The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-11-26
PLOT AGAINST WOMAN.
Attempted Through Medium of the
Postof1ice Department.

Washington, Nov. ga story of love
and hate, broken promises and revenge
/ is revealed by the record of the case
of a woman employee of the postoffice
department which has been decided by
! Postmaster General Wynne. The wo-
man in question was accused of mis-
conduct, and though, oStensibly, her
accusers were postoffice inspectors, the
real complainant was Orrin G.. Staples,
proprietor of one of WaShingtOn'S best
known hotels and millionaire capital
| list.
The woman's name is temporarily
withheld from publication because the
department does not care to subject her
to unnecessary notoriety. She formerly
| lived at the hotel owned by Staples. She
was married, but was separated from
her husband. She and Staples wife
were friends until Mrs. Staples died
about two years ago.
According to evjdence, documentary
and oral, collected by the inspectors
who investigated the matter, Staples
and the woman clerk became intimate
friends. The hotel proprietor was SEEM
ingly deeply smitten. He desired to
marry the woman and took steps to Sc
cure for her a divorce from her absent
husband.
Unexpectedly Staples attitude chang
ed. He suspected the clerk of being
friendlier with another man than he
approved of, and in a fit of Jealous pas
sion he directed the attention of post
office inspector to her mode OF living.
The inspector in question resided at
Staples hotel and he and the capitalist
were good friends.
Whether the inspectors subsequent
conduct was Influenced by this constd-
Grafton or whether he entered upon
the investigation merely as matter
of professional duty the fact remains
that he obtained from Staples a letter
which the woman wrote to her mill
Honaire lover after she discovered that
inspectors were on her track. 1t seems
that she had absented herself from the
department upon the plea of being
sick, when in reality she intended to
join Staples on a trip to seaside re-
sort. In her letter she told Staples
that she would invent an excuse for
the purpose of deceiving the inspector.
Staples turned this letter over to
his friend, the inspector. He also
furnished information which enabled
the inspector to ascertain that the WO-
man had accompanied Staples to GER
tain hotels, where Staples registered
as Mr.. Johnson and wife. The in
spector finally submitted his evidence
to Fourth Assistant Postmaster Gen
eral BriStow, who, after reviewing it,
wrote a recommendation to Postmas-
ter General Wynne that the woman be
peremptorily dismissed from the pub
lie service.
The evidence included many letters
written by the woman to Staples, all of
them more or less conclusive in their
bearing upon the facts. Postmaster
General Wynne, instead of following
the usual practice of indorSing BriS-
lows recommendation perfunctorily,
read the inspectors report and then
the evidence. Then he sent for the
inspector and obtained further en-
lightenment. The postmaster generals
indignation was hardly exceeded by
the inspectors chagrin and astonish-
ment.
''This is an infamy,'' said Mr. Wynne
to Bristow and the inspector. He
added: "I do not propose to make
myself a party to it, nor do 1 propose
that the postof1ce department shall be
made the medium through which men
of the stamp of Staples can take an
unworthy revenge upon a woman,
who, according to his own admission,
was entitled to his consideration and
protection.
ST will reduce the woman for LYING
to the inspector about having absented
herself from work on account of ILL
ness, but will not dismiss her. Staples
has come to the wrong place to work
out his Jealous revenge
The woman is to retain her place in
the department, but at a reduced SAL
airy. The inspector who initiated the
investigation at the request of his
friend, Staples, is to be asked to sub
NIT report of his conduct and the
outlook is that he will be severely
dealt with.
Postmaster General Wynne is very
much worked up over the matter. He
regards it as an outrage from begin
ming to end and unh esitatingly de-
nounces Staples as a scoundrel in
spite of Staples wealth and social po-
sition- The affair has created a great
sensation in Washington where Staples
is widely and heretofore favorably
known, and more is likely to be heard
of it.