Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-06-14
To President to Remove
Stain from Name.
Does Not Question Presidents
Sincerity in Course He Took
gut pleads for Word That Will Clear
His Character from Stain Of CHARGE
of Which the Jury Acquitted Him in
the Recent Trial.

n Tyner, who was removed from Of
fee as assistant attorney general for
the post Office department during the
investigation OF the department, and
Who was recently tried and acquitted
by jury has addressed n letter to
President Roosevelt in which he says:
In November, 1903, on the strength
of certain charges contained in 4 report
by Mr.. Bristow, the fourth assistant
postmaster general, you gave to the
press Of the country n statement to the
effect that gross corruption in the
case of Assistant Attorney General "
nor has gone on for q number Of years
ana after referring to me as the chiel
offender you say that in my case the
corruption took the form of favorinS
get-rich-quick concerns and similar
schemes; in other words, the criminals,
whom it was (ny) sworn duty to pros
ecute, paid Cne) for permission to fleece
the public unmolested.
After thus giving your official opln-
ion as Chief Magistrate of the nation as
to nv guilt. ycu referred to the fact
that there were three indictments pend
ing against me, and you called upon
Jury to do its duty. Immediately upon
seeing your charges in the press. ad-
dressed you Il 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
defence or without confronting me with
the charges or the evidence, thus pre-
maturcly and rashly to PREJUDICE me
ana perhaps forever blast the good name
and character which for nearly 80 years
/ had endeavored to establish.
when | wrote this letter 1 had little
hope that L merciful and just God
would spare my life long enough to en-
able me to face a jury of my peers. and
1 wished merely to record what | be-
leved to be a death bed protest against
your unusual, unjust and arbitrary ac-
ton. Fortunately, | have now had my
day in court and according to the law
of the land. | have established my in
nucence of any crime or of any miscon-
duct in office.
The Jury, without Il moments hcSi-
tation. pronounced me mot guilty" on
all the indictments. Their verdict.
am advised ANA believe. expresses the
unanimous sentiment of every member
of the bar and of the community who
followed the ease.
Such a verdict in trial brought in
GOOD faith would ordinarily be sufii-
Gent vindicatinn Of an accused party
but unfortunately in this | see your Of
fcial proclamation of my assumed
,;uit has such weight. and is entitled
IT, have such weight that to many it
practically over-rides the verdict Of
the Jury. Against such injustice.
have no recourse. except by appealing
to yonr sense of right and fair dealing.
'In my letter to you of December 2,
1909. I intimated briefly that your ac-
tion 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.. liristow'S report. L
charged that this report suppressed the
facts; CARRIED the evidence ana mis-
quoted the records: made untru" state
mrntS ana was in every way calculated
10 mislcad and deceive you as we'll as
the public. / now reaffirm those
charges do not mean for Il moment
10 question the good faith and entire
sincerity of your proclamation: l wish
merely to emphasize the fact that you
have been deceived ana that your
IaudahIc zeal for public and official de-
concy has been imposed upon.
''You accuse me of gross corruption
tho attorneys for the government con-
stantly disclaimed any such charge be-
for" the jury. You charge that I was
paid by criminals not to prosecute
them not scintilla % evidence was
Offered to sustain such n charge; nor
was 4 single witness nor n single docu-
ncnt produced to show special favors
to 'swindling schemes or n single vio-
lation Of duty. Every charge in the
Hristow report in any wise rejecting
on me has been dsrroved by the recent
trial.
My remaining hours are few and
though my house Is in order and with
n clear conscience / await from day ia
day the irrcvocablc summons. never
thcl,ss I cannot close my eyes without
FIRST appealing to you, Mr. President,
as my chief accuscr. to endeavor inso-
far rs you can. to right a great wrong
which you have unwittinGly done me.