Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1881-06-23
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, June IS, 1881.

IRON our rreRulnr OoTretpohuehtsl
WASHINGTON, June IS, 1881.
Pretty much all the excitement we
have inWashiDgton now has its central
locus in Room So of the Post Office De-
partment. 1t is in this room that the case
against the star route thieves is being
made up, and.the daily secret session. of
the attorneys, detectives, and agents are
the object of no small degree of interest.
Piledupo table in one part OF the
room are the papers and documents from
which portion of the evidence has been
gathered, ana around another table sit
| Attorney General MacVeagh, special
agents Gibson and Woodward. and Col.
w. A. Cook, the celebrated criminal law
yer engaged to assist in the prosecution.
At some of the sessions Postmaster Cen
eral james is also present. It. is anus
ing to read IN the star routef organs the
| fierce denunciations of these secret sess-
ions and of the agent employed in work
ing up the Government case. One OF
them, owned by Brady and his friends,
says these proceedings of notorious de-
tectives and spies will some day cause
the bll4sh of shame to mantle the cheeks
of American citizens 1t denounces the
Administration for establishing star
chamber in one of the Departments
What the Brady crowd would like is to
have the doors all left open so that the do
ings of the Government officials could be
watched, the documents stolen, and all the
evidence and witnesses hunted up, bought
off or spiritd away. The employment of
A. M. Gibson as special agent is also a
bitter pill, and because he has heretofore
written some harsh things of Gen. Gar
field en attempt is made to put the latter
| in false position. Mr.. Gibson was for
several years the Washington correspond
ent of the New York Sun. and one of the
sharpest of a sharp lot of journalists. He
has what they call decided'nose for news
an eye that can pierce brick wall. 1t is
a knowledge of this fact that worries the
star route thieves. Then the engagement
of Col. Cook is another source Of trouble to
he'stars. The Republican saysit is because
of his familiarity with the method of the
class who are usually depended upon here
to furnish such evidence as may be need
ed to establish any theory of defence that
may be determined upon; that his skill in
manipulating perjurers is to be used
the poor, innocent star routers.' 1t is
Just possible that Col. Cooks skill i'll
this direction did have something to do
with lis retention. But it is silly for any
body 70 charge that the Government has
any interest in using these methods to
convict innocent persons. 1t is TO pre-
vent Shei,. being used to enable guilty ras.
I ,cnlst to escape that this preeaution has
!. been taken, and that move knocked
good many pegs from under tht
feet of Brady 8. Co. They are ready tc
spend good pile of their ill-gotten swae
to get clear, and the fact that the Gov
! ernment has gone to work by such care
) full and thorough system is what make
them howl
1t is possible that some of the person
/ supposed to be implicated in these mai
frauds are innocent. Perhaps it ma,
, turn out, as some claim, that there ha
proved. But whatever the result of tn
cases now under investigation there ar
!. circumstances which raise very stronl
presumption, and give rise to opinion
which even failure to convict will neve
4 remove. 1t seems quite natural tina
: when offices are sought after which in
+. volve great labor and responsibility an
! carry very moderate compensation, sus
: picion should be engendered that ther
y must be something attractive in ther
;. which does not appear on the surface
: When it is also seen that many of the ir
! cumbents of these offices who went i
), poor as church mouse retire with larg
:. fortunes, the gossips will not be Statistic
=. with the explanation almost invariabl
"a given, that the suddenly acquired richt
- came through fortunate speculations
\ stocks or real estate. There are not a fe
), persons now resident in Washingto
- maintaining political and costly establish
4 ments, and moving in good society, wi
N came here from their former homes wit
T no more than one suit of clothes to the
G backs, bat after holding office few yea
), go out and ever after fare sumptuous
70 and clothe themselves in purple and fiji
~ linen. Ex-Assistant Postmaster Gener
70 ,y Brady may be, as his friends say, inn
W cent of any wrong doing; but the fa
w " that he was not a rich man by any mea
"a when he was appointed to the Office q |
IN tie over four years ago and that while t
If salary is only $4,000 per annum he h
a. grown immensely wealthy, goes far
IA give credence to the charges against hil
~ ~ He is now said to be worth 81 900, ,O0e al
81 lives accordingly, besides indulging t
;s luxury OF two daily and one Sund
- % newspapers to defend his good name. Y
ne it is not impossible that all this W
n gained by lucky stock speculations.
90 there is no other evidence against him '
- shall have to assume that it was. '
To shall soon see.
H. In prowling around the Post Office I
or partment in search of something int
70 esting got into the dead-letter Office
re Gently and found regular curiosity she
Fl Will reserve the account of what I s;
ri and learned for another letter. 7
ad grand old Congressional Library is also
ut interesting place to spend idle hours, a
,is I mean shortly to tell you all aboutit.
in ..a
i )