Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-21
KENT HITS TACTICS
IN WHISPER PROBE.
House Member Whose Chauf--
feur Is Mentioned in Probe,
Protests to New.

Representative Rent Oh EeIlLlSyINdiI4'
has filed with Postmaster General New
used by postal inspectors in. their in
vestigation of alleged irregularities OF
political nature at the Lansford, Pa.
post office.
The post Office has been taken over
by a postal inspector and the post
master and assistant postmaster are
under indefinite suspension. pending
thorough probe by the Post ONCE De-
partment of what New terms "a con-
spiracy' to circulate improperly through
the mails anonymous whispering cam
paign" statements about Herbert
Hoover's religion.
A formal statement authorized by the
Postmaster General quoted a clerk in
the LarlSford office as declaring that
the circulars had been delivered for
mailing by Representative Kent's.
chauffeur. One of the employees of the
post office in whose behalf the legislator
wired his protest as Mrs Bessie Burns
Stickler, the assistant postmistress, and
said by New to be sister, of Kents
secretary.
Others Held Involved.
Mrs. Stickler and Postmaster Robert
H. Stickler are the suspended EN-
ployes. According to the Postmaster
General Others" are involved in the
alleged conspiracy.
The telegram from Representative
Kent was received by Mr.. New just
prior to his issuance of an order sus-
pending the two employees, it was
learned. The Postmaster General cate
gorically denied that his inspectors had
used improper methods in pursuing the
Investigation which led to the sus-
pension order.
The questioning of employees at the
Lansford post Office was done. Mr.. New
said by Postal Inspectors A. E. Furniss
and j. E. Speake. He declared that
these men are among 'the Oldest and
most trusted and most efficient" of the
postal inspection service.
The inspectors, in their report to
the Postmaster General, said they went
to a number of post offices in the State
in their preliminary efforts to trace the
place of mailing of the thousands of
circulars sent out by an anonymous
Mon Partisan Committee The search
narrowed down to two suspected Of
fees, the inspectors reported, with the
Lansford office finally conferred upon
in the investigation,
Pair Questioned First.
Postmaster Stickler and Mrs. Stickler
were questioned first, it was explained.
Mrs. Stickler said she had sold $4,000
stamped envelopes to a man strange to
her, but both she and the postmaster
denied that the envelopes had been re-
turned for mailing. Several other en-
ployes of the Office were questioned. and
at first they, too, denied any knowledge
of the mailing.
Later, however, according to the in
spectors, one of the clerks volunteered
to correct" the first statement, and de-
clared that several bundles of the cir
culars had been delivered to the post
ONCE by Representative Kents chauf-
teur, and that Postmaster Stickler was
present while other clerks stamped the
letters with cork cut to make an i'm
preston like four-leaf clover.
1t was this strange poStmark on a
number OF envelopes sent to the Post
once Department by recipients of the
circulars that started the Federal in
vestigation into the reason therefor.
Suspects Prominent Citizen.
Postmaster General New announced
yesterday his determination to pursue
the investigation into the alleged con-
splracy until 1.-THE other parties" are
LOCATED lie expressed the belief tina.
a. prominent citizen of Pennsylvania,
not connected with the post office, was
the master mind" behind the plan %
use the mails in furtherance of the So
called whispering campaign" against
Hoover's religion.
The circular. of itself. was inailable
under the postal regulations. New
stated. but the way in which it was
mailed to thousands of persons In the.
State constituted gross violation Of
the laws and regulations
The department is not concerned
with what is mailed in this campaign"
New said, except as 1t may violate
the regulations through obscenity or
other reasons. We have received many
complaints from members of both
political parties. asking us to take ac-
ton against persons who are mailing
various circulars and other statements
attacking the candidates.
John W. Davis of West Virginia, for
instance, wanted me to bar from the
mails a certain circular assailing Gov
Smith. The circular was not obscene
and was not scurrilous, so I told him
there was nothing could do about it"