Arizona republican., 1903-07-23
Caught in the Drawing Post
 office Department Net.
AND NOW II Is HEDGES
The Superintendent of the Free De- livery Service He Makes More or Less Satisfactory Explanation of Charges Against Him.

Washington, ID. C., July 22.-CharleS Hedges today was removed from the office of superintendent of the free de- livery of the postoffiCe department on the charge of falsifying his diary and loaning his travelling commission. It is charged that he reported himself al various places when. in fact. he was not at those places on the dates mem toned. in some instances being hun dreds of miles away.
 Hr Hedges. while making no general denial Of the charges. contended that they were not sufficient justification for his removal Erwin H. Thorpe, post office inspector in charge at New York, who has been assisting in the admins t-ation of the free delivery service. since the inception has been designat- ed as acting superintendent of the freq delivery in the place of Hedges.
 Tn the official statement of the case made public today by Mir. Bristow. it says in part: "On October 25, 1900. he (HedgeS) states under oath in his diary that he was at Joplin. Mo. on 'exten- sion of the free delivery service whnp in fact he was at Mansfield. O., at tending the funeral of former Secre- tary John sherman. On December [. 1899, he reports himself at San Ar tonic. Texas, investigating carriers service while in fact he was in Mexl- 70 examining mining property. In the month of October, 1899 A. w. Machen. superintendent of the free delivery, was sick with typhoid fever and Hedg es was at the department acting as su- perintendent. In his diary he states under oath that he was at various places. namely, New York, Philadel- phia, Bridge port, Conn; Camden, N J., and elsewhere, actually engaged In travelling on the business of the free delivery service
 Assistant superintendents of the free delivery are allowed per diem or four dollars per day in lieu of expenses for each day engaged in actually trav- cling on the business of the depar.- ment. Hedges false statements as to his whereabouts were manifestly for the purpose of collecting per diem to which he was not entitled.
 There are many instances of sim:- lar falsifications. The facts were sub mitted to the postmaster general some days since. who directed Hedges re moVal for the reasons above Set forth. %
 There were several charges on file against Hedges. but none of these con- stituted the basis of his dismissal. The acts which led to his removal were discovered by the inspectors in the course of their general investigation of the records of the free delivery office.
 The case has been under investiga- tion for several weeks. MT Bristow summoned MT. Hedges shortly before the close of office hours this afternoon and notified him Of his dismissal. MT. Hedges was appointed to the postal service from the Tenth congressional district of Texas on July l, 1898, and was appointed superintendent of the free delivery July 1, 1901. His salary was $3,000 a year. He had charge of the delivery service in the cities, the rural free delivery service being under another superintendent and both be- ing under the general supervision of August w. Machen.
 In a statement tonight MT. Hedges said: While l was assistant superin- tendent of free delivery. with head quarters at New York; I was called to Washington to take charge of the en- tire service. while MT. Machen was i'll with typhoid fever. While so acting got s2,0G0 salary as assistant superin- tendent, while MT. Machen received $3,500. It was necessary for me to get the per diem allowance to make the services and the compensation equal. It has been the practice of the office for the party taking the place of the head of the service to claim per diem in some form.
 Tn my case. l was also supervising the eastern division while officiating as general perintendent. Herbert w. Valentine. now in the New York post office and formerly stenographer there under me. surrendered private letters and notes to the inspectors which gave them this information.
 'I used to drop him a line when l was travelling to keep him posted on my whereabouts. Valentine is the one who used his postoffice commission. It was used with the knowledge of General Superintendent Machen and of First Assistant Postmaster General Johnson. Valentine was anxious to go out on field work. Mir. Bristow refus- ed to allow the issuance of a commits sion for Valentine on the ground that he was a clerk and rot an officer.
 MT. Machen, however. held that as Valentine was engaged in the work of the office his use Of the commission was not illegal. As to the San An tonic reference. I was in Mexico. but not examining mining property. I did not see this mining property. In mak- ing my reports I never put down towns that l had not visited, nor did I put down all the towns that I visited. as | was permitted to do. Thus, l omitted mentioning the Mansfield visit. because I had no official work there and Joplin was the last place where I had official work. I simply prolonged the time on the list"
 Mir. Bristow declined tonight to say anything as to status of MT. Valen- tine, who MT. Hedges says, tra yeled on his commission.
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