The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-05-23

another postoffice, the registry receipt
returned To FILLMORE, and fraud dis
covered
Investigation at. the pos,office and
examination of the registry book
showed that the letter had been re-
ceipted for as follows, "Jos. 5. Smith,
by j. D. Smith Joseph S. Smith is
the mail contractor at Fillmore, a rep.
u,able citizen. and a son.in-law to
Martha J. Jackson, j, d. Smith ia
the father of Joseph s. Smith and like.
wise. Il reputable citizen. Both of the
Smiths pronounced the double sigma
ture forgerics, and beyond the question
Of doubt they are forgeTles. In fact,
the addition Of 81. ID. Smith was
doubtlessly made Mt considerable
period after the name ''Jos. :. Smith
was written. As further evidence Of
the fault in this case. the signature
on the registry receipt card and on the
registry receipt book are not only not
the same name, but apparently in n
handwriting studiously disguised.
Demand Made on Hanson.
Martha j. Jackson made demands on
the postmaster for the $40 she be.
leved had been stolen from her. While
she is a decrepit old woman and in
very bad health, she made il very hot
for the postmaster and threatened him
with arrest if he would moi turn over
10 her the SO.
he
letter had reached the Fillmore post
office, Frank L. Hanson paid Joseph 5,
Smith $40. instruct ting him to turn the
money over TO Martha j, Jackson. He
took Smith s receipt for the amount.
Mrs jackson saws the money was
promptly paid 10 her, and Joseph S
Smith admits that Frank +. Hanson
gave him the so and that he gave
Hanson receipt therefor. Hanson
insists. however. that tho amount was
the reason why he sent the money to
Mrs. Jackson is that he must have de
livered the letter TO the wrong per
son and that she, being an old woman.
and he being careless III the matter, he
felt that in order 10 satisfy her NJ
would he better Ia lose the amount HIM
self Asked if he had any idea who
had roeeipted for the letter in such
peculiar manner rs the records and
ihe registry card indicates, he intimat-
ci that n daughter of Mrs. jackson
might have received the letter.
This suggestion is absolutely dis
countenanced both by the character of
the signatures. the character OF the
woman, and the nature Of the case. II
is renorted that Hanson has another
explanation Of this transaction, but If
he has he declined to make 1t to The
Tribune.
Conduct That Astonishes.
One of the amazing things in con
nection with the Martha j. jackson
case is that an entire page of the regis
Try book IN the Fillmore postoIice was
cut out, sent to Salt Lake, examined
by several Interested parties and that
this particular page bore the evidence /
,of the shameful forgeries. The regis
try card, which adds also to the evl-
dence Of the mistreatment Of this let |
ter it is now claimed, is with the nles
of this case at Washington
Postoffice Inspector II, &. Durand, the
ynang man who succeeded Frank c.
Sharp, removed, investigated the Mar
tha !. Jackson case tho FIRST week IN
November. He also investigated other
charges made against Frank f, Han
son. Notwithstanding several thefts
aud forgeries and tho falsihcation Of
the records, as is witnessed III the case
OF the Helen Day money order, reclted
recently, he admits having recommend.
cd to the Department that he could find
no evidence of criminal intent The
Tribune proposes to show that the De
partment at Washington was not put
in possession of all Of the evidence OF
the Fillmore postoffice crimes,
TnsDpctor Duran1 on visiting Fill
more found the Office directly in charge
Of W p. Payne, one of the bondsmen
for Frank z. Hanson. Payne was not
familiar with postofiice work, however,
and the actual duties were being per
formed by druggist named Frampkin,
Tho inspector counte dup the office and
ii is supposed he found the funds, etc,
intact. In fact, there has never been
an intimation that Frank e, Hanson
was other than an accurate and com
petent official
Durand secured several statements
from those who had grievances and is
believed TO have taken several affida-
Wits. He witnessed the alleged sigma
lures OF ".Joseph +. Smith and ~,
D. Smith, in the registry book He
noted their irregularity. lie secured
denial of their genuineness, as he Sc
cured also denial of Mrs. James Pc
terson that she had signed her name for
the letter mailed by her husband at
Garrison. He obtained evidences Of the
claims of fraud in the Cummings case.
He took mp the money order receipt
given by Postmaster Hanson 70 Helen
Day and issued 2 personal receipt there
for, He examined the records and
found that this money order had been
treated as though il had been spoiled
and that no other order was issued i'll
lieu of it.
Mutilated Postal Record
Before leaving for Salt Lake he went
to the postofice, secured the registry
receipt book containing the record OF
the delivery of hundreds of letters and
began cutting from that record book
the particular page containing the for
geries i'll the Jackson case.
Bondsman Payne did not believe the
Inspector had right to mutilate this
record. He said to Inspector Durand
You are postotlice Inspector and
| suppose you know your business.
suppose You have right to carry away
the entire postoffice il you see fit, but
! do not believe that YOU have a right
10 cut page out Of that book and carry
1T away -