Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-29
WHY GAITREE QUIT
STATEMENT BY ASSISTANT POST
MASTER GENERAL BRISToW.
era Of Official Misconduct and
Swearing to False Statement
Subsequently Confessed.

A new light has been thrown en- the con-
tIcversy between William B. Gaitree, divi-
sion superintendent of the rural free deliv-
cry, with headquarters at Cincinnati, and
the Post Office Department, by which 1t
appears that the allegations of Gaitree are
denied by the department and counter
charges of serious nature brought against
the official.
Mr.. Gaitree yesterday rendered to the
Postmaster General his resignation from
the office Of division superintendent and to
several persons said that he had taken this
course because of prosecutions at the IN
stance of the department. He said that
he was one of the proteges Of the late SEN
ator Hanna, and that all Of these men were
being removed from Office as rapidly as
grounds for separating them from the SER
vice could be found, or made.
In the coure of his interviews with va
rious newspaper correspondents he asserted
that all of the charges brought against MIN
by the department had failed Of substan-
tiation and that none of those remaining
for investigation could be proven.
Mr.. Bristow's Statement.
In view of these assertions the follow
ing statement by Fourth Assistant POST
master General Joseph L. Bristow, under
whose Jurisdiction Gaitree was employed,
is interesting. Mr.. Bristow says:
division Superintendent w. B. Gaitree
of the rural free delivery service was
charged by a number OF persons at mari
eta, Ohio (his home town., with refusing
to pay money borrowed since his employ
ment in the service, of Incorporate and dis
solute habits, and of accepting shares OF
stock In a rural mail box company as a
gift, and of borrowing money from his
subordinates in office.
IAN investigation of the charges showed
that he frequently borrowed money, APP
parently without any intention of repay
ing: that while of conviVial temperament,
he was not dissolute; that he had bor-
rowed money from his subordinates, and
that he had accepted the shares of stock
from a rural box company.
Gaitree's Affidavit.
ION May 0, in an affidavit, in response to
a question as to whether he had ever Dor
rowed money from or was indebted to any
of his subordinates in Office, Mr.. Gaitree
said
~ have never borrowed money from,
and am not now indebted to, any special
agent. route inspector or clerk under my
Jurisdiction
AT the time Mr.. Gaitree made this affl
davit he was owing w. c. Ella. a special
agent under his Jurisdiction, 500 which he
had borrowed from him in August, 1903
The next day after making the affidavit,
namely, May 10, Gaitree wrote Ella as fol-
lows:
Dear Bill: Fosnes was here yesterday
and had me on the carpet for about three
hours. Among other questions he asked
me If l had any money matters between
myself and any of the boys. I told him no.
He may call on you. Destroy this letter by
burning.
Acknowledged the Letter.
inspector Fosnes, on May %, called on
Ella, who stated in writing that Gaitree had
borrowed from him last August $500, for
which he had given four notes running at Z
per cent interest, and that two of the notes,
aggregating 800 were yet unpaid. On May
% the above letter and Elias statement
were submitted to Gaitree, and he then ad-
mitted that the statement of Ella was true
that he had borrowed money from him and
that he had written the letter above re-
ferred to.
1t appearing that Gaitree had not only
been guilty of official misconduct but had
also sworn to a false statement and then
suggested indirectly that his subordinate
officer confirm the falsehOod, the Postmas-
ter General was convinced that he was not
proper man for the public service and
that he should be removed, but at Gaitree' S
personal request made to the Postmaster
General he was permitted to resign