Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-06-22
Former Superintendent of Free
Delivery May Expose Some
High Officials
ATTEMPT TO PREVENT A TRIAL
Interest in the Character of Machen's
Testimony is Intense Since Recent
Developments-Former Representa-
tive Loud's Conduct of the Postotfice
Committee Craftsmanship.

men INTO the C!aSSll.u government
service via the Bakersfield (CalD route
has aroused lively discussion of the
probable sensational Developments at
the trial of Former Superintendent Ma
chen. of the free delivery service, which
will be held next fall If the influence OF
his powerful friends falls to prevent
him from being brought 10 trial.
4 Interest in the character of Mr.. Ma
chens testimony is intensified by the
fact that Mr.. Machen, VIXEN he read 4
published interview in which Mr.. Loud
roasted" the free delivery service IN
general and Machen in particular, grew
purple with indignation and surprise,
and declared:
Loud dare not talk that way about
me. I'll put him on tn. bum. I've got
letters, letters, letters, and if neces-
sary I'll publish them IL every paper
| in the country.
/ Whatever Mr.. MacheH may have 10
| say with regard to MIR. Loud when he
takes the stand in his Cwn defense is
considered relatively unimportant COM
pared with the problema;ical character
| CT his further testimony. The relations
of Mr.. Machen with numbers of sena-
tors and representatives and other
| prominent men are known to be
| tiienEly-in some cases, even intimate.
| They often came TO the superintend-
ent OF the free delivery service tor ia
yors. Mr.. Machen was always obliging.
The rural free delivery service has
shown, without doubt, rho most popu-
iar branch OF the postal service, ana is,
therefore, an acknowledged factor in
establishing the popularity of senators
and representatives. among their con-
stituents.
The investigation of the rural free
delivery service up to tll. present time
has demonstrated that a considerable
proportion OF the rural routes estab-
lished by the former superintendent of
the free delivery seryic. are, to all in
tents and purposes, practically worth
less from every point of view. The dis
tricts of certain members OF the house
OF representatives with whom Mr.. Ma
chen was more than ordinarily intimate
are plastered with rural routes until an
official map of the distric; showing the
ir.tersecting routes looks ike a spiders
web.
This is especially true N the congress
sional district representey. in the Fifty
seventh congress by Senator Lattimer,
OF South Carolina. Mr.. Lattimer and
superintendent Machea We're warm
friends. one OF the most complete
county systems in the entire rural free
delivery system is in operation in, Mr..
I.attimer's former district; altho a care
full Investigation has shown that on
some routes rs per cent of the patrons
can neither read nor write, and do not
receive on an average If half a dozen
letters q year
AS q result of this discovery, the al
legged county service" will be abol-
Ished and only those routes retained
which are absolutely necessary and
which show by the quarterly receipts
that they pay
This specific instance mentioned is
only one of large number of the same
kind. and interest in Mi. Machen's tes-
timony lies in the fact that it is eX-
pected to show everything in connec-
ton with the establishment of useless
routes, and the consideration that WAS
President Roosevelt haG a long con-
ference with Fourth Assistant Post
master General Bristow at the white
house Saturday night and the situa-
ton in the New York postoftice was
gone over very thoroughly The presi-
dent is following every detail of the in
and is eviacing particular
interest in the inquiry 4; New York.
=, OF inc =
master Van Colt to Washington was
discussed, and it is p:oDable that he
will come TO Washington shortly, and
be examined by Mr.. Bristow.
There We're twelve counts to the in
cident. eleven of which We're substan-
TALLY the same as those found previ-
ously against Machen and the Groffs. |
The first count of the present indict-
ment, which relates to the conspiracy
charge, sets forth that on June 30, 1900,
in District OF Columbia, Lorenz, Mrs,
Machen and the Croft brothers con-
spired, combined, confederated and !
agreed to defraud the government of its |
moneys by the following arrange
ment: Machen should advise and rec
ommend to the first assistant post
master general the purchase from |
lne NIfOII DTOlntTS VI al ldISe nuIIlDtT Oh \
fasteners for mail boxes at Sl.25 each |
and should retain 60 per cent of such |
payment, or seVenty-tiNe cents for each |
fastener: and Croft Brothers should |
then pay to Mr.. and Mrs. Lorenz either |
or both. the remaining 40 per cent
which was to be converted, approprt- |
ated and applied to the use of Mr. and |
Mrs. Lorenz and Machen." Indictment |
says this agreement was carried out |
by Machen on June 80. recommending
the purchase of 5000 fasteners at the
price mentioned and that on Septem-
Der 10 Machen recommended to the first |
assistant postmaster general payment |
of that bill; and that Croft brothers
having thereafter and on Septem-
Der 22d received $500 in payment of |
the bill" Diller b. Croft on October Goth |
of the same year, paid $4,000 to George |
F.. and Martha j. Lorenz. The testi- |
mony upon which the indictment was
found was given by the postoffice in
spector Walter Mayer. Paul e. Will
liams, and Joseph +. Farrell and The
odore w. Warner and William r. Lewis. |
the two latter being bankmen.
Croft brothers and counsel for Ma
chen We're In court when the indictment
was returned. Machen was not present !
1t was announced neither Machen nor
the Groffs would be arrested nor be
required to give a new bond. Assistant !