Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-05-10
STAR ROUTE FRAUDS.
Crushing Testimony Unearthed in
Oregon.
MoDUs oPERANDI OF THE GAME.
Ex-senator Dorsey Fully Identified
with the Robberies.
HIS OPERATIONS THROUGH AN AGENT
The Government Made to Pay Heavily for
Unnecessary Service.
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PORTLAND tOr.l May 9th.-Dispatches
from Denver. Col, published yesterday. gave
inforna ,tion that legal proceedings had been
commen, ,ed there against ex-senator Dorsey.
of Arkam %, now Secretary of the National
Republican Committee, for services rendered
to obtain an increase Of mail service, and to
get additional pay therefor on che star routes
in Oregon. As this proceeding to lay the
Treasury of the United States under contri.
button to the contractors Is directly
in accordance with the weIlknoyn
proceedings of the star route rings, the ex-
posure Of which is now making so great stir
throughout the country, the announcement
attracted much attention here, the more so
from the fact that it was stated that the
papers on which the suit had been instituted
at Denver had been received from we'll
known attorney at Portland, and the claim
ant was well-known politician here. TIE
O,ggoaion set on foot en- inquiry to-day, and
got to
THE BOTTOM or THE TRANSACTION.
The history Of it fully identities ex-senator
Dorsey with the star route robbery, thus
supplying information not hitherto obtained
The claimant in the suit is Frank r. Wilcox,
who, though formerly connected with politics
L. Arlya hos raI L.
in politics here. He went to Arkansas from
Illinois in 1869, and became acquainted with
s. W. Dorsey there. He became Secretary
of the State Republican Committee of Ar
kansas. though he never held any other office,
and bore prominent part in the elec.
tion of Dorsey to the Senate. De-
string to get out of politics he left
Arkansas and came to Oregon in 1877.
When s. w. Dorsey began to operate in star
routes in Oregon, he remembered that Wilcox
had come to this State, and as his relations
with him had been of the most intimate kind
he fixed upon Wilcox as the man TO help him
work up to high figures the mail routes in
which he had become interested.
AN AGENT SECURED.
Dorsey first telegraphed to parties in Port
land to learn if Wilcox was there. Having
ascertained that he was, he wrote to him,
stating what service he wanted performed,
and directed him to go to Eugene City, stat.
ing at the same time how to get up the petit
tions, have them signed and make sub-con-
tracts for carrying the mails. The petitions
were to be forwarded to Washington to be
used in getting the service and pay increased
for the service required. Wilcox was to re-
ceive SIS day and expenses. Before starting
for Eugene City he received the following
telegram !:
WASHINGTON, April 26. 1879.
i. r. Wilcox ALI my letters are written
to Eugene City. Have telegraphed money.
Inquire at telegraph Office. Go immediately.
S. w. DORSEY.
The money being received for expenses,
Wilcox went to Eugene City, where he re-
ceived Dorsey's other letters, with the memo
randa directing him how to proceed. The
route Dorsey first wished to operate on was
the route from Eugene City across the Cas-
cade Mountains to Mitchell, in Western Ore
SOu, ny way VI Eu6fil ITO TOuSc lS
almost wholly unnecessary, as it passes
through nearly uninhabited country, and
the small centers of population in it east Of
| the Cascade range are supplied by other
routes. Dorsey drew UP in his own hand and
| forwarded to Wilcox the following
FORM OF PETITION,
| On which signatures were to be obtained, and
| forwarded to the Postmaster General
| The undersigned, citizens of Bridge Greek,
Oregon, beg to earnestly recommend to your
| honorable consideration an increase of the
mail service between Eugene City and this
place to daily line, and ask that the speed
be greatly increased This route supplies a
large and rapidly increasing population, and
| it is the sole means of conveying intelligence
| to great portion of Southern Oregon. We
believe the public interest will be greatly
subserved by an early increase of this service,
and we earnestly recommend it.
To this Dorsey added the following words
of instruction to Wilcox: "Of course you
want the wording as well as the handwriting
of each person to be as different as possible -
FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS.
Dorsey next proceeded to instruct Wilcox
how to sub-let the route, as the following tel
| egram shows:
WASHINGTON. April %, 1879
| To f. r. Wilcox, Eugene City: Make
contract for Bridge Creek route for speed of
| four and q half miles hour. three trips
| a week. No sub-contract to be filed, but pay
meut to be guaranteed by me personally.
Make same contract on Loo kin glass route.
| Telegraph result. s. w. DORSEY.
& N..r;,1. &b.n k,J.u-...
| by Wilcox:
WASHINGTON, April 2S, 1870.
To f. II. Wilcox: Make no compromise
| with sub-contractorr. Must be absolutely
| new contract, with amount specially stated.
Telegraph fully upon closing contracts.
! S. w. DORSEY.
| Fearing that Wilcox would not fully under.
stand, Dorsey at later hour on the same day
telesraphed as follows:
| WASHINGTON, April IS, 1879.
| To +. r. Wilcox A new contract be.
comes necessary, because the old firm is
! dissolved and the business has passed into
new hands Must have new contract or no
pay. Contract on Bridge Creek route for
three, six and seven times a week, on sched-
ule Of four miles an hour also the same on
Looking-glass route. Telegraph me fully
before closing any contract. Deal with re-
! sponsible men. S. W. DORSEY.
| Here the old trick is manifest. "The old
firm is dissolved that is, the straw bidder
was pushed out of the way and the ring was
now making its next move. Here is the next
telegram:
| WASHINGTON, May 2, 1879.
| i. r. Wilcox: l have no interest in any
star route except Bridge Creek and Looking
| glass. Contract on Bridge Greek for one,
three, six and seven times a week, in a
schedule of fifty hours, on the prices named
in my letter of the 16.h. The Department
demands four miles an hour speed, and You
must contract for that speed or none. Don't
go above the following Three times, SIS, ,O0O;
six times, $4,000; seven times, SIG 500.
Telegraph me fully before you close the con-
tract. S. w. DORSEY.
A CHOICE SUGGESTION.
| The following choice suggestion is pre-.
sented in the last telegram sent to Wilcox at
Eugene City
WASHINGTON, May 3. 1879.
| F. R. Wilcox: Ipraspme you understand