The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1909-01-12
CASE
A STRANGE
ONE
(FrOm Sundays AdveTtiser.)

(From Sundays Advertiser.)
John I. Stayton, assistant postmaster
of Honolulu, waived examination before
United States Commissioner Kingsbury
yesterday morning and bail was set at
$1,000. An investigation of Mr.. Stay
toms accounts at the postofice is being
made, The inspector has not opened
the safe yet, but will do so shortly.
The quarterly report on which Mr.. Stay.
ton was working at the time of his
arrest and which was to have been for.
warded in the mail today to Washing
ton on the steamship Manchuria, is in
complete and will be held up for a
while.
"The information of wrongdoing on
the part of Mr.. Stayton was not only
surprise to me, but something of a
shock, said Postmaster Pratt yester-
day. 81 had regarded him as very
competent man in the position he holds,
and must say that 1 still regard him
as competent. When he first went into
that office he worked hard and well.
For the past year 1 did not think he
was quite up to the mark he had set
for himself. He seemed to be rather
poor in health and it was at my sugges-
ton that he went to the Coast to see
his family He has lost flesh and weighs
now somewhere in the neighborhood of
145 pounds, wnen formerly he weighed
$50 pounds.
"Lately his office work has been
somewhat crowded. There was the
death of Mr.. Marchant and then Mr..
Colby became i'll right before the holt
day season and that threw more work
upon Mr.. Stayton.'
Mr.. Stayton furnished bond of $751;
900, the amount required by the post :
office department. and this was furnish
ed through the Henry Waterhouse Trust
Company. There is story to the effect
that Mr.. Stayton was short In his ac-
counts. The bond of the trust COM
pany will Offset any loss which may be
found due the government, but his
friends do not believe there will be
any.
Several months ago the auditors
statement of accounts with the local
postoffice showed discrepancy of $50.
In going over the assets in Mr. Stay
ton IS hands he found that amount of
stamped envelopes which had been over
looked in taking stock. Later, another
statement came that there was dis
crepancy of 1925, including the $53 Ac-
cording to the requirements of the de-
partment Mr. Stayton Immediately de-
posted this amount with the postmas,
ter, and the amount still remains in the
office, intact, awaiting the final inspec-
| ton of the postal officials This, ac-
cording to Postmaster Pratt, may be
classed merely as a discrepancy, owing
to the intricate method of preparing
and forwarding statements of accounts
required by the department.
Mr.. Stayton as assistant postmaster IS
actually the cashier of the postoffice
and all receipts and revenues outside
the money order department pass
! through his hands This includes the
stock of stamps, stamped envelopes etc.
In this connection the name of Mr..
Marchant, formerly with the postofiice,
who died or committed suicide suddenly
few months ago, has been mentioned.
After the latter's death an investiga.
ton of his books showed discrepancies.
They were slight, however, and have.
been classed as discrepancies inasmuch
as thorough investigation of the books
could not be had without the presence
of Mr.. Marchant. These accounts arc
! related in way with those of the
postoffice cashier.
Behind the story of the trapping of
Mr.. Stayton in the lavatory of the post.
office Friday night when he was found
with official mail directed to Inspector
Hare and Assistant Superintendent
Carr. and with the envelope addressed
to the latter, omen, there is another
story that Mr.. Stayton had definite
purpose in opening mail addressed to
the officials which affected young man
who was recently acquitted by Fed
eral court jury of a charge of wrong
doing while acting as an employee of
postoffice on Maui. Mr.. Stayton had
peculiar interest in the young man and
it is said wanted to know whether the
District Attorney and Postal Inspector
were going to reopen the case, as had
been reported The interception of Of
fetal mail with references to the mat
ter would not only put Mr.. Stayton
wise. but could keep the other man in
formed.
Another theory, being worked on by
the investigating officials, is that Mr..
Stayton, in view of the 1925 discrepan-
cy, desired to obtain foreknowledge OF
the department Is attitude in that mat
ter.
It is said that Mr.. Stayton has had
penchant for cards recently and that
he has not always won. A small crowd
of young men employed in various
minor capacities in Offices and stores
about town have sat in the game and
an investigation is about to be made
concerning losses and winnings of all
concerned.
The coming of Inspector johnson, a
few months ago. was due to desire
of the Postoffice Department to get at
the bottom of the postal mysteries here.
HOW COUGHS AND COLDS ARE
CURED IN BURMA.