The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1911-09-13
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
How EIkins Helped Break Up a
Gigantic Fraud.
Hs IL Wac Who First Supplied the
Information That Resulted In
uncoverino tho Huge Star
Route PostaI Swindies.
BY e. J. EDWARDS.

sometimes, when i have heard o1
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 for the
prevention Of railroad rebating, have
thought OF another great service rem
dered by Senator Elkins of which the
public never had any knowledge. The
time has now come when l can tell
the incident.
II think 1t was on the second day
OF March. 1891" continued Thomas l..
James, postmaster general during the
Garfield administration, that Mr.. FL
kins, whom I had learned to know
well when he was delegate to con-
gress from the territory of New Mexi-
CO. called upon me at my office in
tho New York postoffice. After the
greetings Of cordial friendship were
over, Mr.. Elkins explained that he
wanted to send telegram to James
G. Blaine, and he presumed he would
receive an answer within ON hour. He
added that the telegram referred to
something that concerned me.
when we returned to the postofn ce
after luncheon. we found a telegram
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 II
there were any change In General
Garfleld's cabinet plans, and Mr
Blaine had replied that there had been
none. Then Blkins said to me: You
are to have great opportunity and
very difficult and perhaps dangerous
task before you, as soon as you enter
the postoffice department
"'You doubtless have seen in the
newspapers lately a good many vague
inumations that tho government Is be-
ing wronged by the star route con-
tractors. I tell you, Mr.. James. that
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
after you have got fairly we'll ac-
quainted with the postoffice depart
ment should be to make an investiga-
ton Of the contract department. Tear
It up. The contract department Is ex-
plotting star route service to the
amount of millions year, when no
service Is given. and tnen the contrac-
tors are whacking up with some OF
the postoffice authorities. You will
run counter to some very influential
politicians. 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 MacVeagh, who is to be
attorney general
"Mr. Elkins thereupon gave me
some information regarding the
frauds. Upon that information was
able to base the investigation OF the
contract department OF the postoffice
department. We speedily uncovered
huge swindles. l have estimated that
the government was robbed OF some
where between six million and eight
million dollars by these frauds.
I'VE prosecuted criminally the lead
ing conspirators, but we found 1t i'm
possible to obtain jury at Washing
ton which would convict But we
broke up for good and all the star
route swindle-a service that was due
in the first instance to the information
given to us by Stephen b. Elkins. 1t
was one Of the greatest services rem
dered to the government of which I
have any personal recollection. But
until now, President Garfield and his
cabinet were the only ones, excepting
Mr. Elkins himself. who knew that
1t was through the initiative Of Mr..
Elkins that this work of reformation
was begun"
Copyright, 1911. by p. j. Edwards. All
Rights Rescrved)