Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-08
TO BE INVESTIGATED
INQUIRY INTO THE WORK OF MIR.
BnIsrow.

There Is now being conducted In the Post
Office Department another investigation. 1t
is being made into the former work OF Jo-
seph L. Bristow when that official was
fourth assistant postmaster general and di-
rected the work of the investigation which
finally resulted In the conviction of the pos
tai robbers. The work then was done under
the chief leadership of William E. Cochran.
at that time chief post Office inspector, ana
now purchasing agent. 1t Is now being
done by the inspectors attached to the same
office. with Chief Vickery as the leader
This investigation was ordered by the
President. and is intended to cover that
part of the work of Mr.. Bristow's investi-
cation wherein ]. M. Masten was charged.
while he was chief clerk to the first as
siStant postmaster general. with certain
transactions which were. at the time, ques-
toned. Masten's attitude was questioned
by some in the matter of Irvine contract
and in the Bundy time recorder contract.
No mention was made of the former trans
action in the final official report OF MT.
BriStOw, although the agents OF Mr.. Cocn-
ran had filed with that official alleged EVIL
dence connecting Masten with the contract.
Transferred to Railway Mail Service.
When the matter was brought to the at
tention of First Assistant Postmaster Cen
eral Wynne. after that official had taken
charge of the affairs of the office OF first
assistant, he advised that Masten be dis
missed from the service. Friendly aid
came to the breach, however. and Masten
was relieved from duty in the Office of the
first assistant and transferred to the rail-
way mail service, being appointed an as
sistant superintendent in that branch Of
the service.
In addition to the contracts for the Irvine
and the time recorders Masten was charged
with dealing in certain brands Of typewrit-
er erasers and Of advocating the adoption
by the department Of a certain make OF
typewriter. These facts were brought out
by the inspectors, but were either omitted
entirely or CLOSED over in the official
report of the matters under investigation
by Mr.. Bristow. All of the papers In the
cases mentioned were filed with Mr.. Bris-
documentary evidence which the inspectors
are now going over, and the result will
be embodied in a special report to the
President through Postmaster General
Cortelyou
The matters under investigation now are
not those which were made public by Mr..
Bristow when he printed his official report.
but those which were pigeon-holed by
him when he made that report.
There are said to be many files of papers
which would certainly make interesting
reading for the enemies Of the former
fourth assistant postmaster general, and
it is thought to be more than likely that
they will soon be made public through the
President or the Postmaster General.
Recently Mr.. Masten made trip to Eu-
rope with Second Assistant Postmaster
General Shallenberger when that official
concluded a parcels post treaty with Great
Britain His record Is said to be good in all
.of his work while with the Post Office De-
partment and his friends who know of the
pending investigation are confident that he
will suffer nothing from that procedure.