The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-01-20
Ther Ofense Was Merely Technical But Government Was
Determined that Precedent Of Immunity From
y-4e Punishment Should Not Be Set
BOTH SIDES SATISFIED WITH 'QUIg9ME
Men Were Convinced That if They Did Not Agree TO
Compromise the Post Office Department
Would Wear Them Out.

Train So last night did not know WHIT
the compromise measure WaB until
they reached sGn0e and held consulta-
ton with theirs etorneys:
The United States Attorney and W.
is. Meredith OF Fairmonts and other
attorneys in the case together. With
some Of the former post Office eti-
ptoyes got together Tuesday sandsnfter
a long conference agreed up the tefn1H.
Unitey States District Attorney
Stewart W. Walker mad the folioW-
ing statement in regard to- the Bcnse.
"The plea of nolo Scontendere ets
tered in the Fairmont Post Office
cases, which Is a plea that the defend
ants will not contend with The Cor
ernment, is practically confession pe
conspiracy as charged This case
which was so comple elytrunsd doWn and
worked out by Post Office inspectors
Robertson. Cuni, Kane and Assistant
District Attorney Dyer, resulted 10 g
victory for the Government as wen
as established precedent In such
cases.
"The case was one that has attract-
ed attention throughout the enttre
country and the Department. Of JUS
tice and the Post office Department at
Washington have been deepiy inter
ested in 1t because of the faet that 2
new and novel ,questi Ion in the postai
service of the country was deeply tn-
volved. This Ia the first case tn The
history OF the postal service 81 the
United States in which the malls were
obstructed by oncerted actipn ON "a
part of post Office employees leaving
their posts o. duty. For tIlat reason
the Department OF Justice deemsd fl
of the utmost imp ortance TO the pns-
tai service that aFprec dent stionld he
established which In the future may
deter post-office employees from re-
signing in a body and SiR such q man
ner as to tie up the mails; II this
could be successfullY done In a post
office such as the one in Fairmont, re-
sulting in the absolute ieing Up Of
the mails for a number OF days with
out any fear of prose- ton on ti1e part
Of the government such concert of ac-
tion in the post off iceS Sofsa gteat city.
such as New York or on tie paTt of
the railway postal clerks would re-
suit in an nincalculab lie injury and loss
to the commercial Interests OF the
country. III II
II feel that this case 30 one which
the most OF the semp1o yes OF the post
office at Fairmonts acted wtthout CON
sideration Of the grayit IN their &c,
tion. For this reason the COY ernment
could well afford TO be satished With
the imposing Of az comparattyeay light
sentence on the PENDANTS 80 long as
it has been able to Bestab abl1sh q precen-
ent of such Importance to the country
atlarge. The matestySof the INV hes
been upheld and that IS more import
ant than the punishmenE of AndiEid-
uaIs. While the government might
have insisted upon Imprisonment sen
tences, In the case of ssone Of the de-
fendants, l. feel that beeause d the
fact that there never betore has been
such a case, seyeress sentences were mot
called for and the ends of Justice has
probably been conseryed..s