The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-02-02
: GR0FFS ON THE STAND
Inside History of the Postal
Service Scandal Is Com
ing TO Light.

Washington, Feb. Samuel A. Croft.
the inventor os the street letter box
fastener for the furnishing of which con-
tracts are alleged to have been fmprop-
erly obtained, today took the stand IN
the postal trial and told how he con-
ceived the idea OF getting up the devlce
and the efforts made bE MIN 10 find
some ore beside his brother TO take an
active interest in placing 81. The fast
Ener had been adopted and an order
Tor the Washington llostoffice paid for
he testified. before Mr.. L0renz in 1885.
proposed TO work up a sentiment IN
favor or u among the pOstmasters Of
ire country. re witness declared h.
never spoke q word TO Machen about
the fastener other than TO admit IN
response to a question put by Machen
at d. public test that it fitted too tight
lv. Jp TO that time ne said he had
never heard of M Lorenz and after
making fhe agreement with hili witness
said hc never saw him again until last
summer. nine years afterWard
Preceding Samuel A GrOff on the
stand was Diller +. Croft son of Dill
ler Il. Croft. who said in response To
ACQUISITION by the district attorney tqat
should the government see fit TO
purchase the fasteners the Groffs now
have or hand they would pay TO Mr.. Lo-
reEz his share Of the profits. ir accord
ance with tho agreement made in 1875.
The witness said that while calling
on Machen,. in June lN9. the latter in
formed him that he would require q re-
$50 60 Sl.-5 each and added
You can furnish them at that price
or not. Just as YOU see fit
The Croft brothers. said the witness.
accordingly were compelled to reduce the
price to the latter figure. Mr.. Croft
referring 10 the conversation with his
father and the postOfftce inspectors az
his fathers house. declared that he over
heard Inspector Mayer say 20 D. B.
Croft.
What gve want you To do, Afr Croft.
S. 20 get on tha government side and
we viii see That beth YOU and your
ATuther get immunity. we also Will Sea
that YOU get $1,000 due you. and viii
return the statement about this matter
previously made by yoB.
The witness further testified that MS
father turned down the proposition
'-fiat-footed.f In response 10 other oues-
efforts were made 10 dispose of an IN
forest in the fastener without success.
On re-CTOsS-eNdmin3 ton b1 District At
fcrueE Beach, Mr.. Croft described the
steps taken by the Croft brothers 20
fiji orders from the postofficc depart
men- for fasteners He declared that
no special accounts We're kept When
orders were filled and the money dis
burssd. all papers were destroyed. In
sending Air. T.oreuZ checks FOR his M
terest in the fastener. Ar. Croft said his
father would invariably write the let-
ter Of transmission. lie could not recoi-
lcct ever getting ~ RECENT from To-
re8z, but said h. regarded the checks
themselves as receipts
Tie related the conversation which took
pace between his father and Lorenz in
$50 which finally resulted tn the ac-
ouiremenf by Lorenz Of q one-half IN
fercst iu the fastener ia considerable ION or
500 ard certain influences wiHch ne
would bring 10 bear on p0stmasters and
cengressIneu in the way Of Introducing
the fastener