The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-04-24
AS RESULT HER HUSBAND
is SUMMARILY DISMISSED
Postmaster General Payne Demands
That Papers Be Given UP, But Mrs,
Tyner Absolutely Refuses-Sev-
eral Arrests May Follow.


the investigation of postoffice department
affairs, Postmaster General Payne today
announced the summary dismissal of
James N. Tyner, assistant attorney gen.
eral for the postoffce, and charged that
all the papers and records in the safe of
Tyners office had been abstracted by
Mrs. Tyner, wife of the discharged Of
ficer, with the assistance of others.
The postmaster general says that Mrs.
Tyner has refused the demand OF the
government for the papers and said cir
cumstances in the case would be submit
ted by him to the department of Justice
tomorrow. Other developments are ex-
pected to follow
The question of arrests Is now under
consideration and will be passed on imme-
diately by Attorney General Knox.
The letter of dismissal, signed by POST
master General Payne late yesterday and
made public tonight. is as follows:
Letter of Dismissal.
Washington. April %. 1903
Hon. James N. Tyner Assistant Attor-
ney General for the Postoflce Depart
ment.
"sir-You are hereby removed from the
office of assistant attorney general for
the postofhce department
Il deem 1t proper to give you the rea-
son for this summary action on the part
of the department. Early in the month
of March, l communicated to you through
a mutual friend, a request for your resig-
nation. After painful interviews with
| you. and a more painful one with Mrs.
Tyner, consented to modify the demand
] for your resignation, SO that 1t might
take effect May l. 1903; with the proviso.
however, that you were given leave OF
absence from the time Of the acceptance
of the resignation to the date of its taxi
| ing effect, with the understanding that
| you were not In any way to undertake to
discharge the duties OF the office.
Late yesterday afternoon Mrs. Tyner
came to the office of the assistant attor-
ney general for the postoffice, entering
| In the regular way and went through the
main office to the private office, closing
| the door behind her. She then unlocked
| the door entering from the public hall
| into the private room and admitted her
sister, Mrs. Barrett whose son was for
merly assistant In your office. and whose
| conduct is now under investigation by
| the superintendent She also admitted
in the same manner Mr.. G. G.. Hammer.
an expert In the employ of the Mosley
| Safe company, with whom she had made
| an arrangement to meet her at the de-
| partpent. At her direction, Mr.. Hammer
re-opened the safe in the room and she
took therefrom all papers, records and
articles of every kind and carried them
away with her.
Refused to Give Up Papers.
Immediately upon learning what had
| been done | directed the fourth assistant
postmaster general to send two inspectors
| to your house to demand In the name of
the postmaster general the delivery to
them Of any papers, documents or other
materials which had been abstracted
from the safe. This demand was refused
| by Mrs. Tyner. and she likewise refused
| to permit the inspectors to see you or to
| see and examine the papers In her pres
| ence. Mrs. Tyner further stated to the
, postoffice inspectors that she committed
this act with your knowledge and by
your direction. Further comment on this
| transaction on my part is not necessary
1.-The facts in the case will be submit
ted to the attorney general OF the United
States for such action in the premises
as he may deem proper.
VERY respectfully
III c. PAYNE,
Postmaster General"
| Mrs. Tyner came to the office of the
! assistant postmaster general on the fifth
|
ing at 3:45 o'clock Tuesday afternoon and
remained there exactly an hour. Mr..
Bristow asked authority to have Mrs. Ty-
ner elected from the office, the authority
coming too late. When the Inspector re-
turned Mrs. Tyner had left. The safe,
on being examined was found to be
empty.
Creates Great Excitement.
The affair created much excitement
among the investigating officials but the
news was carefully concealed from the
public. Two inspectors were dispatched
to the Tyner residence to recover the pa
pers. Mrs. Tyner refused to give them
up, saying she was acting under the di-
reetion of her husband. She told the in
! spectors, so they reported, that they had
no right to the papers, as Mr.. Tyner was
still assistant attorney general, and
moreover, insisted that the papers were
all of a private character.
| 1t is suspected at the department that
| the papers have some connection with the
recent conduct of an investigation into
| the assistant attorney generals deal
| ngs with the turf companies. Some
weeks ago turf investment concern
whose affairs were aired in court alleged
that its operations and working methods
had been sanctioned by the assistant at
torney general for the postoffice depart-
ment. The charges involving the office
| OF the assistant attorney general and a
lawyer formerly connected with that of
| flee were ventilated very generally ait
that time and an Investigation was or
dered by the postmaster general. This
was really the inception of the investiga-
tion that has spread into every part OF
! the department. The complaints crystal-
lized into a formal request for Mr.. Ty-
ner's resignation signed by Postmaster
General Payne on March last Mr. Ty-
ner had been in exceedingly bad health
for a long time and had visited the office
only at rare intervals, leaving the office
| entirely in charge Of his assistant for