The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-09-26
ERWIN DENIES
DOING WRONG
Tells Complete Story to United
States Commissioner
PRODUCED HIS NOTE BOOKS
DETAILS OF THE TRIP TO WASH
INGToN.


y dicted postal inspector James r.
Erwin, was heard by United
States Commissioner Heacock today.
He desired to. show why ne should not
he held for trial I'm Washington. and
made complete statement Of his con
nection with the case He is charged
with conspiracy to defraUd the gov
eminent by selling il mail devices Will
postofice official and with using his
influence 10 get government contracts.
He denied the charges specifically and
then told OF his knowledge of his con-
necion with the affair. whose history
covers period Of four years but which
mas out recently come TO public notice
through Washington Investigations
Erwin had note books and memoir
anda 10 verify what he said He did
not deny knowledge of the sale of the
devices and compliance with the
schemes FOR the local officials whereby
lhey developed the device and sold it to
the government. He said that he never
mad anything officially to do with the
acceptance and installmeut OF the do
vice. The attachments are now being
used in several cities. Erwin said that
as assistant superintendent of free de-
livery he endorsed their use The num-
DER in use under his jurisdiction. he
said, was 1000 on 100
Got $50 in Cash.
He asserted positively. however. that
hc never knowingly. dcfrauded the
government and that the total of his
earnings from the postal service and
Improvement company was S96.
ON November %, 1899 I secured q
twenty day leave OF absence and went
with ID s. Richardson. general super
1ntendeut of the San Francisco office.
Tn WASHINGTON 20, -1..rrr.a r-.r
the Montague Letter Box and Device
company The company was unknown
an that time, but has since become the
Postal Device and Improvement COM
ldul- The invention, I understand,
was Richardson's and 1 sug-
Sesiod several improvements.
ON rho certificates of stock given to
INC by Mr. Richardson. appears tho
name OF the Montague company
i now hold 500 out of 10000 shares
I'm the Postal Device company. For
these L paid nothing L took no part
IN the formation of either company and
paid no money for my stock. The con-
sideration / gave. 7 was told and sup
posed was for the service L rendered
IN periecting the device.
Trip to Washington.
"Thc object OF our trip to Washing
ton iu November 1899 was to- interest
paid nothing FOR my ser1 ices. In Wash
uGton / personally introduced Mr..
IlehdrGsou Co many officers and em-
plo}es iu the department and asked
them Co offer any suggestions they
could Tor Improvement. Z was we'll ac-
0uainted there through my duties.
which had covered a period of ten years
past j introduced Mr.. Richardson TO
forty or fifty men in the department
and spent two or three days i'm intro
duciuE him.
AT that time there was a national
convention OF frst-Cldss pOstmasters ina
session i'm Washington. We invited
several OF the visiting postmasters 60
inspect the device. which they did
IT never had possession of any stock
other than that issued to me- nor did
place any stock Whutever among the
employees of the postonicc department.
p NcitnGr did I advise Mr. Richardson
Io $50 place my stock I did NOT know
that amy stock was to be placed. And
had no official consent to- give. as I
was never 90 director of either tho
Montague or the present company. So
Jar ass I know 70 was never planned To-
place amy stock among the officials or
TN" department D never even took part
I'm The making OF contracts
Conspiracy Denied.
N
known 40 that time 7 was staving
at the same hotel with Mr. Richard
son.
We were together for ten days. from
November % To- December g. 1899
"I directed the attention of INV chic
the head postal inspector to the device.
which was set up for display i'm an
alcove of the free delivery department
August w MaChcn was az that time
the head OF the department. Tn my
presence the device was quite fully eX-
awiucd. perhaps by ten or "a dozen.
'ln my official capacity I never was
called upon 90 pass ON the usefulness
or GCsirability or the device"
Erwin then specifically denied that a.
any time he had conspired with Mach
EN-. Beavers or any one else for the
sale of the device further than he had
already testified
The case was continued until tomor-
row
Dates in the Complaint.
IN the first count I'm the indictment II
30 charged 10y the United States that ON
July Is. 1901, iu Washington. Erwin
c0rspired TO defraud the government.
i'm answer to the charge Erwin stated
that on this day ne was attending o..
his official duties I'm this city and that
he spent the evening I'm Vallejo.
The second count places the date Of
conspiracy at Aug. T. 1901. on which
day Erwin claims 90 have sailed -,u
Honolulu. Other dates of conspiracy
were said Co have been on Dee. ]. 1901
and Jan. I. 1901. all of which Erwin
denied.