The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1907-01-11
GOFF DEAD OF
BROKEN HEART
Second Victim in Famous
P. o. Investigation Con-
Quoted by Bristow.
Convicted in Connection
With Notorious Rake
Off," System and
Served Term.
INVOLVED WITH MACHEN AND
BEAVERS AND, NCTWITHSTAND-
ING SPECIAL PLEA OF COUNSEL
FOR GOVERNMENT, WAS FOUND
GUILTY AND SENT TO PRISON
HISTORY OF CASE.
Special to The journal.

Washington, d. c., Jan. 10.-Sam-
uel A Golf is dead. He is the second
man, generally believed innocent, TO
die of broken heart as the result of
the famous potofice investigation
trials conducted by former Fourth
Assistant POstmaster-General Bris-
tow. The first was the late ex-Post-
master General Tyner, who closed a
career of forty years in the govern
ment service characterized by nothing
but honor, sinking into his grave with
the knowledge of an honorable acQuit-
tai at the hands of the law, but stung
by public denunciation based on ex-
paTte statements.
Samuel A. Golf was a police officer
of the District of Columbia. He had
served twenty years on the force and
was about to retire on a pension, for
which he had applied. Previously he
had served in the civil war, being
made first sergeant for bravery when
under eighteen years of age. His
talents for mechanics led to the inven-
ton OF the device which fastens let
ter boxes TO the iron posts so they
cannot be removed except from the
inside Ii was an undeniably merit
GUS invention but when he sought to
market it to the officials of the post
Office department he found himself
against the famous "rake-off system.
Just how far he was involved in the
transaction which sent him to the
Moundsville, West Virginia prison,
with a. w. Machen and Diller b.
Goff, has never been absolutely
shown, but the special counsel for the
government, Hon. Holmes Conrad,
thought sufficiently well of his con-
duct to make special plea to the jury
to acquit him. To the surprise of
every one the jury disregarded the
plea and convicted Mr.. Croft.
During his long term of service on
the police force, and through his in
he had accumulated some
mOney-estimated at from $4,000 to
$4,000 Most of it was expended
during his trial The government
to pay for his patented letter
box holder on the ground of collision
and fraud The district government
refused his police pension because of
his conviction. He left the peniten-
1ary broken, old man, crushed in
spirit and finances. Feeling his broth
Pr could have saved him by a frank
explanation. Samuel A Golf left the
at the same time as Dill
er B., but they trod separate paths |
and never spoke
Golf is dead and another chapter
n the famous postoffice frauds case
s closed. The majesty of the law
las been indicated. but after all the |
question recurs as to whether the |
great United States escaped with |
glory from that slough Machen is |
till in the penitentiary; so is Beav-
RS, but the joke is on Beavers, who |
confessed and took his medicine |
while the man charged with being his |
Iccomplice went to trial and was &C.
Iuitted
When history writes the story of /
hose cases she will put down on one |
ide the killing of Gen. Tyner and the |
of his nephew; the SEN
ence of death of Sam Golf: the !
uined reputation of Metcalf and the
'enitentiary service of Messrs. Mach
n and Beavers On the other page
# the ledger she will write the ex-
'enSe of half a million dollars. the
urninS topsy-turyey of the pOstoffice
and the retirement into
nnocuous desuetude of the chief in
estigator. Maybe history can strike
balance