The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1903-06-05

Postmaster Merritt Of Washington Cssy
Replies Ia the Charges % tormer
Cashier Tuiloch.

Washington. May 30.-Postmaster-
General Payne has made public the
reply Of Postmaster Merritt. OF this
city, TO the Tulloch charges. The
Merritt response makes serious accu-
sations against former Cashier :. w.
Tulloch. OF the Washington post Of
flee. saying that transaction In
which Mr.. Tulloch was concerned In
is9s appears 10 comprehend the pre-
sentation OF a false voucher, which is
made a crime by the statutes"
Mr.. Merrtt's reply further alleges
that receipts We're signed in blank on
the pay rolls during Mr.. Tulloch's
regime as cashier. and that the files
do not indicate any complaint OF ir-
Irregularities against the Washington
post office filed by Mr.. Tulloch while
he was in Office. Mr. Merritt says the
general practice of giving employees
duties seemingly Incompatible with
their positions is no abuse and that
the practice Of paying certain eN-
penses Of the post office department
out of the Washington city post Office
funds always has existed and is prop
sr.
The postmaster general, Friday, an
bounced the completion of the inves
tigation of the salary rolls of all the
first and second-class post offices in
the country. The only Irregularities
reported, all of which have been orr
dered TO be corrected Immediately,
were the payment to IA assistant post
masters of larger salary than they
should receive under the departments
policy: payments to few cler~s OF
more than the law allows and the ex-
istence % designations unknown TO
the law for positions in II post offices.
Mr.. Payne said that none OF these
items indicated any wrongdoing, and
he regarded this net result OF the
overhauling os the rolls of upwards OF
thirteen hundred presidential post Of
fees as gratifying.
Before l became postmaster" says
Mr.. Merrits, in his reply 10 Tulloch.
"one of the employees of the post Of
fee was suspended from duty from
Nav to June 3, 1898. without pay.
as have learned, and without any de-
partmental authority. Mr.. Tulloch,
the cashier. retained this mans pay
r the time stated. amounting to
Sl40. against his protest, | am told,
oil tanning his signature to the GUS
tomary form of pay roll. however,
and then sent the account 10 the audi
tor for the post Office department az
though payment had actually been
made. The cashier probably had the
postmaster's order TO do this. and il
seems he did not make personal use
OF the money. But the transaction
appears. nevertheless. to comprehend
the presentation Of a false voucher.
1.-The money thus unlawfully taken
was divided by the CASH, OF by his
direction among a number of persons,
upon orders signed in the name OF
the postmaster by his assistant
Though in one case no order has been
found) until all of it was used up ex-
cept $3.50. which is now in the official
possession of one OF the bureaus OF
the post Office department"
Postmaster Merritt then. speaking
of his removal of Cashier Tulloch al
most at once after lie became post
master, declares the removal was nc
mistake and for reason therefor says:
take this incident related 10 me
by Mr.. James II. Willett, my prede-
cessor. few days after assumed the
postmastership. and fully confirmed
by the statements of others: He said
that his accounts for the last quarter
of his term were in rather tangled
condition; that he was very much
worried about them; that his cashier
should no. have left them in this con-
dition; that he regarded it as the
cashiers duty to properly arrange
and close them; but that after APP
pealing TO him for his assistance, he,
Tulloch, absolutely refused to give
unless he was paid $500 therefor. Up
on my advice Mr.. Willett Indignantly
rejected the offer, and Mr.. Tulloch
never gave him any aid whatever. The
work was entirely ana satisfactorily
done by my own official force"
alr. Merritt says lie had discretion
airy authority TO remove Tulloch,
whom he charges with being arbitrary
~ manner, occupied much OF be time
with important private business and
"a venturesome man in the field o.
speculation
Mr.. Merritt denies that either the
postmaster general or First Assistant
Postmaster General Heath directly or
indirectly Influenced Tulloch's re
moval.
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