation had been accepted
to take effect May 1. But last Tuesday
afternoon his wife went to his office, ac-
! companied by q safe expert opened the
safe and carried away public records
which it was desired should not fall into
the hands of Fourth Assistant Postmaster
General Bristow, who is conducting the
Investigation. <
Mrs. Tyner refused to deliver these pa
pers to the inspector who called at the
house to demand them, and said as excuse
that she had taken them by direction of
her husband.
The revelation of such high handed pro-
ceedings by an official under investigation
convinced Postmaster General Payne that
the investigation he has ordered is timely
and that it must be conducted without re-
gard to the high position Of some of the
men under fire.
Compromising Papers.
The inspectors have been at work In this
office of General Tyner and they have
learned enough to convince them that
some Of General Tyner's assistants haye
keen using their positions in an illegal
manner. There were complaints from
policy men in Chicago and st. Louis that
they had paid a nephew Of General Tyner
to prepare their advertisements so that
they would be accepted as legitimate by
the attorney general for the department.
These papers and others of an alleged
compromising character are said to have
been in the safe. ... = 49,
Public records have been taken and it is
sand these are all of an discriminating
character. But whether the papers were
private are public, innocent or incriminat
ing, the maner in which they were taken
was criminal and subjects General Tyner
his wife. her sister and the safe expert
who accompanied her to criminal prosecu
tion. .a ISIS >,..,.t.[s
|. Postmaster General Payne has made
public his correspondence with General
Tyner, accepting his resignatio on uIarch
9, and the letter of yesterday, notifying
him of his peremptory removal The last
letter is as follows: '.2+ &c
Letter Of Dismissal.
april 90, 19O3:-Hon. James ~ Tvner,
Assistant Attorney General for the Post
office Department: Sir-You are hereby
removed from the office of assistant attor-
ney general for the postoffice department..
Il deem it proper to give you the .rea-
sons for this summary action on the part
of the department.. Early in the month
Of March communicated to you, thru
mutual friend, a request for your resigna-
ton. After a painful interview with you,
and more painful one with Mrs. Tyner,
1 consented to modify the demand for your
resignation so that it might take effect
on May 1. 1908; with the proviso, however,
that. you were given leave of absence from
the time of the acceptance of the resigna-
ton to- date Of it's taking effect, with the
understanding that you were not in any
way to undertake to discharge the duties
of the office. 4. -
Late yesterday afternoon Mrs. Tyner
came to the office of the assistant attor-
ney general for the postoffice department,
entering in the regular way, and went
thru the main office to the private office,
closing the door behind her. She then
unlocked the door entering from the pub
lie hall into the private room, and adj
mitted her sister, Mrs. Barrett, whose
son was formerly: an assistant In your
office and whose conduct Is now under
investigation by the department.. She
also admitted, in the same manner G. G..
Hammer, an expert in the employ of the
Mosier Safe company, with whom she had
made an arrangement to meet her at the
department. At her. direction Mr.. Ham
ner opened the safe in the room, and she
took therefrom all papers, records and
articles of every kind and carried them
away with her. -,.-.
Immediately upon learning of what had
been done, directed the fourth assistant
postmaster general to send two inspectors
to your house to demand in the name Of
the postmaster general the delivery to
them Of any documents or other valuables
which had been distracted from the safe.
r This demand was refused by. Mrs
Tyner, and she likewise refused to per-
NIT the inspectors to see YOU. or to see
and examine the papers lin her presence.
Mrs. sTyner further stated to THE post
office inspectors that she committed this
act, with your knowledge and by your di-
rection. Further comment on this trans
action, on my: part, is rot necessary.
The facts in the case will be submitted
to. the attorney general Of the United
States for such action in the premises
as he may deem proper. Very respects
fully, >s.-- Il ~ ea--. Henry c.. Payne ~
Postmaster General.
The sensational removal and the deter