New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-03
NEW PHASE OF POSTAL SCANDAL
MR PAYNE MAKES SERIOUS CHARGES AGAINST
HOUSE POSTOFFICE COMMITTEES
Says Important Documents We're Suppressed and Dates
Changed-Overseets Efforts 0 Shift Blame

according to the testimony Of the Postmaster
General was rejected because it did not con-
tain the names of the members Of Congress.
Postmaster General Payne corrcbOrated the
testimony OF First Assistant Postmaster Cen
eral Wynne in every detail
Overstreet not under oath. said in his report
that in keeping with the policy adopted by this
committee at the beginning of the present Con-
gress in making public all matters relating TO
the recent investigation Of the department. all
OF the papers and statements in detail received
from the Postofice Department are submitted
with and made part Of this report This. IN
view Of the fact that the Mccall committee now
finds four documents which were not sub
mitted- On March 2S OveTstreet himself not
Under oath. testified before the Mccall com
mittes that he had labored with the members
Of the Postofice Committee TO prevent any pub
lication of the documents. saying: While
cannot pretend to say what might have been the
ultimate action Of the subcommittee relative to
the publication of the matter, nevertheless the
publication Of that article in The Tribune acted
as stimulus to give the matter out so that IL
would show for itself"
Chairman Mccall said to Mr. Overstreet:
THAT is. your idea was to report to lay it on
the table and not publish it2'' to which Mr.
Overstreet replied: Yes; that is the recon-
mendatiOn I made"
TRIBUNE REPORT APPROVED.
Overstreet. on the same date not under oath.
testified before the Mccall committee that The
Tribune report. published March l. was grossly
exaggerated. and it was cOuched in extravagant
language. and it was largely untrue Mem
bers Of the Mccall committee have since exam
ined The Tribune's report OF that day and can
not find in it an exaggerated statement OF a
statement which has not since been proved TO
be accurate in every particular, nor any ground
for describing that report as "couched IN ex-
travagant language
Overstreet, not under oath, testified 70 the
committee that he had been IN and confined to
his house. ard that he got out only day or
two after the publication Of the first report IN
The Tribune. which appeared on March L On
March 1, the very day that The Tribune pub
lished it's first report Mr.. Overstreet appeared
at the White House before noon and volunteered
to a representative Of The Tribune the interview
which appeared on the first page nt The Tribune
March 2
THE CHARGES AGAINST MEMBERS
Overstreet. not under oath. testified to the Nc
CAN committee on March IS that he never saw
the running title Charges Against Members OF
Congress-" which appeared On his report House
Report 1895. until copies Of that report were
distributed to members on the foor OF the
House. and that as he saw it ne ordered
Il corrected The foreman Of the GovernmeRE
Printing Office to-day informed the Mccall COM
mittee that advance copies OF the report were IN
the hands Of Mr.. Overstreet's COMMITTEES thirty
hours before any change OF the caption run
ming title was ordered
Attention has also been called to-day to the
fact that Chairman Overstreet has retained as
clerk OF the Committee on Postoffices and POST
roads II. +. Dodge, who was clerk when Repre-
sentative Loud was chairman of this committee
August W. Machen. George ". Beavers and
James W. Erwin were indicted for their con-
nectiOn with the Postal Device and Improve
uent Company and its contracts with the de-
partment In Fourth Assistant Postmaster
General BristOw's report to the President. made
last October the following statement appears:
Richardson states that he did give 40
Continued third page.