Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-30

letter carriers in tying up their mail, stat
ing that to equip the service would not cost
more than $1,150 year. The recommends
ton was approved and Machen ordered
several thousand straps from George D.
Lamb of New Haven, Conn. Up to the
time of. Machen's removal over 1.OO0.O00
straps had been purchased. at cost IF
xl3l ,2lT.39 or over 1900 year.
On July "a, 1900. the postmaster at
Worcester. Mass. wrote the department
asking permission to buy carriers straps
from local dealer. stating that he could
buy them for about half the price the de-
partment was paying. Machen refused this
request, stating:
The straps for this year were purchased
Of Mr.. George d. Lamb. in accordance with
contract with this office.
This bold statement was made in the face
of the fact that no contract had ever been
made. Machen buying the straps from
Lamb at price fixed by verbal agree
ment between them.
George d. Lamb is now dead and the
business is conducted by George b. B.
Lamb. his son, who advised the inspectors
that he knew nothing of the details of his
fathers arrangement with Machen, but
that a man named w. G. Long appeared
at his fathers office at regular intervals
ard collected 21s cents for every strap fur
nished. During the nine years that these
straps were used Lamb paid Long contri-
buttons aggregating about $30,0O part
of which has been traced into Machen's
hands.
Long, Machen and Stern have been in
tlicted by The federal grand jury in the
District of Columbia for conspiracy to de-
fraud in connection with these transactions.
Carriers Satchels.
Carriers satchels are purchased under
four-year contracts.
Boyle contraction June %, 1904,
contract was executed with John Boyle &
Co. of New York for furnishing these
satchels, beginning July l, 1894. The
shoulder strap was a part of the satchel
to be furnished by the contractor On
August IS. 1894, Machen wrote the COM
pany that straps would be furnished
them by George d. Lamb. During the life
OF the contract 20.TS4 shoulder straps
We're furnished Boyle < Co., upon which
Long and Machen received 2h cents each.
The Boyle contract expired June 20,
1898, and that year Machen awarded the
contract to Leopold j. Stern of Baltimore,
a dealer in plumbers supplies. The Speci-
tcations called for a satchel with leather
strap infinitely described, the same as the
contract with Boyle q Co. Yet Stern was
supplied with $1,000 shoulder straps.
Lamb continued to pay Long a bonus on
the straps and Stern paid for being re-
lieved from furnishing them.
Machen, Stern and Long were indicted
on July 81, 1903, by the federal grand
jury in the District of Columbia for con-
Spiracy to defraud.
-,
the contract with Stern expired, and a
new contract was entered into for a
PERIOD OF four years from that date with
the Postal Device and Lock Company of
New York, represented by William G.
Crawford of Washington D. c. Crawford
was the deputy auditor for the Post Of
flee Department under the last Cleveland
Before the bids were opened Crawford
enlisted the services OF George +. Lorenz
of Toledo. Ohio. to aid him in securing
the contract. An agreement was entered
into between Lorenz and Crawford where
amount on each satchel as his share of
the profits. and he was to furnish the
straps. An analysis of the accounts shows
that the money which was paid to Lorenz
by Crawford was Subdivided between
Lorenz. Machen and Crawford. Machen
and Lorenz each received 37h per cent
and Crawford % per cent. The straps
which Lorenz agreed to provide were
never furnished by him, but by Machen
and paid for by the department
This was probably the most skillful and
complex scheme invented by any of the
postal grafters." 1t consisted of a dou-
Die conspiracy: First, Lorenz and Ma
chen conspired with Crawford to defraud
the government out of the price of the
straps; then Crawford conspired with
Machen and Lorenz to defraud his own
company out of the profits on the manu-
facture of the satchels. while on the side
was Long and Machen receiving a graft
on straps from Lamb.
On July 81. 1908. Machen. Crawford
George 10. Lorenz and Martha ]. Lorenz
We're indicted by the federal grand Jury
liz the District of Columbia for con-
spiracy to defraud.
Croft Fasteners.
The Croft fastener IS patented device
for attaching street letter boxes to posts
NO contract was ever executed for these
fasteners. They We're bought by Machen
direct. This method OF attaching letter
boxes was not necessity, and in many
places postmasters did not consider 1t sat-
ls1actory. The cost of the manufacture
of the patent fastener was twenty-five
cents each. For many years the depart-
ment paid S1-50, but the price was after
wards reduced to 81 %
OF the s12S651.25 that during eight years
has been paid the Groffs by the depart
ment, Machen and Lorenz have received
about $51, 400.
The Groffs, Machen and Mr. and Mrs
Lorenz were indicted b., the federal grand
jury in the District of Columbia on June
;, 8 and %, 1903, for conspiracy to defraud
and the Offering and receiving of brides.
Painting of Street Letter Boxes.
In 1897 Machen made verbal arrange
ment with John T. Cupper, of Lockhaven
Pa, to paint all of the letter boxes in the
United States. allowing him twenty-five
cents each on the posts, ffty cents each
for the letter boxes. and 81 for the package
boxes if the work was done by a local
painter Cupper was to furnish the ma
terial and receive thirty-eight cents for
each letter box and seventy-five cents for
each package box.
On July "a, 1900. the postmaster at
Springfield, Mass, submitted a proposal
from a local painter to furnish the
terial and paint the boxes in that city for
fifteen cents per letter box and twenty-five
cents per package box, costing in all 1929.
On July 81, three days afterwards, he was
by Machen thar Jonn T. Cupper,
the contractor, had been instructed to ar
range Immediately for painting the boxes.
After Cupper had completed the work the
postmaster was directed to pay him
S100.J0 more than three times as much as
asked by the local painter.
In May, 1902, the postmaster at San
Francisco, Cal, asked permission to ex-
pend $50 for material to paint letter
boxes. In answer to this request he was
advised that John T. .Cupper of Lock-
haven. Pa, had been instructed to send
him sufficient material for painting the
boxes, and on September 10 he was direct
ed to pay Cupper SSI1.iS for material
which he had ninety days previously noti-
fed the department he could secure for
$3.50.
The manufacturers Of letter boxes, by
the terms of the contract, were required to
paint the boxes at the factory, but, re-
CARELESS of this provision. Cupper was
ordered in July. 1900. to paint all the letter