The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-02-23
whom 1t came, and there was no
i proof that IL was ever answered.

WnOm IL came, anu tnoro WAS no
proof that IL was ever answered.
LETTER CARRIERS QUEER EVIDENCE.
James Msgill, letter, carrier, then testi-
fed: In the latter part of February, 1875,
was coming down Pine street, near Fifth.
Mr.. Joyce accosted me aud said that there
were two letters in the street letter box
which he wished to get back. He pointed to
the box on the southwest corner of Fifth
and Pine. l asked Colonel Joyce to describe
the letters before | opened the box.
He said that one was addressed to w. o.
Avery, Washington, ID. g, and marked per-
sonal in the corner, and the other was to o.
Z. Babcock, Washington, d. c., also marked
personal. / opened the box, although it
was off my district, and searched among the
letters and / found the two and handed
them to Col. Joyce. Storrs-Did you get a
receipt? Witness-Nr, sir. Storrs-Isn't it
customary? Witness-Yes, 1t is. said, look
here, colonel, l want receipt. II you
want to put them in the mail again will go
with you and see it done. Storrs-What
old be say? Witness-He said, "Oh, that's
| all right, hupkidori," or something like
that; sits only a blind" Storrs-Is it fire.
ouent to give letters back? Witness-No,
sir. Storrs-You some times do l.? Wit
ness-On business route it is frequent;
thai is, letters are put in
and the parties forget an in
closure or something like that,
and they are returned to them. Storrs-Did
you report that matter to the postoffice?
Witness-No, sir. Storrs-Why? Wit
| Dess-Well, L thought it was so frivolous
! that there WASN'T any need OF saying any
| thing about it. Storrs-Did you usually re-
port? Witness-I usually carried blanks
in my satchel which had parties sign VINO
wanted letters back, and then / compared
the writing. Storrs-How did you happen
to remember the time this occurred? Wit
ness-I was
HOUSE HUNTING ABOUT THAT TIME.
1 had been looking around four or five days
for house. 1 had just been to the poly,
technic, looking for man who, L had heard
had house to rent. Twas on my way down
to make collection. It was my day to COL
lect tor seven other carriers. The
cross examination OF this witness
was long, sharp and thorough.
The witness had been a mail carrier
five years. He never gave letters to Col
Joyce e. any other time. 1t was frequent
thing to return letters on business routes.
Pc recollected the circumstances particu-
rly, because il was off his beaf. He had
opened boxes frequently on business streets
and returned letters, but he could not
recollect the names OF any persons
for whom he had done it. When
pressed very hard the witness
said that he had returned a letter to George
w. Fishback He had returned them TO
could not swear to any particular fTm. He
was repeatedly pressed to recollect the name
OF ybody else for whom he had taken
let ers out of the boxes, but he
could not remember one. He carried
| blank receipts and had receipts with him
when he gave the letters to Joyce, but Joyce
refused to give him a receipt, saying, .Oh,
that's all right; hunkidori," or something OF
that sort-"it's only a blind" 1t occurred
on the last day of February, 1875, about l
| O'Clock p. NJ. he did not tell the
postmaster about the matter. nor any one
else about the office. He mentioned
the matter first last Saturday night to his
wife. He had been re aiding in the papers
the testimony OF Mr.. Everest about putting
the letters in the box and recollected that be
had given Joyce just such letters. He rumi-
mated oSer the matter while and then teld
mis- wife. The next evening, Sunday,
after going off duty, he went to the
Linden Hotel, saw General Bsbcock
and told him the circumstance and
Bsbcock sent him to Judge Porter,
to whom
HE REPEATED HIS STORY.
He gave the full details of the matter
to NO one, but Storrs and Porter,
outside his own family. No one had
been 10 see him about it before he
went to the Lindell. He consulted with
no one but his wife. He repeated the ad-
dresses of the letters given to Joyce as
Gen. o. X. Babcoek and Col. w. O. Avery.
BE would MOI admit that he had
talked about the matter to any body except
some letter carriers at the postofice to-day.
Col. Dyer pressed him very b ,rd, but he
would not acknowledge that he had any
intercourse or conversation with any other
than these mentioned. The witness then
went into long account of his various &C.
Gu pstions since he had lived In the city, but
gave nothing more bearing on the
case. 1t is understood that the prosecution
will offer testimony in rebuttal of this
evidence to morrow. Mr.. Storrs then asked
for the deposition of President Grant. 1t
was produced by the clerk and read by
Judge Porter. As several objections had
been made to questions and answers, Judge
Dillon during the noon recess looked 1t over
and marked the objections over, ruled or
sustained, leaving the deposition, however,
It is said, in very nearly the same
form 1t was originally. This document,
so far as is known, was surreptitiously o.
tanned last night and telegrsphed in full to
Chicago paper. For this re ason IL is omit
ted in these dispatches. 1t is said that no
blame can attach to the counsel on either
side for the publication in advance of the
deposition. 1t was on file in the office
of the clerk of the court, but whether
it was procured from that Office, or whether
q copy had been made which fell into the
hands of some enterprising reporter, is not
known. Alter reading the deposition Mr..
Storrs offered the recommendations in favor
of the appointment of Gen. Mcdonald as
supervisor of this district, but the court
ruled them out, and the defense closed their
case. Adjourned.
FRIGHTFUL DISASTER.