The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-05-19
THE STAR ROUTE FRAUDS.
a Full Exposure OF one of the Conspiracies
of Ca1pet-Bag Senator Dorsey. OF Arlsni-
sa6.

- -
a Full Exposure of one of the Conspiracies
of Carpet-Bag Senator Dorsey. OF Arlsai-
sa6.
CHICAGO, May Is.
A special from Little Rock, Ark, says
that the frauds of The Star Route Ring,
which are attracting the attention of the
country, are no news in Arkansas, where
ex-senator Dorsey connection With them
hcs long been more than suspected.
He procured the appointment Of ex-
Governor o. A. Hadley as postmaster at
Little Rock, supposing he could count on
his assistance In forwarding his schemes
on the treasury in connection with the Star
routes. knowing this, in January, 1878,
he sent EIadley about six hundred blank
proposals and bonds which the Ring had
printed for their own use, which we're
different in some respects from those
printed by the government, and forwarded
to bidders, with instructions to Hadley to
get securities on the bonds, have them
signed in blank, approved them as
postmaster and return them to him.
This was done and bonds to- the number
of four or FIVE hundred we're fixed up in
this way. The number of routes, termi
nal points, amount of bid and name of
bidder were not inserted as required by
law before being approved by the post
master. These bonds were theu approx.
ed by Postmaster Hadley in direct vio-
lation OF law and then sent by ex-
press to s. w. Dorsey, then senator of the
United States, for such use as he might
make of them. They were not even
straw bonds. The blank bonds were ap.
proved here on the 18th january, 1873,
shipped by Postmaster Hadley per the
Southern Express on January 10th, to S.
w. Dorsey, and delivered at his committee
room in the capitol on January %. The
numbers of routes, terminal points,
amounts of bids and the bidders names
were then filled in, bidders signatures
attached and acknowledgment taken by
notary public, one A. T. Boone, who was
member of the Ring, dated Washington,
D. c., January S, and other days prior
to those upon which the bonds were ap-
proved. TO the lowest of these bids the
name of John NJ. Peck, Dorsey's brother
in-law, was attached. and an ackuowledg
ment was taken by Boone as notary pub
lie, but it was afterwards discovered that
Peck had not been in Washington for
over year, and that the signatures were
forgeries. Dorsey himself stated that
the signature was written by Joseph 4.
Richards, who, he said, had been Dor
sey's clerk, and ne presumed was author
lied to sign his name. Parties who
know Dorsey's handwriting says that the
signatures resembled his more than
Richards. Richards and Peck sudden
y put in an appearance a day or two
since, and it is thought for the purpose
of covering up some of the operations
of the Ring, They have been in close
consultation with Postmaster Hadley and.
others, but their plans are not known
| About the time that Dorsey sent
the blank bonds to Hadley he sent blanks
to J. H. Clendenning, postmaster ut Fort
Smith, and requested hin, to procure
sureties, approve in blank and return to
him. This Postmaster Clendenning re-.
fused, and so wrote Dorsey, and quoted
the law making it penal offence punish.
able with imprisonment in the peniten-
tiarY for one year or more for postmasters
to approve bonds before the number and
description of the route, amount of bid
and bidders name were inserted and
bidders had signed the proposal and made
acknowledgement before an officer quail
fed to administer an oath. Dorsey has
ever since been an enemy of Clenden-
ming. Clendenning has preserved Dor
sey's letter and his reply thereto. 1t is
now said, by the knowing ones here, that
Jack Kerrat, assistant Postmaster, who
left here suddenly few days ago, and is
charged with being d defaulter, did not
leave on that account and is not default
ter, but left because he was in possession
of a great many facts which the Star
Route Ring did not not care to have
made public, and that they induced him
to leave the country and then started the
story that he was defaulter.
DORSEY PAYS WILCOX FOR TELL-TALE
PAPERS.
DENVER, Col, Mny 14.---The Tribune
contains the following: Immediately
after the exposure nf Dorsey's completely
in the Star route Ring. us tclegraphed
over the country, attempts were begun
to squash the suit which had been brought
tot recover certain documents. Yester.
day the effort was successful, the letters
we're surrendered, and Dorsey paid the
money to Wilcox, for which the suit was
brought. This money, as is known, is for
Wilcox's work in securing petitions for
expediting routes and sub.letting small
contracts. The same day on which the
papers were surrendered Postmaster
General James telegraphed to Denver for
either letters, certified copies or photo.
graphs of them. The telegram came
after the papers had been surrendered,
and the Star route rogues probably con.
cluded they were safe, but they are mis-
taken. There are certified copies in ex-
istence which will be used in connection
with documents now in Portland. Ore
gon."