Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-04-25

department is that it has done all that
it is possible to do to establish the
! facts in the case; that the import OF
| the fact is of equal Importance to the
nature of what was taken and that
any further steps rest with the depart
ment of justice. 1t is known by the
| postmaster general that the safe from
which all the papers were taken has
contained valuable official papers at
various times and that Mr.. Tyner has
so stated. 1t is not known, however,
whether any such papers were in the
safe since Mr. Tyner last had access to
lit.
Ross Perry, counsel for the TynerS,
called on the postmaster general to-
day, subsequent to his interview with
the attorney general. He told the post
master general that the Tyners would
be glad to have the postmaster or any
representative of his department look
over the papers at the Tyner residence.
Mr.. Payne talked with Mr.. Perry, at
some length and pointed out to him
that the Tyners were given an oppor-
were taken, to open them in the pres
ence of the officers of the department
and had refused to show them or to
indicate to the government represen-
tative even the nature of the papers.
Mr.. Payne was asked subsequently if
he declined Mr.. Perrys proposition, but
said he could not discuss the phase of
the question.
1t may be stated as the departments
attitude. however, that it will not give
much weight to any papers that are
returned and that it is unlikely any
further serious effort will be made to
recover the papers in view of the fact
that there is no way of showing wheth-
er any papers returned We're the ones
actually taken. Postmaster General
Payne. said, this evening: ''If there
were conclusive evidence that all doc
uments taken away would be shown |
that would be one thing, but the fact |
that these papers that were taken |
have been out of the possession of the |
department for three days is another
thing.
If there was any motive to take the
papers or any intention of doing away
with them there has been ample time
70 do it. Whether the papers We're pri-
vate or not the improperly of the act
is apparent, to say the least. ] regard
it as quite as improper to take from n
safe in a government Office the private
papers of Gen. Tyner or Mrs. Tyner or
of anybody else in the manner that
those papers We're taken as to take any
ether papers. The improperly of the
act itself is sufficient to remove any
officer OF the government
Mr. Payne said that he was not con-
templating the suspension of any Of
fetal in connection With the incident
although he could not indicate, what
might develop.
Harrison !. Barrett, formerly law Of
fcer of the post office and frequently
acting as assistant attorney general for
that department, today, submitted a
letter to the postmaster general regard
ing the latter's statement that charges
against Mr.. Barrett are under investi-
CATION. The statement was made in
the letter removing Gen. Tyner. Mr.
Barrett says that this is the first Of
fetal information which he has had of
any charges of any character whate
against his conduct either while in the
department or subsequence and urges
a searching investigation of all his acts.