The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1881-06-23
Washington.
THE STAR ROUTE PROSECUTION.

we lllaC tne government VIII not be
to lay its case in the matter
of the prosecution of the star route
thieves before the grand jury until
about the first of next month. All the
witnesses necessary to procure an in
dictment will be brought here before
the prosecution opens. There has
been considerable comment regarding
the selection of two members OF the
grand jury-H. Schutter and Andrew
Langdon. The former was a fresco
painter at the department, and was re-
Gently investigated by the commission
appointed by the postmaster general.
While all the facts adduced by the in
vestigation have not been made pub
lie, it is known that Mr.. Scutter's inno-
cence of certain questionable pract-
tees was not vindicated by the in
quiry. Mr.. Langdon is the president
of A. e. Boone's Cooperative Mail
company, which has
suffered considerably in consequence
of General James reforms. Neither
Mr.. Langdon nor Mr.. Sclfhtter, it is be-
lieved, will be influenced in their &C
ton as grand jurors by their relations
with the former authorities in the de-
partment.
One of the officials who is engineer
ing the investigation said to-day that
no indictments would be asked where
the government is not sure of securing
convictions. He also said that great
of people could be indicted,
but heidi not think they would prose-
cute them all. They would only select
the most prominent of the list. He
said they would begin first with Bc dy,
and probably Dorsey, and make an ex-
ample of them. The indictment
against Brady will contain number of
counts alleging the receipt of brides
from contractors for expeditjng and
letting profitable routes to the ring con-
tractors. 1t is limited that the evil
dence of this has been obtained by the
Of some members Of the
ring who have become frightened and
have taken this way to save themselves
from the prosecution, as was the case
in the whisky ring trials in 1876.
HEADS OFF.
WASHINGTON, June 16.-A prominent
treasury official to-day, IN casual con-
versation with n reporter, stated to
him-on consideration that his name
should not be mentioned-that he
knew, of his own knowledge, that after
the LIST of July, the new year day of
the fiscal year. more heads would be
chop ped off in all the departments of
the government, than has been known
under any administration since the re-
publican party has been in power.
''The AK will strike ruthlestly," he said,
"and likely the departments will wear
a wonderfully new face within the
next few months. They begin to nm
derstand i, too, and the average Off
cial pulse has increased twenty per
cent. in rapidity through nervous APP
prehension." ....f
THE SPOILS.
WASHINGTON, June 1G-The presi-
dent, to-day, decided to appoint Noah
C. Mcfarland of Kansas, commission
er of the general land office, and Mar
shall Dudley, of the Indian agency, is to
be appointed commissioner Of pensions.
Gen. Longstreet arrived here, to-day,
and called on the president. He will
take charge of the United States mar
shal's office in Georgia, on the first of
July. Gen. Longstreet said, in regard
to his taking the marshars place in
Georgia, for dividing the democracy Of
the state, such a move had not been
suggested to him, nor had he thought
of it; that he is willing to do all he can
for the republican party, but does not
think the republican prospects in
Georgia are anyway brilliant. . oil.
BOUNCED THE CUSTODIAN. n"-
WASHINGTON, June E.--Secretary
Window, to-day, dismissed Pitney from
public service, and abolished the Office
of custodian of the treasury. There
has never been any law authorizing the
place of custodian. The place was
created some years ago, and the custo-
dams salary has been paid out of the
appropriation for the janitors, mana
gers and superintendent Of public
buildings. Secretary Window ascer-
tanned this and has abolished the place,
saying that it had no right to exist. The
duties heretofore performed by the
custodian are imposed by order OF the
secretary abolishing that office, upon
Clerk Power, who has been diligent and
persistent in working up and exposing
the frauds ofthe custodian ring. Pitney
is likely to. escape any penalty except
that ofhis dismissal, as he will not tes-
tify. The committee goes right ahead
with the investigation. A few mer-
chants, who had sold goods to Pitney
at whatever price they choose to fix,
had to furnish money that was refund
ed to the treasury to make good the
fraudulent transactions. The result of
the investigating committees work has
been to deprive these merchants of
some contracts they had to supply with
more goods; these merchants are
complaining now and say that they
made up a purse of $1,000 for
THE CAMPAIGN FUND
last year, with the understanding that
they were to be given. chance TO get
it back in contracts. Pitney and
his associates assumed to represent
Chairman HubbelL Of the republican
congressional committee, in raising a
contribution of 5000, and promising
contracts and the merchants to have
after consultation. decided to appeal to
Hubbell about the matter, while the
money was undoubtedly paid over to