The daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Beltrami Co., Minn.) 1903-1904, 1903-04-25
ONE HEAD DROPS
ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL
TIMER is PEREMPToRILY
REMOVED.
HIS WIFE Rogs OFFICE SAFE
CARRIES AWAY PUBLIC RECORDS
FROM PosToFFteE DE-
PARTMENT.
ATTORNEY GfNtRAI TAkfs CASE
INSPECTOR DEMANDS PAPERS
AND is REFUSED BY MRS.
TYNER.

Washington, April 25.-Postmaster
General Payne has peremptofilN=r
moved James N. Tyner, assistant at
torney geE1ral for the postottice de-
partment on a criminal complaint and
handed over to the department OF
Justice all the papers in the case.
Gen. Tyner has been connected
with the department for nearly forty
years and has held the positions OF
postmaster general. first assistant
postmaster general, second assistant
postmaster general and attorney gen
eral for the department. He has
been a menbel Of congress and twice
the United States delegate to the in
ternational postal congress. He is
eseventy-seven years OF age. paralyzed,
but after this record and in his phys
ical condition, he is liable to criminal
prosecution, on charge of extracting
from his office public records. The
penalty for that offense is a fine OF
$4,000. or Imprisonment for three
years at hard labor,
Carried Of Public Records.
H.. J.
CATION and his resignation had been
accepted to take effect May l. But last
Tuesday afternoon his wife went to
his office, accompanied by a safe ex-
pert, opened the safe and carried
away public records which it was de-
sired should not fall into the hands OF
Fourth Assistant Postmaster General
Bristow, who is conducting the inves-
tigation.
Mrs. Tvner refused to deliver the
papers to the :nspector4Who called at
the house to demand them, and said
as excuse thai she had taken them by
direction of her husband.
The revelation. of such high handed
proceedings by an official under in
vesiigalion convinced Postmaster
General Payne THAI he investigation
he had ordered is timely and that it
must be conducted without regard to
the high position of some Of the men
under fire. orsthe reputation they have
as honorable and efficient public SER
wants. He has been convinced that
there is a condition of iottenness in
the department. and that il must be
Thoroughly OverhauIed.
Mr. Beavers, chief Of the salary and
allowance division resigned when it
was 1yrown his division was to be in
vestigated.
The Inspectors have been at work
in the Office Of Gen. Tyner and they
have learned enough to convince them
that some of Gen. T5 Aer's assistants.
have been using their positions in an
illegal manner. There were com
plants from policy men in Chicago
and st. Louis that they had paid a
nephew Gen. Tyner to prepare their
advertisements so that they would be
accepted as legitimate by the attorney
general for the department.
These papers and others of an al
said to have been in the safe, and Mrs.
Tyner, by direction Of her husband,
went to the Office and took them I'm
der the federal statutes she has COM
mitted a penitentiary offense. and she
may be prosecuted. The postmaster
general will not say what steps have
been taken to punish the crime, ex-
cept that he has handed the matter
over to the department of justice.
Later in the evening Gen. Tyner's
attorneys made a statement in which
they said that the papers removed
from the safe We're all of a personal
nature and in no way connected with
the matters now under investigation
They adaed that the papers would all
be placed at the disposal Of the proper
authorities.