The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-06-14
TYNER'S APPEAL.
Begs President Roosevelt to Set Him
Right in the Public Eye.

Washington. June Thames N Ty-
ner, who was removed from Office as
assistant attorney general Of the post
ONCE during investigation and who re-
Gently was tried and acquitted by a
jury. has addressed the following letter
10 President Roosevelt:
In November, 1903 on the strength
Of certain charges contained in a re-
port by Mr. Bristow, the fourth assist
ant postmaster general. you gave 70
the press of the country statement TO
the effect that gross corruption in the
case of Assistant Attorney General
Iyner had gone on for number OF
years, and after referring 10 me as
the chief offender YOU say that in my
case. the corruption took the form OF
favOring get-rich-quick concerns ana
similar schemes; in other words, the
criminals whom II was my sworn uuty
to prosecute paid him (me) for permis-
sion to fleece the public unmolesteu.
After thus giving your otf1claI OPINION OF
as chief magistrate OF the natlOl - -
TO my guilt you referred TO the la
that there were three indictments penn
ing against me and you called upon
jury to do it's duty
No verdict of jury nor sentence o.
judge could have had such Tar reacu-
ing or irremediable consequences Iof
me as this extraordinary oInclal proc
lama ton of guilt by you ana the oIol-
powerless fully to rectify the injustice
done. Immediately on seeing your
charges in the press I addressed you
letter protesting that on the mere say
so of Mr. Bristow you had no right
without at least first giving me
chance to be heard in my defense OF
without confronting me with the
charges or the evidence thus prema-
turely and rashly to prejudice me and
perhaps forever blast the good name
and character which for nearly so years
I have eudeavOred TO establish.
When I wrote this letter I had little
"a n
would spare my life long enough to en-
able me to face a jury of my peers
and I wished merely to record what /
believed to be a deathbed protest
against your unusual. unjust and aroi-
trary action. Fortunately L have now
had my day in court, and according TO
the law Of the land have established
my innocence of any crime or of any
misconduct in Office The jury without
a moments hesitation pronounced me
not guilty on all the indictments
such a verdict in trial brought in
good faith would ordinarily have been
a sufficient vindication of an accused
party, but unfortunately in this case
your official proclamation OF my as
sumed guilt has such weight, and IS
entitled to have such weight, that to
many it practically Overrides the YER
dict of the jury. I notice that many OF
your friends do not hesitate to say that
your verdict given before trial is more
10 be relied on than the verdict of
such injustice 1 have no recourse, ex-
cept by appealing to your sense OF
right and fair dealing.
In my letter to you of December ,
1903. I intimated briefly that your &C
ton was unjust and wrong and that
YOU would not have taken the course
YOU did if you had not been misled and
deceived by Mr.. BristOw's report 1
charged that his report suppressed the
facts; garbled the evidence, misquoted
the records; made untrue statements
and was in every way calculated 10
mislead and deceive you as well as the
public. I now Teaffirn these charges.
and call your attention to the fact
that it is no longer merely my state
Tnent against Mr.. BristoW's, but that
witness after witness on the stand for
the government in my trial denied the
accusations in his report and document
after document from the government
files disproved his charges. do not
mean for g moment to question the
good faith and entire sincerity of your
proclamation; 1 wish merely TO empha-
size the fact that you have been de-
ceived and that your laudable zeal for
public and official decency has been
imposed upon You accuse me of
gross corruption the attorney for the
government constantly disclaimed any
such charge before the jury You
charge that I was paid by criminals
not to prosecute them not a scintilla
of evidence was offered to sustain such
a charge; nor was a single witness, nor
a single document produced to show
special favOrs to 'swindling schemes
or a single violation of duty. Every
charge in the BristoW report in any
wise rejecting on me has been dis
proved by the recent trial-disproxed
not by virtue of the verdict, but by
sworn evidence Of the governments
own witnesses.
I'm my letter to you prayed my life
and mental powers might be spared
until L had convinced the American
hi Ito oh
all my. acts have been honest, honor
able and ightforward in the sight of
God and man. Ny remaining hours are
few, and though my house is in order
and with clear conscience await from
day TO day the irrevocabIe summons,
nevertheless can not close my eyes
without first appealing to you, Mr..
President. as my chief accuser, to en-
deavor, insofar as you can. to right the
great wrong which you have unwit-