Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-06
HONESTY OF WOMEN
Inquiry Suggested by the De-
faIcation of Lulu Bowen.
IN GOVERNMENT SERVICE
officials Agree That They Rarely
Betray Their Trusts.
MORE FAITHFUL THAN MEN
Chief wilkie of the Secret Service
Pays High Tribute to Their
Integrity.
BY WILLIAM e. CURTIS.


Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
The defalcation of Lulu Bowen. clerk in
the postal service In California, suggests
an inquiry whether women officials are
more honest than men. The late Gen. Spin
ner, who is credited with being the first to
appoint wome INTO positions in the govern
ment service, used to argue that they are
He frequently asserted that he had never
known a dishonest woman in government
employment. Other officials of long expert
ence admit that cases of dishonesty among
women are very rare but attribute 1t less
to moral principles and more to lack or
nerve temptation and opportunity.
Lulu Bowen was in charge OF substa-
ton of the post office at Oakland Cal,
where she sold stamps and money orders
and received registered letters She had
lover named l.. w. Baker, a printer by
trade and married man. He proves to
have been a gambler and aH-round sport
and to have exercised an almost hypnotic
influence over her. He persuaded her to
loan him money from the government funds
in her possession, and, in order to make IL
good, she pocketed the proceeds of money
orders and destroyed the duplicates. This
form of embezzlement continued until the
defalca ton amounted to nearly Stup,
when, in January, she detected, arrest
ed, indicted and is now awaiting trial. Ba-
ker is also under indictment, but out on
bail.
Mr. Vickery chief of inspectors of the
Post Office Department. tells me that this
is the only case of the kind within his rec
objection. Several women have been detect
ed ard punished for violation of the postal
laws and regulations, but he could not dis
cover any other case In which a woman en-
ploye of the department had stolen money
intrusted to her charge.
The Gases Recalled.
Within recent years there have been two
cases of women clerks violating the mails.
Last September Mary E. Cunnfffe, who ha5
been employed for fourteen years in the
post Office at Port Jervis, a small town In
the state of New York, was arrested for
opening a letter which did not belong to
her. Her crime was not attributed TO dis
honesty avarice. There are two socia!
factions in that little town, and the rivalry
between them is very keen. Miss Cunniffc,
actuated by curiosity and jealousy. tam
pered with letters addressed to the leader
of the set to which she did not belong. She
was arrested, made a confession. indicted
pleaded guilty and sentenced to one
year in the penitentiary at Albany.
Maria Brau, clerk in the postoffce at
Anasco Porto Rico, stole letter contain
ing money from the malls on January TO-
1905 She was arrested. made full con-
fession, and when brought to trial, pleaded
guilty. She was sentenced to one years
imprisonment, but the judge suspended the
penalty on the ground that there Is no place
on the Island of Porto Rico where decent
woman can be imprisoned
These are the only cases of dis
honesty among the women employees of the
Post Office Department for many years Oc-
ca sionaily some woman is arrested and
punished for trying to defraud the govern
ment. Last May Mrs. G. G. Martin was
convicted at Dayton, Ohio, and sentenced
to thirteen months in the penitentiary for
raising and forging money orders. She
was tool of her husband, who really did
the work He was sentenced to five years
imprisonment His scheme was to buy a
money order for small amount in favor
of his wife, raise 1t to large amount and
then she would tender X at some store in
payment of a purchase and receive the
larger part in cash. Several professional
criminals operating against the mails have
had women confederates. but there is no
record that any conspirator to defraud the
government ever had a woman confederate
fl the Post Office Department.
Miss Alice B. Sanger of the office of the
chief clerk of the department who has
been making an investigation finds that
1SS women are acting as assistant post
masters and 200 women are employed In
post offices as stamp, delivery Or money
order clerks In the Post Office Department
proper out of 1,1G9 clerks, 314 are women
Post Office Department Salaries.
The salaries of the employees of the Post
Office Department in Washington range
from $40 to 81. 500 a year, the former being
the compensation of the charwoman The
average annual salary paid to all employees
is 81 ,21050: the average salary paid to men
clerks is 81, 242.47: the average salary paid
to women clerks is 81, 1859; the average
wages of employees under the grade of clerk
including laborers, messengers, janitors
f,la IN iG hn
paid to men is $4,000 and to women 1881. 80
The following table gives the number of
women employed in the Post Office Depart
ment in the different grades, and the sal
rie repefved nv