Show HOTS GAS Petition Specifying His Polygamous Po-lygamous Status FILED WITH DEPARTMENT < Fourth Assistant PostmasterGeneral J Brfstow Gives the House Committee Investigating Charges Against Certain Federal Appointees in Utah Some Information Chief of Division Divis-ion Postofllco Department Admits that Papers are Filed Without Beading Them Washington Jan 23The investigation investiga-tion directed by the House concerning I charges that certain Federal appointees ap-pointees In Utah were polygamlsls at 1 the time of their appointment was rc sumed today by the House Committee i on Poslofflces and Post Roads Gen Brialow Fourth Assistant Post masterGeneral submitted a petition j I in the case of Orson Smith postmaster nt Logan Utah dated at Logan December De-cember G 1807 and directed to the President It stales lint Smith Is not a fit person to hold this position or any position under the Government of the LTnlted Stales because he Is an cede slasllc of the Mormon church holding high oJIlce In that church It also specifies the alleged polygamous status of the appointee This petition It was explained was received and brletVd In the usual way but no attention WHS directed to it until un-til the recent agitation occurred OTHER DOCUMENTS SUBMITTED Gen Brlstow said there were other i I papers relating to Utah containing prl I vate and political mailers which It was desired to submit to the committee In executive session The committee agreed thai such mailers should not go to the pi ess and a subcommittee was appointed to go over the papers In executive session MORE CLERKS NEEDED II A Drury chief of a section in the Postofflce department handling mat turn relating to Utah stated that he had no recollection of the petition and knew nothing of the polygamous charges until attention had recently been directed to them Ho gave the magnitude of the letters received about 17000 dally and said it was a physical Impossibility to read every paper throughout although the literal In slrucllons were that it should be done Tho petition was not called to the at lenlion of the PostmasterGeneral or of the President PUT REPUBLICANS ON GUARD In answer to a question as to whether any political prejudice could have entered en-tered into the handling of the papers Mr Drury stated that this could not be true as he was a Democrat After discussing the scope of the Investigation In-vestigation the committee decided to have Chairman Loud ascertain whether wheth-er Indictments had been found against the appointees said to be polygamists on lie ground of heir polygamy This will take some time and the Inquiry will be resumed at the call of the chairman |