New-York tribune., 1903-04-24
DENIES WRONGDOTNG.
Mr, Tyner, Through Friends, Asks
Suspension Of Judgment

Washington, April 23.-After Mr. Tyner had
received the letter of dismissal from Postmaster
General Payne he called into consultation r. R.
Ross Perry and L. T. Michener. attorneys of this
city, who are his intimate friends, regarding the
! matter. These men late tonight made the fol-
lowing statement:
General James n. Tyner asks from the public
q suspension of judgment until he put be-
fore them the facts relating to his removal from
Office and the cause assigned therefor by the
Postmaster General The matter has come upon
him so suddenly that he cannot now make a de-
tailed statement. but must necessarily conf1ne
himself to the following general account:
In July last he was stricken with PARALYSIS
from which he has only partially recovered.
Realizing that his usefulness a public officer
was seriously impaired. he conferred with the
Postmaster General to the time of his res
ignation, and 1t was agreed between them that
1t should be accepted, to take effect May l,
1903. On Tuesday last, feeling that the time of
MS retirement from office was very near, ne
realized that he should remove from his office
certain private property and papers belonging
to his wife and 70 himself These were con
tanned in a safe in his room at the Postofice De-
partment. For the many years during which he
has been connected with that department he has
had room. which has been virtually his own.
and safe in this room, IN which he has kept
personal papers. This is practice which has
been common for years TO the chief officials of
the government departments.
TOOK HIS PERSONAL PROPERTY.
General Tyner's health prevented his going in
therefrom. Even had he been able to leave his
house, his disabled arm would have prevented
him from opening the safe Accordingly ne re-
Quested Mrs. Tyner to act for him, giving her
the combination Of the safe. Upon her remind
ing him that she could not open il, even with the
com bfnation he directed her to telephone for
Mr.. Hammer, who had a former occasion
opened 1t for him. This was accordingly done,
and Mrs. Tyner made an appointment for Mr..
Hammer to meet her at the generals room at
$50 o'clock on Tuesday last Mrs. Barrett, who
is Mrs. Tyners sister, and who lives in the same
house with her, accompanied her. she did not
wish to go alone. They did not reach the de-
partment until 3:45 o'clock
It is easy 10 see that it would have been
better had Mrs Tyner gone to the Postmaster
General and asked him to be present and super
wise her act But neither General Tyner nor
herself contemplated any wrongdong. or imag-
ined that such would be imputed to them. His
many years service and her frequent visits TO
his made it seem only natural that she
should go there to take his property, since he
could not go himself
WILL GIVE Up THE PAPERS.
Mrs. Tyner removed from this safe it's con-
tents which was all that she had been instructed
TO get. a messenger of the department made
these pa pers into bundle and carried them to
the Generals house. Shortly after he reached
there, two inspectors from the department came
to the house and demanded these papers Gen
eraI Tyner, upon the spur of the moment. ano
without other guide than his indignation, re-
fused to deliver them Later the same even
ing he sent a letter to Mr.. Bristow, asking him
to come TO his house, intending to puhthe papers
IN his cnarSe- CilorIuLdIe4S, MI oIl9CoN -
unable to come These papers are now IN @ Ine
possession of General Tyner in the same con
dition in which they were. when taken from the
safe They are all the private papers OF General
and Of Mrs Tyner. save one bundle whlcn re-
lates TO a matter not at all connected with any
thing now pending in the department, and long
since closed These papers will all be placed at
the disposal of the proper authorities of the
government.
Messrs Perry and Michener will go TO the De
partrent Of Justice to morrow and communicate
the facts in the case TO the officials there, at
the same time offering TO place at their dis
posal for examination the papers taken from
the safe