The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-04-28

Washington, April 15.-The two i'm
portant developments today in the in
veStigation of the sensational abstrac-
ton Of papers from the safe of the Of
|. flee of the assistant attorney general
for the postoffice department, which
led to the dismissal Of that official,
were the submission of what purport-
ed to be the papers to the inspection
of the postal officials and the decision
of Postmaster General Payne to imme-
diately relieve Acting Assistant Attor-
ney General c.. a. G. Christiancy from
his office pending an investigation Of
his conduct.
The action in the case of Mr.. Chris
tiancy was taken at his own request.
He states that he courts the fullest in
vestigation. Mr. Christiancy has held
the office of assistant attorney since
January /, 1901, and has been in charge
of the legal affairs of the department
| most Of the time since then owing to
| General Tyners absence. caused by i'll
health,
General Tyner's counsel today sub
mltted to Postmaster General Payne
and Fourth Assistant Postmaster Gen
eral BriStow papers which they said
the Tyner claim c0nstfruted~ a }fs~tha
had been taken away, but statement
made later by the Postmaster General
directing the CORES pondence on the
subject and the submission of the pa
pers specifically declines to accept the
statement that the papers submitted
necessarily constituted all that were
abStracted
General Tyner's counsel after leav-
| ing the Postmaster General made a
| statement in part as follows:
yesterday in response to a notifica-
| ton from the department of justice
| that General Tyner'S offer to deliver
| the papers should be made to the post
| master general, Mr.. Perry proposed to
| the postmaster general that repre-
| sentative of the poStOffice department
| should meet counsel at General Tyner' S
house where the papers should be eX-
| anlined and such as were private re-
| turned to General Tyner and the 9TH
| ers, somewhat public in nature, be de-
| liyered to the department. 1t was eS-
| pecially desired that the government
| representatives should question fully
General Tyner, Mrs. Tyner and Mrs.
| Barrett as to what occurred on Mrs.
| Tyner'S visit to the postOffice depart
| ment on Tuesday last and as to all OF
| her acts in connection Herewith and
her authority therefor, General Tyner
| explaining that all of Mrs. Tyner's acts
| were authorized by him. The post
master general in reply said substan-
italy that if General Tyner would
| cause the papers to be returned to the
department he would have the same
examined in the presence of Genera
Tyner and would restore to him all the
papers documents ard other property
| Io10 to hi inc
after consultation the postmaster gen
eral was asked to permit Mrs. Tynel
| and Mrs Barrett to come to his Ottlct
with counsel for full examination b!
any government official as to the fact
connected with the taking Of the pa
pers The postmaster general refused
20 permit either Mrs. Barrett or Mrs
l Tyner to be present and declined t
2 question them Thereupon, acquiescini
/ in his decision, counsel brought to tn
postoffice department all of the paper
| in question. They were examined min
utely and in detail in the presence o
the postmaster general by Mr. Bris
tow. including the most private prop
erfy Of General Tyner and especial
| of Mrs Tyner On the conclusion Q
! | this examination all the papers Were
2 by direction of the postmaster genera
returned to General Tyner except tn
t papers indicated in q statement c
h matter connected with the conduct c
r Il former inspector of the departmer
t ! now dead. and which had never bee
t filed and which matter was dispose
: OF over four years ago.
!, subsequently the postmaster gencr;
+ gave out statement covering the sui
l. mission of the documents which plail
! " says that the department does M
agree to the assumption that the Pc
- pers submitted constitute all tho:
% taken. After reciting the propositic
V : of General Tyner's counsel, and its r.
lection by him, (setting forth the te.
of the letter in reply) the statemel
. concludes as follows:
This morning Mr.. Perry and Gener
&c Michener came TO the departmer
Sc bringing with them a package whit
vt they stated contained the papers al
documents which had been taken fro
- the department in the manner her
y. tofore set forth and offered to subn
70 the same to the inspection Of the pos
6, master general or any other official
n the department.
T. In response to this offer. Mr. Pc
ry opened the packages in the presen
of of the postmaster general, Gene1
RS Brstow and Gen. Michener Caret
he scrutiny of each paper and docume
It was heard and all the papers so E
e. hibited were found to be personal a
h personal property of General Tyner
Mrs Tyner eXceDting one package