The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1905-04-04
Might Have Signed 1t
in the Rush of
Routine.
IT MAY BE A FORGERY
inspectors Busy en- Search
Here and in Phila-
delphia.

j. ]. Howley, for six months Acting
First Assistant Postmaster General. to-
day denied ali knowledge of the letter
alleged to have been written by him 70
Mcdonald Gray, OF Easton, Pa, in
which he gave the Storey Cotton Com
pany clear name, and said that they
were doing a satisfactory business
Mr.. Howley says positively that he
never dictated any letter 20 Mcdonald
Gray about +she Storey Company OF. any
other concern, ard that he knew moth
ing about the company. However, he
admits that it may have been possible
for him to have signed the letter among
other routine matter
There Were no Developments in the
Philadelphia case today beyond the fact
that the postal detectives in Philadel-
phia are doing everything in their pow
er TO get at the facts. Inspector Mayer,
of New York, assisted by several of the
best men in the postal service. is now
engaged in making a thorough inves-
legation, which may bring forth SEN
sational facts at any time
Dickson May Be Removed.
Wnile Inspector Dickson, in charge OF
the Philadelphia division, has not been
removed, it is admitted in the DEPART
ment that everything is in the hands Of
inspector Mayer. who will make reports
10 the Postmaster General in person.
Postmaster General Cortelyou had
mott ing TO say today. beyond the fact
thai he would not stop until the whole
matter had been thoroughly Investigate
ed.
Just now the most important thing be-
Ing done by the inspectors is to locate
the author of the letter from the First
Assistant Postmaster Generals ofsice
giving the Storey Company a good
name.
Text of the Letter.
The letter in question. which has been
printed in the Philadelphia papers, is
as follows
'.Postoffice Department
Office of the First Assistant Postmas-
ter General
Washington. Oct. Is, 1904.
Mcdonald Gray, Easton, Pa
Cotton Company. of Philadelphia, was
received and properly referred Would
state that the Storey Cotton Company
was investigated by this department
business
No fraud order has been issued
against this company, nor is any con-
templated at this time
We would state, however that il
you know anything against this COM
pany, please inform U.S. and we will take
the matter up formally.
Acting First Assistant POSTMASTER ma
General"
The files of the correspondence di-
vision have been thoroughly searched.
but whether the carbon copy of the
above letter has been found or not was
not stated today. The inspectors in
Philadelphia are trying TO locate the
original letter
Could Then Trace Writer.
If this is done, it will te an easy mat
ter to tell whether the document is a
forgery or was written by some one in
the Office of the First Assistant Post
master General. If the letter was prop
erly written it will bear the initial os
the subordinate official who dictated It
Then again, If the communication is
reality, the letter OF Mcdonald Gray,
which was properly referred should
be on file
1t would have been an easy matter
for person familiar with the Postoffiee
Department to have forged the letter
and still easier for some one who had
been in the postal service
Sources of Letter.
There are FIVE or six divisions under
the First Assistant Postmaster Cen
eral from which such q letter could
have come for the signature of Mr.
Howley. and fac-simile stamps are fur
nished every division and section.
The case of Inspector Holden remains
as il stood yesterday, and his reSigna-
ton will neither be accepted on refused
until Inspector Mayer has made u COM
plete report. If the report reveals the
fact that Holden merely accepted the
loan from Storey and paid il back, as
he said he did, he may be continued In
the service with a reprimand
AS yet no efforts have been made to
arrest ANYBODY. Should the report Of
Inspector Mayer show Holden and others
to have been guilty of protecting the
Storey cotton swindle warrants will be
issued at once Holden cannot be prose-
cuted after April 25. as the statute of
limitation will Car proceedings against
him after that date, it having been three
years since he accepted the loan"