Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-12-19
A s5,ooo,ooo SUIT.
Claims for that Amount to be Pushed
Against the Star.R0ute Ring-POst.

Claims for that Amount to be Pushed
Against the Star.R0ute Ring-POst.
Master General James, Last Stroke.
A telegram from this city, Saturday, says :
Postmaster General James. before leaving his
office, will strike a crushing blow at the men,
bers of the star-route ring Civil proceedings
to recover moneys fraudnlently obtained from
the government by the contractors will be in
stituted in very short time. Section 4057 of
the Revised Statutes, provides that " in all
cases where money has been paid out of the
fund Of the Post-office department under the
pretence that service has been performed there
for, when, in fact. such service has not been per-
formed, or as additional allowance for increased
service actually rendered, when the additional
allowance exceeds the sum which according to
law might rightfuHy have been allowed therefor.
and In all other cases where money of the de-
partment has been paid to any person in cOnse-
quence OF fraudulent representations. or by the
mistake. cOlusion or misconduct of any officer
or other employee in the postal service. the
Postmaster General shall cause suit to be
brought to recover such money as fraudulent
payment or excess. with interest thereon"
Under this act next week the Postmaster
General will lay before Attorney General Brew
ster and Special Assistant Attorney Bliss the
evidence upon which about fifty suits will be
begun against prominent contractors The
| amount of money involved in all the cases of
which the government has cOgniZance where
Oh ITauuS Ill TIE StaF route ser
vice by which the treasury has been robbed is
about 5000. GOO. In many of the cases the
evidence is so overwhelming that no reasonable
defense can be interpOsed. The suits will not
all be tried in Washington, but will be insti-
tuted in such of the United States district
| courts as may seem to the Attorney General to
be most convenient. Under the statute above
| quoted civil actions will lie against those per-
sons formerly connected with the department
who participated in and allotted the gigantic
conspiracy by which the Treasury was plum
dered
WHO WILL BE SUED?
Among the contractors against whom suits
will be instituted are Gilmer & Salisbury, a
very rich firm, whose members are J. J. Glmer,
Monroe Salisbury and O. J. Salisbury The
excess OF pay received by the Salisbury COM
binatiOn from Brady on its routes over the
original contract price amounted to the sum OF
S77SUS The Dorsey combination will also be
sued. It's members, when Mr. James came into
office, were J. W. Dorsey, J. NJ. Peck and j. r.
Miner. Ex-senator Stephen w. Dorsey, of Ar
kansas. is the real head of the firm and the re-
| sponsible man. The amount pOcketed bv the
Dorsey gang in excess of what was called for by
the original contracts was not less than S412 coo
Suits will also be entered against the following:
Cornelius COsgrove. whose principal hacker is
X. {. kerns of St Louis, one of the directors
in the Iron Mountain road; j. T. Chichester. who
is also backed by kerns; 8. A. McDevitt. B. H.
~. D. A. IL. A >.
Patrick.
| 10 name the various routes upon which nav
was flaudently granted would be a repetition
of the publications of the past six months.
SUIT to recover money paid on the Rock creek
| and Custer route, Patrick q Brown, contrac-
tors. where the pay was increased from S12. 600
to $50 600, will be begun. and also on the steam
boat route from st. Paul to st. Louis. where
thousands of dollars were paid for carrying an
empty pouch back and forth on the boats. Post
master General James was originally of the
opinion that the proceedings against the ring
should have been begun in civil suits for the re-
covery of stolen money in advance of criminal
prosecutions.
THE UNION VETERAN CORPS have decided to
| Increase their membership to one hundred, and
to this end have recently elected staff corps as
follows: George E. CorsOn, adjutant F. DOnO-
hue. NJ. D.. surgeon; William H. Hoover com
| missary; E. l.. Grant, guartermaster: w. A
Short. inspector; Charles Ebert. engineer; and
James n. Callan, paymaster. These gentlemen
In connection with the captain co nmanding and
his ieutenants, constitute the executive COM
mittee of the corps. They have decided to hold
fair. commencing next February. the funds
realized to be used in purchasing uniforms for
the additional members. 1t is also in contem-
platOn to substitute the shake for the hat now
worn This corps, is composed exclusively OF
men who have seen and performed actual SER
vice during the late war.
Mrs. LOCKWOOD IN A BOsTON COURT.-Belva
A. Lockwood, OF this city, was admitted to the
United States circuit court in Boston on Thurs
| day. the 18th inst. for the purpose Of arguing
for the complainant the cause of Christine j
Burgess, OF Providence. r. l., against Peter
Graham ct al. of Maiden, Mass. The case was
set for hearing on the 9th instant in order to
| allow the Hon. A. A. Ranney, who appears as
counsel for the defence. to be present Mr.
Ranney represents his district in the present
Congress.
The Courts.
GENERAL TERM.
To-day, Merrick agt Geddings: on hearing.
POLICE COURT.-.J,ldge Shell
To-day Howard Brown, a cOOred bOy was
charged with being vagrant. found drunk in
and about the streets and Ioaiing about tppling
houses: personal bonds to not repeat the Offense.
Frank Brooks cursing and swearing in a house
loud enough to be heard on the street; pleaded
guilty. and was fined s. or Is days. Rose Nc
Dewitt, white woman. was sent down to the
farm for 30 days for being a vagrant and habit
ual drunkard. Frances Bell and Sophia Ellison.
coored, vagrant and public prostitute: sent to
the work house for 30 days each. in default of
bonds. Christopher Tyler. cursing and swear
ing on the street; s. or 7days. VIM. Grandson
coored, charged with being idle and incOrrigi-
bic boys Reform school during minority Jas.
HALEY. cruelty to animals; continued. Thos.
Reese. Vagrancy: personal bonds to not repeat
the offence LeOna Williams. a cOlored girl
pleaded guilty to being vagrant, and was sent
down for 80 days. JnO. Spriggs. loud and bois-
ferrous: s. or Is days. Henry Phelps cOlorcd.
was charged with being vagrant and suspi-
cious person: Policeman Williams of the first
precinct, testified to catching the prisoner on
Virginia avenue about o'clock this morning.
trying doors of houses to see whether they were
locked; he was sent to the farm for 80 days in
default of bonds. Geo. A. Nelson a white man.
was sent down for 80 days for being common
drunkard and warrant. Maggie Lipscomb was
charged with disturbing the quiet of West
Washington by loud and boisterOus talking: S.
or 7days. JAS Robinson. carrying pstol also
charged with stealing six chairs from the Ma
tiOnal Fair Associations six months in jail AL
bert Lewis, Jos. Grisw0ld. VIM. Webb. and
Timothy Conner. forfeited collateral Frank
Brooks. assault on Emma Shaw: plead ed guilty.
and was fined 80 or 30 days Michael Dough-
erty: forfeited 80 collateral. Newton Griggs:
threats to Jno r. Mcclellan. pleaded guilty and
gave his personal bonds to keep the peace for
six months. Daniel Jones. assault on Chas.
LightfoOt; $40 or 80 days. Dennis Shea: affiay;
so days Americas Mury keeping bawdy
house: pleaded guilty; s;25 or so days. Moses
Bubb. assault on JnO. A. Daley; $40 or 80 days.
August Moses larceny of an umbrella from j. F.
Russell; 80 days in Jail.