Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-07-23
Was Superintendent of P. 0, Free
Delivery System,
HE FALSIFIED HIS DIARY.
charged with Reporting Himself at
various Places when NotThere and
Looming Travelling Commission.

Washington, July 22.-Charlas
Hedges today was removed from
the Office Of superintendent of
free delivery Of the postoaice depart.
ment on the charge Of falslfying his
alaly and loaning his travelling COM
mission. It is charged that he reported
himself at various places. when. in
iact' he was not OF those places on the
dates mentioned in some instances be-
ing hundreds OF miles away.
Mr. Hedges, while making no general
denial Of the charges. commended that
they were not sufficient Justification for
a ag, Erwin Ihope. p0stofice in-
apeUIoi N Churge at New York. who
nus oeen assisting In the admlnistrl-
w." vi we Tree delivery service since
slle Inception Of the investigation. has
r., ueS'shaled acting superintendent
~ III, pace OF Mr. Hedges, IN the on.
Ia s'9,teIi,eht IN the case. made public
[Guay py curtin Assistant postmI ster-
General BristoW II says IN part.
81, on oct Is, 1900, be QIedeesl states
Mansfield o.. attending the funarei ~,
former Secy. John Sherman On
Dec. Z, 1899, he reports hlinseif NJ San
Antonio, Tex, 1nvcstlpgtinp ra,,is,.
service, while, IN fact h. VAS I'm NOV.
leo on a mining propert In 10
month Of October. 1899 A. w NcRner
superintendent Of free deliver, .V4s
SICK with typhoid fever and Hedpeg
was al the department acting nc EN-.
pelntendent In his diary he states
under oath that he was al yarims
places, namely, New York philadef.
phia bridgeport, Conn, Camden n i
ana elsewhere, actually engaged In
travelling on 'h- hu-ioare ~ tba o.
delivery service Assistant supe,in.
ttudells TOD liee dantrv arc aii,u,e1
= per diem OF 81 per day IN lieu of ok.
pehses for each day engaged actually
lH travelling on business for tbe daport
Hedges false statements as to
Ils Whereabouts were manlfestly for
lHe purpose Of collecting per diem IN
"hlCh ne was not entitled
mere are many other Instances NJ
similar falsifications The facts were
submitted TO the posmaster-ganera
some DAYS since. who directed Hedges
forth" SET
Inc case was worked up by Postonice
Inspector George sutton, assisted by
inspectors Bennett and Johns. There
were seNera charges on file against Mr.
iieoges, nut none Of these constituted
lhe basis OF his dismissal. The acts
Whlcn led to his removal we're dlscov-
tItu py the inspectors In the course of
OnelT general inyestiga ions Of the rec
oras OF the free delivery office. The
case mas been under investigation for
several weeks. Mr.. Bristow summoned
Mr.. Hedges shortly before the close az |
ounce hours this afternoon and notified |
him OF his dismissal.
mr.. Hedges was appointed 10 the nos
tal service from the Tenth cougras.
slonal district of Texas on july /. 1895
ana was appointed superintendent of
free delivery July !. 1901 His salary
was SopW year He had charge Of
the delivery service IN the cities the
rural free delivery service being 1nder
another superintendent ana both he
ing under the general supervision of
August W. Machen.
said ii'NseS
Whlle was assistant superintend-
'nt OF free delivery with headmarters
AZ New YORK, ] was called 10 Washing.
ION 10 take charge OF the entire SER
nee while MI Machen was nm with ~
'nold Fever. While so acting / pof e.
'VJ salary as assistant superintendent
Nhlle Mr.. Machen received So 500 In
vas necessary for me 70 get the nor
hem allowance % make the services
ma the compensation equal II has
'een the practise OF the office for fha
larty taking the place OF the head of
ne service 20 claim per diem I'm so,na
orm In my case, ] was also stiperyis-
hs the eastern division. while ofIiciat-
as as general superintendent here
iefbet w. Valentine now I'm the Nev,
ork postoihce and formerly stenop-
apher there under mesurrendered mi
ate letters and notes 10 the inspac-
ors which gave them this information
used TO drop him a line when 7 was
-aNeling to keep him posted ON INV
hereabouts Valentine Is the one who
SEQ THIS postofice commission. II was
SEQ with the knowledge Of General su.
rHntendent Macheu and Of First As.
slant Postmaster General johnson
aIenune was anxious 10 90 ont an
rld work. Mr. BHstow refused 10 al.
wv the Issuance OF commission fo-
alentine on the ground that ne was
'lerk ana not an officer Mr. Ma.
len however held thar as Valentine
as engaged on the work Of the office
+ use on the commission was not n.
gal As TO the San Antonio refer.
zee, | was IN Mexico but not exam
ing mining property. aid not sec
US mining property In making nav
ports ! never put down towns thai
nad not visited. nor ala 7 put down an
e towns mat ! visited, as was per
lt'ed To do. Thus, 7 omitted men.
ming The Mansfield visit because
a no official work there ana joplin
Is 'ne lest place who're ] had had or
lal work ! simply prolonged The
ne on the list
VIZ Bristow declined tonleht 10 saw
ything as 20 the status of Mr.. Val
tine who Mr. Hedges says. Travelled
his commission.
TIE xNtVa..r