The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-05-21
THE HoLD-UP OF ALLGOoD
Negro Says only Two Men
 Approached Him.
Develops That in the Civil ssrvios Examination for the Job, . White Man Got the High
 est Per Cent.

Washington, May 2o.-(special.)- )-Ths
 Postoffice Department is again convicted
 of partisan recklessness in the develop
 ments disclosed today by the report Of one of its own agents. namely. Postofiies Inspector Conger, in whose integrity as Wisconsin man he knew. the Fostmaster General declared he had implicit cqnh- dence.
 As intimated in these dispatches, there would be discovered. Congers report not only shows there was fragrant violation of civil service regulations In the ap- pointment of the neyio letter carrier, bur that the tone of the negro's sworn state ment, taken in connection with the in spector's report. renders absurd the
 whole story as it was originally neraioed by the, department.
 It was sought to make 1t out another case of wholesale Southern lawlessness and brutality.
 Senator Bate spent some time with the
 Postmaster-Genera this morning shortly
 before the noon hour, at which he admit ted the newspaper correspondents to their day news matinee.
 The Senator, concerning his conference at the department, made the following statement to your corresondent:
 Senator Bate Talks.
 .'I have today had full interview with the Postmaster-General touching the Gallatin rural route number l alleged hold-up. The official report of General
 Postoffice Agent Conger was received
 this morning. and I have read 1t. Ii is
 fair and just. and recommends that the delivery of mall be resumed on route No. 1.
 T recommended to the Postmaster- | GenNral that the white man. Reuben Brown, be appointed, and that no coIored l man be selected. as 1t would be distaste- | full to some of the citizens to be so served, and for the further reason that ft has been developed in the investigation that in the civil service examination. Reuben Brown. the white man, got s1 per cent and the negro. Allgood, but 90 per | cent, and yet the negro was appointed over the white man who got higher per | cent.
 Neither of them was examined for route No. i, but one for the second and | the other for the third or some other Of
 the Gallatin routes It Is shown in the | investigation that one or two other routes going out of Gallatin are served
  "The negro, Ailgood, gives his sworn
 statement as part of the investigation. | and claims that he saw only two men. They were masked and had guns and | told him they did not intend to hurt him. l but advised him to quit carrying the
 mail on that route.
 "The report shows that Ailgood does | not designate the two men who made the
 hold-up. but gives strong intimation as | to one. Allgood Has Enough. "AlIgood states that he resigned his position because he was compelled to hire a horse. and there was not enough
 in it for him. He said he would not have
 the place again." | It is interesting to note that when the | newspaper coterie gathered about the | Postmaster-General today he was not
 near so chipper and loquacious as usual.
 His responses to numerous questions re-
 garding the Gallatin case were curt and | reluctant. They were not in the nature of the
 statements of an executive chief who
 was glad to tell all he knew that would | clear up an exaggerated story of wrong | in his department. but had the air of l forced admissions.
 What Senator Bates stated as to the
 nature of Inspector Conger's report, the Postmaster-General declined to divuige. | saying nothing whatever of the fact that
 the report showed a white man at the examination for the route had attained a higher percentage than the negro. Mir.
 Payne said only on what line that the
 report showed the alleged hoid-up did not
 represent the sentiment of the community. He would not say whether the route | would be resumed. but did say that the | final settlement involved investigation of
 charges of irregularity in the appoint
 nent of Allgood. The Postmaster-Gen-
 eral at length cut off further questions
 by saying he declined to answer anything more.