New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-18
BRISTOW A WITNESS.
GIVES 4 NEW REPORT.
Names Congressman Guilty Of I'M
prOprieties, bat Is Kept Secret.
IFRoN THE TRIBUNE BUREAU

AsSlslt postmaster General himself but It's con-
tents were carefully guarded by the members OF
the committee who declined even to discuss tho
document. except in executive session. This
port contains the names Of members 81 Congress
who. in the estimation OF the Fourth Assistant
Postmaster General. violated the prophecies in their
efforts 70 ncrea ses OF clerk hire or rentals
for postof1ces. They are few in number but they
are the cases which led Mr. BrisJow refer TO
certain impToprieties on the part of members OF
Congress IN his original report the postoice in
vestigaton.
1t appears that when Chairman Overstreet Of the
Committee on Postoffces and Post Roads called
on Mr.. Bristow last January for the information
which had led him 10 make his now famous state
ment regarding members OF Congress. the Fourth
Assistant offered him the list delivered to-day 70
the Mccall committee. AR Overstreet however
declined TO accept this limited list and insisted
having the names Of all members Of Congress who
had asked any service Of Beavers saying that the
committee did want the results Of Mr. Bris-
lows Judgment. but all the facts. that it might
Judge as to their propriety IMPROPERLY itself
Then the Postmaster General gave orders that the
request Of the chairman be granted the letter.
and so Il was that the names Of the numerous
Representative and Senators whose actions had
| been above Teproach were sent to Congress along
with those implicated in such cases the Dunkirk
instance in New-York. and others
What the Mccall committee will do with tho new
hristow report remains to be seen although il is
intmated that II Will eventually BE- made public
There IS a growing impression IN the House that
the Mccall committee viii ind that grave IN
justice was perretrated by the inclusion in the
Payne report Of the vast majority OF members OF
Congress referred 10 therein and will be obliged 20
single out certain few and report to the House
that excuse be found for their relations with
Beavers or the special allowances which they used
their influence as members OF Congress to obtain
Ar Rristow's testimony made under oath before
the Mccall committee to-day. bore out in detail!
the statements made in these dispatches to the
effect that he had almost nothing to do with the
I Me- ..s- 49, ha Dov vvhfr
I such q sensation IN the House. He had been III
and away from his Office from January . 10 March
I L. He further said that the report In the FORM
in which it came to the Capitol had been prepared
by his subordiraes and those Of tho First Assist
ant Postmaster General acting under the direct
orders Of the Postmaster General
AR. RRIsTOws EVIDENCE
Mr. Rrstow said he had been Fourth Assistant
Postmaster General for seven years He was asked
how the special report made W. In reply NJ
said that January p Of this yes- the Post
uaste- General referred 10 him the letter from
Mr. Overstreet which appears in the report He
personally prepared thu statement contained on
pages 1 and E. and transmitted lt 20 Nj O'eEstTe@t
with the letter appearing on pages and d, when
was nv messenger on the forenoon OK January
q IN answer ~ this Mr. Diversified wrote 10 the
Postmaster General asking for additional inIoTrna-
ton The first information referred TO Il tnat
oonre-nr the Lease cases % Representatives Nads-
worth of New YORK. LIlLey. % Connecticat anu
rs.s,.rsocl. Of Kansas TIE second letter reelled
that there were a number Of cases wher" iilegal
and improper allowances we're made, and that u
would require time to make conpalloh' - 49,
said that there were many cases where the rents
e r.os-ofaces had been increased over the amount
called sor IN the leases
The night OF January 2 Mr. Bristcw said. NJ
was taken sick with the grip. and had o--en u",o
10 be in his Office until last Monday Mareh u
Il had nnthInE further personally 20 do Win inc
matter continued 2Ir. Brstow. Il am informed
that the Posrnaaste- General asked that the once
| Of the Fourth Assistant Postmaster General pre-
/ nara the information asked for. and that u was
! --ersre5 h, Inspectors and turned over 70 tho
| postmaster General bv the ch'ef Inspector
As 20 clerk hire he said his information vas that
The information was prepared IN the ONCE o. IN"
First Assistant Postmaster General
he ,o, since i1lyesti gated this list Of names
/ .~0 have not. at least not until to-day at
! noon" answered Mr. Bristow- Il was informed
maj in making II up there might have been om's-
! sious I haven't any cases IN inih'' oH' ' "
! vestiCate. OF course
| no understand that Mr. Waters. in charge q
the office stated that he had made a compete 'S''
! asked Mr. Mccall
/ There might have been cases prior tn Aprh j.
| 1903 answered Nr. Bristow-
| Asked why the date April :. 1@S Vas used MI.
! T2ristov said Il because that was ire oA'e vi
! Feavers's resignation. There undoubtedly VIZ
records IN the department OF such transactions that
! had been closed prior 10 the date menuoneo' "7
! said L.
| In rerasl 10 The secret method used by the De
ra--r7ent 10 ascertain the amount % clerk hHe l."
! which an office was entitled. Mr. Bristow said ne
| had asked First Assistant Postmaster teheIal
1y-,--ra about this to-day and Mr.. Wynne had said
| that the method was not known 70 the Pubic p't
- q member Of Congress made inquiry the methOu
was shown 20 him -, ,,C,,
! Taking UP the question Of leases idr- 'iS al
/ oeled an exclamation Of tho case relating 10 Man
| haitian Kan in connection with when heIIes.H-
/ .s.f,-e caI5erresd name was mentioned Nj Nc
call asked n the increased amount secured "AS '0'
| for furniture. $500, -.
/ was the snswer -,.,-, d,
! ~ Mccall asked ~ there any additional IN
49,. ton 70 he had concerning the case AZ @eneseo
/ y Y With which Representative Wadsworth name
/ mentioned -, .-
..T-,era was substantially none. was the answer.
A. - ,be lawrence Kan. case. involving Repre-
..,,,ti,e PoVersocks name Il developed that there
had been reduction IN the rent OF thlS once sumo
,,r,e +efore Mr. Bowersocks election 10 Congress.
-f-e y,ss no additional information regs ding the
zy-f,s-ed Conn case. involving the name o. i'ep
resentative Lilley. 800
tive Thompson. inquired about. hut
~ r-ietov said he did not personally know the
details % This
No OTHER VIOLATION OF THE LAW.
>, -.-e- IN Chairman Mccall and Representa-
tive AieDernott Mr.. Bristow said he kne" OF no
other than these four cases in which the statute
might have been violated mat IS aIi ne CON-
tinued no other such cases tod'i"Hs HieN'siS "a
the present Congress
Asr NoDer7nott asked specifically as 20 the duties
80 The Fourth Assistant Postmaster General. ana
then took UP the case Of Erie. Kan. In which II
,-eors Mr. Bristow secured increased clerk hire.
which was afterWard ascertained not to be Just-
fable
In what manner did you 90 that?'
Mr. Bristow said he referred the matter 70 the |
hat