Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1903-06-11

Washington-BehOld how great
matter a little fire kindleth! A few
months ago an outsider discovered that
an officer of the post office department
was leading an irregular life when he
went on long journeys for the govern
ment AS he handled considerable
sums of public money, this struck the
discoverer as being perilous condi'
+ion of things, Then somebody heard
that the same functiouary, although re-
eetviag a salary Of only $500, had
declined an offer of $4,000 in private
business. Here was the beginning
of the whole dramatic season of pos
tai scandals Both reports were car
ried directly to the new first assistant
postmaster general, Robert j. Wynne,
on the ground that the officer involved
was a subordinate Of the first assist
ant and that the facts, if they should
come out later, might be construed by
the public as affecting Mr.. Wynne's
own character About the same time,
one of the local newspapers opened
the department. whom it accused Of
making money out of fuel contracts
with the government The first men
toned culprit, getting wind of the
stories about himself, came forward
at once with promise to tell all he
. knew if the department, in mercy to
his family, would not publicly disgrace
1t NJ +n
other not only refused to ask for an
Investigation in spite of much advice,
but brought influence to bear upon the
publisher of the hostile newspaper,
and procured a suspension of the at
tacks and the dismissal Of their author
from the editorial staff. He declared
he would never resign. because he had
done nothing to call for such a course.
He was presently suspended, to await
Il the result of an inquiry into the man
agement of his Office. After being out
a few weeks he was arrested last
Wednesday on a charge Of bribery by
III a contractor for letter-hoN clamps,
and dismissed from the service. This
was A. w Machen, general superinten-
dent of the free delivery system, also
a subordinate of the first assistant
postmaster general
How the Suspicious Grew.
# Meanwhile Mr. Wynne, actuated
j by the counsel of prudent friends as
soon as the web of gossip began
] closing around his two lieutenants,
made a demand in writing for an in
yestigatiop of his Office Postmaster
General Payne and the president con-
ferred. and decided that some atten-
ton would have to be paid to the Tu-
mOrs about Machen, which were CON
tinually growing thicker, but that, to
avoid even the appearance of preiu-
dice against any particular person, it
would be advisable To make the scope
of the inquiry so broad as to cover the
entire branch of the department under
Mr.. Wynnes jurisdiction, Who should
conduct it? Some police agency of the
government outside of the postal SER
vice, so as to assure a verdict which
the public would recognize as UNI
biased? Or Mr. Wynne. as the person
who had most at stake in making the
search thorough ami puTging his own
official household of offence? Neither
suggestion seemed to meet all the
needs of the situation. and so Mr..
Payne asked the fourth assistant post
master general, Joseph L. Bristow,
whose staff includes the p0stofIice in
spectors-men trained in hunting down
frauds and depredations-to under
take the disagreeabla task. Mr. Brs-
tow is no novice at such work 1t was
he who ferreted out the abuses in the
postal administration Of Cuba when
the island was under United States
authority He is a keen-witted Kan
san, somewhat suspicious by tempera-
ment self-contaned, quick at putting
two and two together. and with
tireless physique He announced,
when he took hold, that he was there
to work and not to talk: and that
statement he has verified every day
since
Mr. Wynne's Methods.
Mr. Payne went IF on a pleasure
trip as oor as the detective machinery
had been set I'm motion He was in
clined to believe that the discomfort
fng rnmors would fade away before the
test Of proof He said as much.
When he returned lie found the inquiry
In full swing, and developments Of
some sort coming daily to the front
Again he expressed his doubts whether
anything serious would be brought
out Here was his great mistake
Whatever he may have thought as to
the ultimate result, good or bad. he
placed himself In a false position by
assuming to PREJUDICE the value Of the
evidence offered, though 1t II only fair
to say that he has insisted that moth.
| ing he covered up Mr.. Wynne. on
the other hand having received his
training In Journalism Of a somewhat
sensational school was looking