Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1881-12-30
Star Reuters.
SOME DAMAGING FACTs

WASHINGTON, Dec. IA short time
ago the star route papers all printed
and made much Of al affidavit Of one
Redell, a former secretary of Dorsey,
which was to the effect that he had
falsely pretended to Attorney General
MacVeagh that he knew all of Dorsey's
star secrets, and that he cou'd steal the
books, which stealing the attorney gen.
eral urged him to do. This paper was
used to attack MacVeagh, but its own
confession falsified and utterly discred-
tied it. A correspondent now gives
what he declares to be the true story of
Redell's paper, which can be authori-
tatively established whenever it be-
comes necessary. According to this
version Rcdell first came to ex-senator
Powell Clayton with request to be
brought in communication with the
postmaster general. An interview was
arranged, and there was present at it
Gen. James Woodward and Gov Clay
ton. Redell then said matters had come
to such a pass that he would have to
tell all he knew, leave the country
or be guilty of perjury. He was only
clerk on a salary, he said, and could
not afford to ruin himself on behalf of
others. 1t was evident to all those
present that he was badly frightened,
and was prepared, with the hope of
saving himself, to make a clean breast
of it. Among other information which
he freely gave, was that, if the congress
sional committee that investigated the
star route frauds mad insisted on his
presence, when he was first summoned,
the whole truth 3uld have come out,
and Dorsey, Brady and the rest would
have been ruined. He must have pro-
duced the books he mad kept for Dor
sey, and they would have told the
whole story; but he pleaded illness,
and the committee excused him for ten
days. Meanwhile he worked Gay and
night in his rooms, making out new
set of books. In the original books
there were entries of various sums paid
to "Mr. Smith" or "Mr. Jones" If the
committee had asked him, he said, TO
explain who these persons were, he
would finally have been compelled to
say that they were Brady and others to
whom sums had been paid corruptly.
In his new books he entered these sums
as TO profit and loss, with. view of not
arlesting the attention of the commit
tee. He exhibited transcripts from
Dorsey's books, giving most damaging
facts, and among others, description
Of fraudulent route in Montana, con-
corning which the department had sus-
picion and which was afterward found
to b. exactly as he represented it. He
did not surrender his papers and mem
oranda, promising, however, that the
attorney general should have them for
two or three weeks. Il is unquestiona-
BILE that during this interval Dorsey and
his associates were IN a state Of the
greatest anxiety. Dorsey particularly
busted himself in an effort to secure
influence that would break the
force of Redell's disclosures. Among
other persons he went to ex-senator
Spencer, telling him that he, Dorsey,
would be ruined if Redell's evidence
was taken in court. About that time,
Redell went TO New York, returning, as
IT happened, on the same train with
Postmaster General James. Redell
came to James seat with telegram IN
his hand which he showed to the post
master general. 1t was IN substance as
follows:
'sReturn to New York at once"
DORSEY.
Shortly after, when the train stopped
at Philadelphia the conductor asked II
NJ C. Redell was on board, and handed
him another telegram. This, too, Red
ell showed James. TWAS In substance
as follows, and was signed with Dorsey's
initials
'sDo you want to ruin me and my