The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-04-24

service of the Postofice Department in
Washington during the latter part of his
incumbency upon which Machen did not
receive a commission.
These populations began, as I said
shortly after he was appointed, IN 1895,
and they were carried on during the ba;-
ance of Cleveland Administration and
up to the time of his removal, both I'M
der Mr.. Mckinley and under Mr. Roosu-
welt.
MIR. Simmons then proceeded to describe
in detail Machen's crime. He then took
up Tyner, the Attorney General OF the
postoffice and his assistants Barrett and
Miller, and showed that each of these
were appointed by Republican administra-
ton, and that the offenses they were in
dicted for committing were committed
under Mckinley and Roosevelt, that they
were constituted the law division of the
Postoffice Department and that their
crimes consisted OF bribery and CON
Spiracy against the government in con-
nection with certain lotteries, turf invest
mentS. and get-rich-quick concerns sell
ing the justice of the country and rem
dering corrupt decisions in favor OF these
concerns tor pecuniary considerations. lie
then passed to George Beavers, head Of
the division of salaries and allowances.
He showed a conspiracy against the
government between Beavers and
First Assistant Postmaster General
Heath, and the Brandt Automatic Com
pauy. by which five hundred and seventy
of thg Brandt automatic cash counting
machines, worth about $500 each, had
been purchased for the government for
$3.50 apiece one hundred and sew
enty-three of which machines having new
er yet been used and are now stored away
in old cellars. He showed that according
to BristoW report, the motive for these
unnecessary purchases at these eXtraVa-
giant prices was a donation OF stock TO
. Beavers and Heath by this company. He
then took up the cancellinG machines
purchased or rented for the government
by Beavers and Heath. He showed that
one of these machines was offered TO the
government for $500 per 'annum rental,
that Heath declined that offer but offered
to rent it for 5000. 5000 more than was
asked. He showed that another one or
these canceling machines companies ac-
cording to BristoW's report, distributed
stock between Heath and Beavers in con-
sideration Of the purchase by them Tor
the government of "A laroe number of It's
machines at the price of $225 each, sew
era times their actual value. He then
took up the case of each one of the Gov
ernmcnt officials. who have been removed
or indicted as a result of the BristoW
ton, showed the date OF their
appointment. the crime committed by
each and the time of the commission OF
their several crimes. AS result Of thus
detailed discussion, Mr.. Simmons demon
Strated from the Bristow report that of
all of the employees in the Postoffce De-
partment at the time Of the commence
mcnt Of the BristoW investigation, who
have been indicted or removed from Of
fee as a result of that investigation,
only two of them besides Machen, were
appointed under Democratic administra-
ton; and that those two had no connec-
ton with the Postoffice Department at
Washington until after the beginning of
the Mckinley administration, one of them
having been transferred from the New
York postoffce to Washington in 1900,
and the other in 1899. He further showed
that only four Of these indicted or re-
moved officials had any connection what
ever with Machen, and that practically
all the wrong doing disclosed in the Bris-
tow report, except that charged against
Machen, had occurred since March 1897,
the beginning of the Mckinley admins
tration.