The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1903-10-15
WASHINGTON.
From our Regular Correspondent.

aS0lngtO0, OCtODeT, o, 1908
A little more than four months ago
Postmaster General Payne declared
III an interview that reports of scan
dals in the Post Office were shot air"
and "stump speech" To-day thirty
persons, including former postmaster
general, four heads of divisions, and
two assistant attorneys of the Post
Office, besides an ex-congressman,
New York state senator and Penn
sylvania mayor, stand indicted and
awaiting trial for defrauding the gov
ernment through the Post Office De-
partment Against one official four
teen indictments we're found, against
several of them two or three. On
Monday the Washington grand jury
was dismissed and its last act was to
announce thirteen new indictments
against ten men. The names on the
list are James N. Tyner. HARRISON J.
Barrett, George w. Beavers, w. Scott
Towers, James L. Metcalt, August w.
Machen, Norman r. Metcalf, Harry
G. Hallenbeck, William ID. Doremus
and George f. Green. The trials of
these men will begin during the pres
ent session of the court and they are
expected to drag along through the
winter and next summer. The frauds
may be divided into three classes the
taking of commissions on supplies
purchased by the department, the ac-
ceptlng Of considerations in return for
allowing fraudulent concerns to use
the mails, and the incorrect charging
of expense accounts to the depart
ment. Among the latest indictment
the most interesting is that of Tyner
He is nearly eighty years old and has
held high positions in the Post Office
Department for many years. AT one
time during the Presidency OF General
Grant he was Postmaster General.
Before his recent dismissal he was AS
sistant Attorney General for the Post
Office. AS such he was the chief lie
gal advisor to the department, yet he
is the very one, who with his nephew
in-law Barret, allowed the misuse of
the mails by "get-rich. quick concerns.
The report of Fourth Assistant Brls-
tow will be ready about October 20.
1t is said to consist of $50 type-wrl'-
ten pages. This will practically end
the Investigations, unless the republi.
cans carry out their present intentions
Of calling for congressional investi.
cation, ''to forestall the democrats"
~
Washington was startled last Mon
day by the news that an armed lunatic
was arrested at the White House
where he had gone in a vain attempt
to see the President. The watchman
expected him as he had sent his pho.
tograph few days before to Secre-
tary Loeb in letter asking for an IN
terview with President Roosevelt.
The police officers tried to induce
him to leave quietly but he refused
and in dispute which followed he
became violent and drew revolver.
He was disarmed at once and carried
off to the police station. On his way
there he struggled with his guard who
was severely injured in the arm by
the glass of the window which was
broken during the scuffle. The police
later learned that the man was a Dane
named Peter Elliott and that he had
just come to Washington from Min
neapolis, where he spent his time try
ing to invent perpetual motion ma
chine. He was pronounced insane
and sent to an asylum. 1t was also
learned that on the preceding Sun.
day he followed the President to church
and shook hands with him after the
service. This fact shows the futlity
of the Presidents guard, for had Ell
hot so desired he might have shot the
President as he shook hands with him
though it is probable the President
would have quickly dsarmed MIN
The incident has lead to another dis
cusslon of the question of the Chiel
Executives body guard. The present
secret men are detailed from the
Treasury department without any