Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-01-10
GOVERNMENT sLEuTHs UNDER
lNyssr,oArioM ~ HOUSE
COMMITTEES.
.lNcoMpErENcv 70 ALLEGED
AGAINST SEVERAL EMPLOYEES
]. ~. Jarnasin, Postmaster at Cedar
Falls Victim Of inspectors eIundsr,
subposnasd % Witness Alleged
Shortage Found Not to Have Existed
-ons Examiner Lesss Job ~ Result.

postmasters will be called before the
congressional committee on postofftce
expenditures. which il investigating
methods in vogue by postonice in
spectors, 30 1t is stated in Washington.
Judge H. ~. Towner, of Iowa, is one
OF the committee. Judge Towner has
been discussing the postoffice inspector
/ system with various Iowa postmasters
and has secured Information, it is said.
which will lead to the issuance Of sew
eral subpoenaes. The probe was started
: to get at the bottom of the mode of
4 procedure in the Lewis case at St
Louis.
According 70 reports. ]. w. Jarna-
gin, postmaster at Cedar Falls, may
be summoned a. one Of the first wit
neses from Iowa when the investi-
cation starts.
In the latter part Of June inspectors
Patterson and Stewart made an ex-
animation Of the condition of the post
(office at Cedar Falls. They devoted
three days to the work and after COM
plotting the task startled Mr.. Jarnagin
with the statement that his postal
funds were short about $3.50. No fig
ures were submitted nor was Mr.. Jar
nagin given an opportunity to verify
the work Of the inspectors, but, in
stead. he was threatened with immedi-
ate arrest for embezzlement unless
the amount claimed was produced at
once. This Mr.. Jarnagin did. The
inspectors talked upon the streets of
the alleged shortage they had found,
submitted to an interview by a re-
porter for democratic newspaper
and even told OF their alleged findings
70 prominent citizens Of Waterloo be-
hore Mr.. Jarnagin had been apprised
the alleged shortage, SO it Is siad
ere.
Never Was . Shortage.
On July l, three days after the and
ling Of the alleged shortage, an in
voice was taken of the stock on hand
In the postoffice at Cedar Falls, pre-
kparatory to making the quarterly re-
port. When this work was completed
ne postal funds were found to be
korrect, and Mr.. Jarnagin so notified
Inspector Patterson and telegraphed
the fact to the department at Wash
ington. This led to a supplementary
report by ME- Paterson in which the
claim was made that Mr.. Jarnagin OF
some OF his friends had smuggled into
the postal funds an amount sufficient to
make good the alleged shortage. To
this additional charge Mr.. Jarnagin
made vigorous protest to the de-
partment and as q result he was au-
1horized to procure the services Of some
disinterested person, who, with the
assistant postmaster at Cedar Falls
should go carefully over the funds
check up the expenditures, scrutinize
the checks and the deposits and verify
the claims made by Postmaster Jarna-
gin. MI. Jarnagin selected Mr.. J. n
La Barre, assistant postmaster at Wa
terloo. an expert accountant Of many
!. years successful experience, and after
devoting considerable time to the work
making . thorough examination of
everything, the claims made by Mr.
Jarnagln were substantiated in every
particular It was found that no
shortage existed or had existed.
Committee Asks Fer Facts.
It IL understood that the congress
sional committee, has asked for all OF
the facts In th6soase and 1t is very
probable that NJ. Jarnagin will be
subpoenaed to relate the details OF
the examination, the threats made by
the inspectors and the modus oprandi
Of : aching conclusions, without the
warrant Of facts and the general
trend of the damaging report submit
ted to the department There is not
postmaster. in the United States
\ that Is secure from the Vaccinations
OF incompetent inspectors, il develop
ments bear out early indications.
Shortly after the examination of
the postofice at Cedar Falls. Inspec-
tor Patterson was reduced to a rail-
way mail clerk and directed to report
for examination at Leroy. ILL.,. but
falling to do this he was dropped from
the service. He was new inspector
in that territory and had taken up his
| residence In; Waterloo in May.