Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-10
Tells Senators Assistant Dis.
trict Attorney in st. Paul Ac-
cuSed Postmaster General.
FEDERAL PROSECUTOR
LOST JOB, SAYS WITNESS
Grand Jury Investigation of Deal
Was Squelched on Eve of 1928
Campaign, Committee Hears.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
A Senate committee was told today
that former Assistant District Attorney
Fesler, at st. Paul, had focused blame"
for the st. Paul post office lease on
Harry s. New, former Postmaster Gem
eral.
The witness, John H. Bartlett, for
mer Assistant Postmaster General, said
he was present at the conference be-
tween Fesler and New.
He added Fesler did most of the
talking and did 1t in a positive man.
ner, focusing blame for the contract
on Mr.. New, which he (the latter
didn't seem to like"
New said after the conference that
Fesler must go, Bartlett testified.
New has been given permission to
appear before the committee investigat-
ing post Office leases to give his version
of his part in the st. Pa. ieSse. The
committee has heard testimony that q
scheduled grand jury investigation was
Squelched on the eve Of the 1928 cleo
ton campaign and that Fesler was dis
missed.
May Call New Next Week.
Chairman Blaine announced today as
the committee resumed its inquiry that
former Postmaster General New prob
ably would be called next week.
A letter from New, who was POST
idge, asking to be allowed to appear,
was placed in the record by Blaine.
New wrote he would testify IN con-
nection with every phase of every
lease that is under investigation"
Bartlett, recalled as the first witness,
testified that when he left Washington
late In July, 1928, for st. Paul, New sent
sealed letter to James w. Good In
Chicago by him.
paign manager and Secretary Of War
for President Hoover, left Chicago the
night he got the letter for President
Coolidge's Summer home In Wisconsin,
Blaine said.
Knew Nothing of Contents.
Blaine questioned Bartlett at length
about this letter. Bartlett said 1t was
sealed and personally addressed and he
had no knowledge Of its contents.
Was the letter made part of rec
ords Of the Post Once Department."
Blaine asked.
ANY personal letter written by the
Postmaster General would go into his
personal files" Bartlett replied, saying
he had never heard of the letter since.
did you have any knowledge what
ever" Blaine asked Bartlett, ''of an at
tempt to prevent grand jury investi-
gation?"
NO" Bartlett replied, nothing what
ever of that kind came to my knowledge
or was even suspected by me. The
only thing Of that kind was News effort
to diSplace Fesler.''
Was Preparing Case.
Assistant District Attorney Fesler, at
st. Paul, was preparing the st. Paul
lease for presentation to the grand jury.
DO you now realize you were tax
ing part which aided in obStructing
the administration of Justice" Blaine
asked. He explained he did not believe
Bartlett had played the part tnten-
tiona1ly.
81 can see was used to quiet the peo-
pie up there and perhaps played part
to fit into somebody's plans, but had
no knowledge of it," Bartlett replied.
Blaine then recalled that Fesler in
the latter part of July wrote to the At
torney General saying the statute of
limitations would run in the near fu-
ture and it was important to present the
case to the grand jury that was to meet
August Z.
A few days later, Blaine said, Fesler
wrote John S. Pratt, special assistant to
the attorney general, asking him to ar
rive in st. Paul before August 9. Pratt
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