Property of Director of Posts Altached Manila, Dec. 22. io, director of posts in the Philippine government and form-centre of the most sensational graft" investigation of recent years in the Islands, is facing disgrace through a surprise action of the new Insular Auditor, General Creed C. Hammond.
A civil suit for 281,000 pesos has been filed against him in the Mar Court of First Instance, with sub sequent attachment of his property, including a beautiful residence, seven-passenger automobile, and' all the financial holdings the sheriff has been able to discover.
To free his property and chase a uniformed policeman from his front door, Mr. Topacio must file a bond eof double the amount of the suit against him. He is trying to raise 560,000 pesos.
'A Long Standing Matter The court suit brought to a new: climax the battle with government agencies which started when Mr. Ben F, Wright, now resigned, was Insular Auditor. Mr. Wright ported to the then Governor-General, Henry L. Stimson, an alleged shortage of government property and money in the bureau of posts, losses said to have been incurred over a period of three or four years under the regime of Mr. Topacio.
Mr, Wright tried his best to keep the posts director from going to the London Postal Convention last August, even going so far as to hold up a President liner for 45 minutes to keep Topacio from sailing on it. But through a technicality Topacio escaped Wright's clutches and went to the convention, to be gone about seven months.
In the meantime an investigation of irregularities in the bureau was started. Several underlings have been sent to gaol, one of them for ten years, accused of misapprop! ing several hundred thousand pes worth of government stamps.
'A Surprise Action The committee recently reported findings against Topacio, which included no recommendation for ex! minal action, but pointed out serious defects in the administration which called for action. Topacio prepared voluminous defence, and was about to appeal to the Governor-General for clemency when the 1 for recovery of govern ment losses took him by surprise.
Tneluded in the committee's find. ings were allegations of wholesale opium smuggling through the government mails, misappropriation of govement funds in the bureau, genral bad management, juggling of supply accounts, anda score of more of serious' indictments.
It is reported that the Insular Auditor, Gen, Hammond, signed the complaint against Topacio at the request of Governor-General Dwight F. Davis when the Attorney-General made it plain that he did not want to do so.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.