Evening journal., 1911-01-20
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
How Stephen B. ElkinS
Helped to Break Up a
Gigantic Fraud
By "H0IIaRd."
By "HOnaRd."

Sometimes, when | have heard of
the great service rendered by the late
Senator Stephen B. Elkins OF West
Virginia through the drafting of what
is now known as the Elkins law, the
most effective instrument Tor the pre-
vention of railroad rebating, / have
thought of another great service rem
dered by Senator Elkins OF which tn ?
public never had any knowledge. The
time has now come when l can tell the
incident.
- think It was on the second day
OF March, 1881" continued Thomas l..
James, Postmaster-General during the
Garfield administration, that Mr.. Elk
ms, whom ] had learned 70 know we'll
when he was a delegate to Congress
from the territory of New Mexico, call
ed upon me at my office in the New
York Postoffice. After the greetings of
cordial friendship were over, Mr. Elk
ins explained that he wanted to send
a telegram to James G. Blaine, and he
presumed he would receive an answer
within an hour He added that the tel
egram referred to something that con-
cerned me.
when we returned to the postoffice
there awaiting Mr.. Elkins' return.
Hastily reading the message, he said
that he had telegraphed Mr.. Blaine.
who was to be Secretary of State in
the new administration. to know If
thoro We're any change IN General Gar
fields cabinet plans, and Alr. Blaine
had replied that there had been none.
Then, Elkns said to me: You are to
have a great opportunity, and a very
difficult and perhaps dangerous task
before you. as soon as you enter the
Postoffico Department
"You doubtless have seen in the
newspapers lately a good many vague
intimations that the Government is be-
ing wronged by the star route con-
tractors. I tell you, Mr.. James, tnat
these reports are true. / know from
personal observation in New Mexico
that the Government is being robbed
by star route contractors, and Gov
ernment officers are being bribed by
these contractors. ! can furnish you
some details The first thing you do af-
ter you have got fairly we'll acquainted
with the Postoffice Department should
be to make an investigation of the con-
tract department. Tear Il up. The con-
tract department Is expediting star
route service TO the amount Of mill
lions a year. when no service is given,
and when the contractors arc whack-
ing up to some Of the postofiice au-
thorities You will run counter TO some
very influential politicians. I am here
TO tell you, however, that you will have
absolute support from the President,
from Mr.. Blaine as Secretary OF State,
and from Mr.. Wayne MacNeagh, who
is to be Attorney
"Mr. Elkins thereupon gave me
some detailed information regarding
the frauds. Upon that information /
was able to base the investigation of
the contract department OF the Post
office Department We speedily un-
covered huge swindles. ! have esti-
mated that the Government was rob-
bed somewhere between six million
and eight million dollars by these
frauds.
I'VE prosecuted criminally the lead
ing conspirators, but We found It inn
possible to obtain a Jury at Washing
ton which would convict. But we broke
up for good and all the star route
swindlc-a service that was due in the
first instance 10 the information given
to us by Stephen B. Elklns. IL was one
OF the greatest services rendered tc
the Government of which / have any
personal recollection. But until now
President Garfield and his cabinet
were the only ones, excepting Mr. Elk
ms himself. who know that It was
through the initiative of Mr.. Elkins
that this work OF reformation was be-
gun
Copyright, 1911. by e. J. Edwards. AL
rights reserved).
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards Will tell 81
srThe Man of Millions Who Made