The semi-weekly messenger., 1903-12-18

washington, december 16.-Ihe re-
port of Messrs. Conrad and Renaparte
on the charges made by S. w. TuI-
loch, formerly cashier of the Wash
ington city postoffice against the ad-
public today. Under instructions from
the President the report views the TuI
loch charges from a legal stand
point"
The tendency to evade answering
these charges evinced by those reply
ing to the postmaster generals re-
quest for such answers, the report
says, is illustrated very forcibly by
the charges against Perry S. Heath.
former first assistant postmaster gem
eral which have been made public
heretofore and his answers to them.
we consider this answer" it con-
tInues. altogether insufficient and
no less unsatisfactory in substances
than in FORM
Continuing, the report says the re-
vision of Postmaster Willets accounts
of itself is sufficient to show that Mr..
Heath's official record is not Sc cfear
as to defy suspicion. It adds;
Moreover the confidential report
of Inspector-inCharge Smith, and the
special report of Inspector Little
tend SO strongly to sustain some of
the most serious charges made by
Mr.. Tulloch against Mr.. Heath that
1t is quite impossible to dispose OF
these charges by calling them hes out
of the whole cloth The reasonable
inference to be drawn from Mr..
Heath's complete failure to meet full
ly and explicitly accusations which,
ocfa
justly admonished him, Charged him
with many acts Of doubtful propriety.'
added to the facts appearing from the
evidence laid before us, oblise us to
say that at least strong Prfma Faefe
case is presented of wilfull and reck-
less disregard by the late first assist
ant postmaster general of obligation
imposed on him by the regulations Of
his own department, as we'll as by the
statutes of. the United States, and we
feel 1T our duty to add that suspicion
of his personal integrity must be in
eVitably aroused in our judgment by
and impartial consideration Of the
facts submitted to US and of his
plainly inadequate explanations
The report takes up in detail the
charges Of improper appointments of
subordinates and improper disburse-
ments Of public funds, as contained
in the Tulloch charges, and after
| analysis, concludes:
so far as is indicated by the pa
pers submitted to us, the persons di-
J rectly responsible for these fraudu-
lent emplOyments were Messrs. Perry
\ S. Heath and George w Beavers
neither Of whom is now in the public
service It seems clear, however,
! that this responsibility extends, in
some measure, to the late postmaster
general who appears to have at least
! tolerated the practice after notice of
| its existence, and to the late and
/ present postmasters at Washington.
| each of whom appears to have ac-
| cepted the transfer to hi. office of a
| number of persons thus employed
f; without, so far as is shown, any pro-
! test or exposure"
/ The report comments on Auditor
! Castles apparent readiness to dIsre-
gard the usual safeguards against
unauthorized expenses in passing ac-
| counts for employees, the character of
| whose services could not be ascer-
| tained and in all owing Beavers il
| legal and fraudulent claim Of s1,14S
| for expenses in connection with the
court of claims. The report says:
I'VE find it impossible to doubt that
| Mrs Heath, Mr.. Vancott, and Mr..
| Beavers himself all knew the pay
| ment Of this additional conversation
! that it was called expenses to even
the prohibition"
The summary and conclusions of
| the report are as follows:
| AS a result of. our inquiry in the
Tulloch charges and of the consid-
| Grafton herein before set forth, we
have the honor to report that in our
| Judgment
| First. That discussion of the "Tul-
| loch charges has revealed the exist
| ence Of deplorable and gravely dis
| Teditable abuses during the years
| 1898, 1899 and 1900 in the Washing
! ton postoffice and the Office Of the
first assistant postmaster general
Second. These abuses involved
| conduct on the part Of various pub
lie officials, which was certainly often
illegal and may have been some times
criminal, but such offenses, il commit
ted, were in all cases committed more
than three years before we were or
dered to Investigate the Charges and
so far as we are clearly informed,
more than three years before Mr.. Tui-