New-York tribune., 1903-11-30
PRESIDENTS COMMENTS.
Postal Offenders To Be Punished
HithOut Fear or F1rOr.

- ''fcOf' tNt W A ULOfs
Washington. Nov 29-President RooseveIfs
memorandum. acconpanyins the report %
Fourth Assistant Postmaster General Bristow.
is as follows:
White House November "a 1903
Memorandum upon the various papers subnlittsd
from the Department OF Justice and the
Postof1ce Department concerning the In
vestigation into the corrupt practices obtain
ing in the PostofiCe Department, notably in
the office Of the First Assistant Postmaster
General and in the Office OF the Assistant Az
torney General for that department. All the
documents in the case are herewith for
warded 70 the Postoffcs Department. ard
viii De held ready for submission tc the Con-
Eress whenever II may choose 70 ask for
them.
It appears that in December 1902. Postmaster
General Payne and Congressman z F Loud.
chairman OF the COMMITTEES on the Postoffce ard
Posfroads, held various consultations regarding
the postal service ard as result OF these inter
views IL determined that as soon as pos
sible after the necessary appropriations could r.
made oy the Congress an investigation should oe
made Of the service both Messrs Payne and
Loud agreeing as 20 the need for the investis7-
ton and the time when IL should take place
Accordingly. increase OF 5000 in the appre-
pristion bill reported in January was made fcr
the express purpose OF carrying on the investiga-
tion in question The reasons for the increase in
the appropriation were known only to the Pest
master General TO Congressman Loud and TO
Congressman BromweH
BEGINNING OF THE INQUIRY
subsequently. some time IN January. inforna~
ton was laid before me by Mr. Seckendorn tend
ing TO show improper conduct BY Beavers. gen
eral superintendent Cr the division or salaries
and allowances. and 8fachep. general s1perir-
tendent Of the free delivery system, and BY Nr-
William Allen White. tending 20 show co-rup-
tion b-T or rIrlIsr Tvner Asst=fart At-orrex Gen
eraI for the Pcsrofice Department. First As
sistant Postmaster General yVynre also ia
formed me that he had become suspicious OF the
integrity of both MaChen and Beavers After
full consultation with Mr.. Payne II was decIce0
that Fourth Assistant Postmaster General Bris-
tow should make a thorough ard exhaustive N
vestfgation Of the charges in question ara OF an
matters that might be developed IN come J'oe e
with them. Mr. Bristow's report IS record OF
as thorough a bit Of investigating WORK as mas
ever been done under the government After
this investigation had been N progreSs TOT ahou'
two months il became evident that legal pro
ceedings would have to be undertaken against
some Of the offenders Owing 70 the Importance
~ +hs rasa IN was deemed advisable that special
counsel should be employed. and Messrs- Charles
J. Bonaparte and Holmes Conrad were chosen
for this purpose Messrs. Bonaparte and Con-
rad in their review oe the report OF Mr.. Br1s-
tow, speak as folo"s-
We consider the report. an exceptionally abs.
eandid and imTsT16 c Tsvi9 oI ls ST9lST
: n4nSer Of public onicias It is VoluminoGs
docTnnent but this arises not from proli1ty but
from the nature OF the matters discussed We
sions fuy justded by the facts it sets forth. and
zens that the grave abuses OF long standing which
Il reveals should have grown up in the Postefhcs
abuses ard the attempts made to punish these
responsible for them work OF the highest public
utility. quickly and ably performed
In all that is thus said Of the report of Mr..
Bristow I cordially agree
GROSS CORRUPTION SHOWN.
The investigation made by Mr. Bristow dis
closes condition Of gross corruption in the Of
fee OF the First Assistant Postmaster General
and in that OF the Assistant Attorney General
for the Postofice Department. In the case OF
81. ri-rar liant Of Tvna
evidence shows that his misconduct began i'm
mediately after his appointment IN Septenber.
1898 In the case Of the general superintendent
of salaries and allowances. Beavers. IL began
soon after he was appointed to that place IN
1897 In the case Of Assistant Attorney Cen
eraI Tyner it has gone on for number OF years.
but IL is impossible TO saw exactly when it be-
gan melancholy feature Of the case is that
with one exception all the offenders have been
for number OF years in the government ser
vice. The following is a list OF the fourteen
Postofice employees in the service at the time
This Investigation was begun who are appsrepr-
Iv most seriously implicated in the wronsdoing
together with an account OF the steps that havs
been raken BY the government in each as ana
a statement Of the date OF original appOinrrnsr-
OF each man in the service
THE case OF ex-First Assistant Postr1asts~
General Heath. who left the service JuIv 81
1900. is set forth in the report of SIr BristovI
JAMES y. TYNER. Assistant ATTORNEY General
agent Posfof1ice T)er9rrr.enf VTsTCb i
intervals Of "A few years has been in the Service
President Grant for several months. ne was re
moved April =. 1898 he has since been Indicted
three times
A " MACHEN. general superintendent free de-
livery system appointed clerk in postoffcs at
vice ever since save for three wears ran1Oved
Nav .. 1903, has since been indicted fourteen
times.
GEORGE W BEAVERS. general superintendent
Of salaries and allowance. appointed clerk
ship IN New York POstOfice January 1ssl. con
tinuous service ever since. resignation accepted
to take effect March G.. reS. has since been in-
dicted eight times.
JAMES T METCALF. superintendent money order
system. appointed pOstOftce Inspector February
. 1852 has been IN postal service ever since. re
moved June l.. 1879. has been indicted
DANIEL. V MILLER. assistant attorney, Post
office Department. appointed July l. 1907
moved Nav O. 1896 indicted once after one
r,fstrfaI was retired and acuultted
LOUIS KENPSER. Superi-te tendeli reslstry ssS-
sar apuOinted clerk I'M Nevv-IOr< F0stofire
suausf 1Sss. removed Oct0ber q 1915
-tVApH F,S HEDGES superintendent cirT free de
Ii-srv service. appointed assistant sUperirten-
,ient free delivery service July lss, removed
q 1905
rASfFS " ERWIN. assistant supertatsndeat Tree
delivery service appointed BOstofhce Inspector
June q. 1SS-. removed September Is. 19s. IN
" sscSTT TOWERS superintendent station c.
Washiuston- ID. G. appointed clerk Washington
Postoffce November, 1890. removed October a.
- fe0s indicted three times
OTTO r WE1S. assistant superintsndent registry
division New-NOrk POStCfhcs appointed CLERK
Neg-York POstoflce June Isee. removed Ccto-
7. " MGREGOR. clerk free delivery division. .,
charge Of supplies. appointed POstofice Depart
ment March H. 1891, removed june 3 1905 IN
~ T~pT0N ira. del{va-v divtsi0,. ar