The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1881-05-19

Chicago, May Ia "A. special 10 tie Inter
Ocean from Little Rock, Arkansas, says the
frauds of tho star route ring, which are at
tracing the At ention of the country, arc no
news ia Arkansas. EA. Senator Dorsey's con-
nection with them has long been suspected.
He procured the appointment of ex-Gov-
ernor o. A.. Hadley as postmaster at Little
Rock, eupposIng he could count on biz
assistance in forwarding schemes on
the treasury in connection with the
star routes. Knowing this, in January, 1873,
he sent 10 Haley about 600 blsrk proposals
and bonds when the ring had printed for
Their WI use and which we're different from
those printed by the government, and for
wardru 10 bidders with Instructions to Had
lev to get securities on the bonds, have them
sigueu Ia blaDk, approve them rs postmaster,
and return them 10 him. This was done and
bonds to the lumber OF four or five hundred
weIa fixed up in this way. The
number OF roQtes, terminal points, amtunt
OF bid and name of the bidders were
not inserted, ss required by law, before being
approved by the postmaster The bonds
were then approved by Postmaster Hadley in
direct violation of the law, aud then sent by
express to ) w. Dorsey, then senator Of
the United States, for such use as he might
make or tuenl. They were not even straw
bonds, but blank bonds, and were approved
on the 10Th of January, 1878, shipped by
Postmaster Hadiy per Southern express
company, January Goth, to S. w. Dorsey,
and delivered at his committee room in
the capitol, January 23d. The number
OF routes, terminal points, amounts of bids
md a lAr f.arat hnn laI in,
the bidders signatures attached and &C
acknowledgements taken by notary public,
one a. L. Boone, who WAS member of the
ring, sod dated Washington, January 9Th,
and other days prior to these upon which
the bonds were dated and approved. To
most of these bids the named of John NJ.
Peck, Dorsey's brother in-lsw, was at
tacned and the acknowledgment WAS
taken by Boerne, ss notary public; but it WAS
atterward discovered that Peck had lot been
10 Washington for over y year, and that the
signature was not Peck's, but that he be-
lieves it was written by Joseph Richards,
who be said had been -..Dorsey's clerk, and
who he presumed was authorized to sign hi
name Parties who know Dorseys handwriting
say the signature reese mbles his more than
Richards. Richards and Peck suddenly put
in an appearance here day or two since,
and il ia thought for the purpose of covering
up some of The operations of the ring. They
have been in close consultation with Post
master Had' y ana Others, but their plans
are not known.
About the time Dorsey seIt blank bonds
here TO hacley, he sent blanks to j. II.
Clendenning, postmaster Ut Fort Smith, and
requested him to procure sureties, approve
the bonds and return them to him. This,
Postmaster Ciendenning refused to do, and
40 wrote Dorsey and quoted the law making it
penal offsnse,punishable with Imprisonment
in The peniteptiary for one year or more, for
a postmaster to approve bonds before the
number and description of the route, amount
of bid and bidders WAS inserted,
and bidders had signed the proposals and
made acknowledgment before an officer
qualified 60 administer oaths Dorsey has
e,ersince been an enemy of Cendenning
Clepdep,,ing has prese we'd Dofsey's letter
and his reply thereto. Il is now said by
knowing cues here that Jack Carreck, assist
ant westminster, who left suddenly few days
sco and is charged with being a defaulter,
did not leave on that account and is not