The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-12-22
THE BRISTOW REPORT
MANY NEW FACTS ARE GIvHx no
THE PUBLIC.
Facts That Were S-h@~ - -
Grand Jury in May, n., 1resec4-
don Was New. =,
congressman.

Washington. December 1.-THE
ful report of Fourth Assistant Post
master General Bristow was made
public today with the exception OF the
exhibits, which are withheld because
of he pending criminal cases
The report reveals many new facts
brought out by the months OF inresti-
cation and not embodied in the Of
acial abstract made public a fort
night ago. The report speaks Of pro
fiigate expenditures for Bundy time
recorders. 1t states that Hugh NICK
Landon. secretary of a pneumatic can
ceiling machine company. testified
during the investigation that in this
city, in 1902. where he came for OF
ders. Beavers referred him TO n clerk
named H. Clayton Graft "as tho man
to do business with and that III 4
personal conversation, GRAF sairi You
know none of US are here for our
health. The government is not liberal
in the matter of its salaries and Il
costs much to live in Washington
Edward 5. Allen. now 4 clerk at
the Cleveland. o.. p~OStotiiCe testified
lIldL reports he IQ;llt OIL lhC IIcIlLs
of the Hampden canceIrnE machine
were not satisfactory to First Assist
ant Postmaster General Heath or TO
Beavers and says ne was plainly adj
vised that il was AIr. Heath'S d sire
that these machines be installed and
the desire of Mr.. Beavers and the
general that he do less talking de-
rOgatory to the machine. The ma
hin proved worthless. The report
says tina H. J. TruesdeIi, of Birming-
ham, N. Y, of the cancelling ma
chine told the inspectors
that before the order was given Cor
Zoe DOremus cancelling machines,
geo shares 100000 worthy of the
stock of the was -rlnSfnrred
to First Assistant PoStm2~i-r General
Heath, Heath promising - order not
less than 500 machines al So each.
Truesdell said that the s'0"'- vas later
bought back from Heath. he evil
dence against Heath was submitted
to the grand jury here. but the dis
trict attorney decided that it was not
sufficient to warrant indictments
The report describes the efforts or
H. II. Rand. of the postmaster gen
erals office to sell stock in a mining
to pOstOffice employees. and
gives evidence that Rand used SOW
eminent clerks in t~ranSacting private
business.
Reg2lQlnS the sales OF promotions
in New York City and Jersey City.
the report mentions BaYOnne, N J..
as also involved and ~-yS that while
Otto T. Weis, the registry clerk at
New York, now dismissed. and an IN
innate friend of Beavers says lie col
Iected from $4,000 to $4,000 for the
Legislative fund for the clerks.
Weis stated that he used about $4,000
of this money for expenses and that
tho ha19nrn So 600 or & 600 H. r,lia
70 benjamin Parkhurst IAN int!mare
friend of Beavers"
These facts were submitted 10 the
grand jury here III May, but the dis
trict attorney recommended against
prosecution on the ground of insult
ficient evidence and further effort TO-
ward criminal process against Beav-
ers and Weis in this case was drop
ped, when or May 31st last, the
statute of limitations operated in
Beavers case.
The report names a number OF in
stances where clerks were appointed
on order of Beavers, against the
wishes of the pOstmasters. These
clerks performed but meagre services.
Minerva Jeffrey, the report continues.
was a $500 clerk at Fredonia, n. Y.
for the first five months in 1898
though she did no work there, the
postmaster never saw her. he says:
and her payments were sent by check
to Washington and deposited in
Beavers personal bank account
Regarding contracts with Congress-
men for leases of postoffice premises.
the report says:
There is no evidence to indicate
that Beavers reckless and high hand
ed proceedings in the matter Of leases
was the result of any general scheme
Of corruption or blackmail on his
part. His purpose seems to have been
to place members of Congress and
influential politicians under personal
obligations to him"
Washington, December 16.-The
report of Messrs. Conrad and Bona
narte on their examination of the
BristOW report endorses that report
generally, but n~On-cOncurs as to Ger
tain passages and recommends
prompt publication of the report. The
Bristow report in referring to q
transaction, says. THE question of the
legality Of a contract with a Senator
elect Is a matter that should receive
consideration in connection with this
case"
Messrs. Conrad and Bonaparte sug-
gest that the SenatOr-electS name and
the material facts in the transaction
should have been given. They also
say that the omission of the names OF
the members of Congress with whom
Mr.. Bristow generally a y Beavers
made contracts for the rental Of
premises is hardly just to Congress-
men generally.