Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-12-29

DANIEL J. HAuER
PLACED ON TRIAL

| marked the trial of Lewis ]. Marshall
| of Lisbon Falls last week, another
| case involving alleged violations OF
| the United States statutes as affect
| ing the postal service, went on trial in
! the United States district court Tues
day forenoon.
Daniel ]. Hauer Of Perry. up to the
middle of November postmaster of that
| town, is charged with embezzling pos
tai and money order funds to the ag-
gregate value of s29O.96. Mr.. Hauer is
| fighting the case keenly, and seated
behind him at his table in the court
room is Mrs Hauer. to whom he fire.
quently turns for advice while in the
back Of the court room is a mere slip
of a girl, whom the postmaster alleges
| is the real one whole stole the amount
missing from the money order portion
Of his funds.
Woman in the Case
Mr.. Hauer has made full restitution
for the amount alleged to be short,
and it was only after a good deal of
persuasion. and, as alleged by him,
! promises of no further action that he
!
! young woman. 1t is his contention that
| the s66.3S of postal funds which were
missing when an examination of his
books was made on May 20. was real
! ly a part of what was due him as COM
! mission on the cancellation of stamps
! and other business Of the office The
1924 of the money order funds, he con-
tends, were stolen by young wo-
man in his employ whom he has since
! discharged
/ Trial of the case promises to last
two or even three days. Three wit
! nesses nave been sworn by the gov
eminent but there may be more for
! several additional ones have been
summoned. About II witnesses are on
, hand for the defence. a majority of
l. whom are 'character" witnesses. Aft
+ or the jury had been drawn and the
case opened by Assistant United
/ States District Attorney Arthur Chap
man. Martin NJ. Burke. postotfice in
spector. was called as the first wit
ness for the prosecution. He occu-
pied the stand during the forenoon
and continued his testimony at the
afternoon session.
inspectors Story
/ Mr.. Burke told how ON May 20 he
called at the postofticc III Perry 10 ex-
anime the accounts. He found that
| there should have been s-3OJ in the
postal funds, but there was in reality
only S9.67. a shortage of S663S He
testified that Mr.. Hauer told him at the
time that it was his practice to take
/ practIca!lE all of the commission due
/ him during the first two months of
! each quarter and let the money for the
remainder of the quarter accumulate, to
make up the amount due the govern
! ment. The compensation for three
| months, according to the books, would
have amounted to $1i2.03, made up OF
! commission and the rent for poStoffice
boxes. The compensation from April
] to May 20. would be S7953 In the
money order accounts the books SHOW
that there should have been $351.0S on
hand, whereas there was but 1880
Mr.. Burke said that when he started
the examination Mr.. Hauer informed
him lie would not find everything Just
right in the money order account be
stolen. and he suspected n girl in his
employ. Mr.. Hauer objected to giving
the name of the girl OF to having her
brought into the case because. as he
said, he had no proof of her guilt The
postmaster also said. according to the
witness. that if it got noised around
that he was short in his accounts he
would have trouble in making up the
deficit. The girl, he alleged. had stolen
! over $500 from him this year.
How did YOU know who took the
money!" ASKED the inspector.
She lived beyond her means and
once recovered So she had stolen" re-
piled the postmaster.
Mr.. HaueI further said that the first
few amounts that had been found miss
ing he had made up. but as the sums
grew he was unable to meet them
Severe Cross Examination
The post office inspector was sub
Jected to a severe cross examination
by Hon. Robert I. Whitehouse, former
United States district attorney, who
is counsel for Mr.. Hauer. In reply to
these questions Mr.. Burke denied that
he told Mr.. Hauer nothing would prob
ably be done if the postmaster made
up the shortage and told the name OF
the girl. The witness admitted, though,
that before the examination was COM
pleted Mr.. Hauer implicated a certain
girl whom he named. There was no
attempt in the books to conceal the
shortage by any alteration of the fig
ureS.
letter was presented and identified
by the inspector, in which Mr.. Hauer
had set forth to him the same facts in
regard to the shortage already men
toned. and said that he was glad to
take the matter up personally with the
inspector. This letter was written in
reply to one from Mr.. Burke, in which
the inspector requested to the post
master to give any reason he might
have why he should not be removed.
Mr.. Hauer was not removed at once
but continued in Office until the mid
die of November
1t was the intention of Mr.. White
house to bring out by what authority
the inspector demanded that the post
master make up the shortage The in
spector said he found his authority in
the postal regulations and confdentia,