The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-05-10
A SINFUL SAVIOUR
Dorsey the Great Republican
0rganizes and Patriot.
Is implicated in the Star Route
Steals and Robberies.
He carried Indiana with
Money obtained from
that source.

PORTLAND, May 1O-A dispatch from
Denver. Colorado, published yesterday
gives information that legal proceedings
had been commenced there against EX-
Senator Dorsey of Arkansas for services
rendered to obtain an increase of mail and
get additional pay-therefor on Star routes
in Oregon. The announcement attracted
much attention here, from the fact that
papers, on which suit had been instituted
in Denver, had been received there from
well known men of Portland, and that the
claimant was well known politician here
The history of the transaction fully identi-
f1es ex-senator Dorsey with Star route
robbery.
THE CLAIMANT
in the suit is Frank d. Wilcox
who, though formerly connected with
politics in Arkansas. has not appear
ed prominently in politics here. He went
to Arkansas from Illinois in 1869, and be-
came acquainted with s. w. Dorsey there
He became secretary of the state Republi-
can committee in Arkansas though he
never held any other office, and bore
prominent part in the election of Dorsey
to the senate
Desiring to get out of politics he left Ark
ansas and came to Oregon in 1877, when
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
nature, he fixed upon Wilcox as the man
to help him work up to higher figures on
the mail routes in which he was Interested
Dorsey first telegraphed to parties in Port
land to learn if Wilcox was here. Having
QSn tom nn1t hot I, !,
stating what
SERVICE HE WANTED
performed, and directed him to 90 to Eu
gene city giving, instructions at the same
time as to how to get up petitions, have
them signed and make subcontracts for
carrying the mails. The petitions were to be
forwarded to Washington to be used in
getting service and pay increased for ser
vice required Wilcox was to receive SIS
per day and his expenses.
The route Dorsey first wished to operate |
on was out from Eugene City, across the |
Cascade Mountains to Mitchell in eastern |
Oregon, via the Pinevale route, and is
almost wholly unnecessary as it passes
through nearly uninhabited country and |
the small centres of population east of
the Cascade range, are supplied by the
other routes. Dorsey drew up in his own !
hand and forwarded to Wilcox, form of |
petition, on which signatures were to be OBJ |
tanned These were forwarded to the |
postmaster general. To this Dorsey add |
ed the following
WORDS OF INSTRUCTIONS
to Wilcox, s'Of course you want the |
wording, as well as the handwriting, of |
each person to be as different as possible -
Dorsey next proceeded to instruct Wilcox |
how to sublet the routes, as the following
telegram shows:
WAsHINeToN, April %, 1879.-To F. A.
Wilcox, Eugene City: Make contract for
Bridge Greek ronte for speed at four and
one half miles an hour, three times a week
No sub-contract to be filed, but part to be
guaranteed by me personally Make same
contract on Looking Glass route.
S. W. DORSEY.
Fearing that Wilcox wonld not fully un-
derstand Dorsey at later hour on the
same day,
TELEGRAPHED AS FOLLOWS:
WASHINGTON, April %, 1879.
To T. r. WaEcor:-New contract be-
comes necessary because the old firm dis
solved and the business passed into new
hauds. Must have new contract or no
pay. Contract on Bridge Creek route for
three, six and seven times on schedule of four
miles an hour; also the same on the Looking
Glass route. Telegraph me fully before
closlug any contract. Deal with respons-
ible m,en. 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 at work. As q result of these
operations by Dorsey in Oregon on mail
contracts he got the compensation for the
route from Eugene City to Bridge Greek
increased from SO, ,468 to S21, ,460.
The contract stands in the Department
as received from Eugene City to Mitchell,
and is in the name of J NJ. Peck, brother
in-law of S. W. Dorsey. The Looking
Glass route, referred to SO frequently in the
above dispatches was expedited" under {
Dorsey's management from $500 to ]
$13775 year. The next question was to l
get the route in Washington Territory, ex- '
pedited this was the route from Wallula to ,
Pleasant Grove, on the upper Yakemema.
Under directions from Dorsey, Wilcox went
TO Walla Walla on an errand similar to that t
which he had performed at Eugene City. /
OTHER EVIDENCE l
and likewise the original documents in t
cases above referred to is in hands of the /
Associated Press Correspondent. j. W. I
Dorsey, a brother of Dorsey has a contract 5
on the route from Dalles to Lake View, in '
southwestern Oregan, which route also was t
expedited" from S30S0 to $20300. 1t is
probable therefore that Wilcox had charge t
OF only small part of the business of the 3
Dorsey ring in Oregon. /
SENATE
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