The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-04-24
SENSATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
UNEXPECTED ACTION IN THE
 PoSToFFICE INVESTIGATION
Postmaster General Payne SnmmariIy DismIsses from the Service Assistant Attorney General James N. Tyner- Wife Extracts Private Papers From Government Office and Refuses to Give Them Up.
Give Them Up.

Washington, April 23.-A most sensa- tional development of the investigation of postoffice department affairs occur red just before the department closed to-day when Postmaster General Payne announced the summary dismissal of James N. Tyner, assistant attorney gen. eral for the postoffice department, coupling with the announcement the startling charge that all the papers and records in the safe of the latter's office had been abstracted by Mrs. Tyner, wife of the discharged officer, with the as- sistance of others. The postmaster gen. eraI states that Mrs. Tyner has refused the demand of the government for the return of the papers taken and said, the circumstances in the case will be sub mitted by him to the department of justice to-morrow morning. Other sem sational developments are expected to follow. The question of arrests is now under consideration and will be passed on immediately by Attorney General Knox. -
 The facts are told tersely in the letter of dismissal signed by Postmaster Gen. eral Payne late yesterday afternoon, and made public tonight. The letter is as follows: t,.
 Washington, April g, 1903.
 James N. Tyner, Assistant Attorney
 General for the Postoffice Depart
 ment:
 "Sir: You are hereby removed from the office of assistant attorney general for the postoffice department. Y.
 ''I deem it proper to give you the req sons for this summary action on the part of the department. Early in, the month of March I communicated to you, through a mutual friend, request for your resignation. After painful interview with you, and more painful ore with Mrs. Tyner I consented to modify the demand for your resignation so that it might take effect on May I, 1908; with the proviso, however, that you were given leave of absence from the time of the acceptance of the resig- nation to the date of it's taking effect with the understanding that you were not in any way to undertake to dis charge the duties of the office. ". ,
 Late yesterday afternoon Mrs. Tyner came to the office of the assistant attor- ney general for the postoffice depart ment, entering in the regular way, went through the main office to the private office, closing the doors behind her She then unlocked the door entering from the public hall into the private room and admitted her sister, Mrs. Barrett, whose son was formerly assistant in your office, and whose conduct is now under investigation by the department. She also admitted, in the same manner, MT. c. G, Hammer, an expert in the en- ploy of the Mosler Safe company, with whom she had made an arrangement to meet her at the department. .a At her direction MT. Hammer opened the safe in the room; and she took there from all papers, records and articles of every kind and carried them away with her. Y
 Immediately upon learning what had been done I directed the fourth assist ant postmaster general to send two in spectors to your house to demand, in the name of the postmaster general, the delivery to them of any papers, docu- ments or other materials which. had
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