The Evening critic., 1882-02-20
COLLAPSED.
sTAR.RouTE TRIALS IN NEBRASKA.

The Lincoln, Nebraska. star.routc
Trials. After Costing the Govern
ment $4,000. Totally Break Down
The Indictments Procured by
Threats and other Shameless
MetbOds-What the Papers Have
TO Say of the Persecution Of Inno-
cent Men.
Some time ago Ed. E. corbin, suporln-
tendent and Charles f. Iddings, Sidney
agent, Of the Black Hills Stage Company, en-
gagged in carrying the malls from Sidney,
Neb., TO Deadwood, Dak., and Fred. E. Clary,
late postmaster at Sidney, were indicted for
conspiracy to defraud the Government In the
carrying of tho mails over the Star-routc from
Sidney TO Deadwood. II was announced by
the Government, with n grand flourish Of
trumpets, that one of the "consplrators" had
made n confession OF the whole conspiracy, :
and that the position of the Government was
impregnable. By an unwearied use OF the
telegraph, the Government caused the fact OF
this Indictment, together with the vaunts Of
the Government officers engaged in the pros
ccution, to be published In every newspaper
| in the United States, always coupled with the
assurances OF the Government that ut last
starrouto conspiracy" had been unenrthed
| and the "conspirators " certain to be con-
| victed. The trial came off at Lincoln, Neb.,
| last week, and ended in the total collapse of
| the prosecution, and the triumphant acquittal
| of the alleged "consplrators." From the
| Omaha Republican and tho Omaha Herald we
| collate the following facts concerning this
| remarkable trial: The Republican states the
alleged overt act constituting the conspiracy
| to be the entries on blank monthly records,
showing the arrival Of mails at Sidney at an
earlier hour than they actually arrived. Clary
| made out these reports as postmaster, and
| forwarded them to the Department at Wash
ington.
The Republican then proceeds with the ac-
count Of the trial and The causes of Its insttu-
tion
Daily and Monthly Mail Reports.
Something over two years ago the Depart
ment initiated a series of daily reports Of the
| arrivals and departures Of the mail on the
route by means OF "tracers" or mail bills,
| which accompanied the mails from ono ter
| minus Of the route TO tho other. These daily
"tracers" were ordered to be used by post
| masters because the tremendous increase of
population in the Black Hills rendered it ex-
| pedient for the Department TO expedite or
hasten the schedule on the route, and an order
| had been made quickening the carrying time
| from eighty hours all the year round
| TO sixty-flve hours from December Is
to June Ii, and fifty hours during the rest OF
| the year. By the use of the mail bills the de
partment could note whether the mails were
being carried on or near the allotted time.
These mail bills were regularly used on the
route according to Instructions After awhile
the department began to make deductions
from the contractors pay for each and every
mail bill not to have arrived in exactly
| fifty hours during the six months Of
summer schedule OF sixty-fve hours winter
| schedule. 1t is now conceded by the highest
| reviewing officer of the Department that such
deductions for late arrivals were unjust in all
instances where providential causes such as
storms and bad roads delayed the mails. BY
continuing these deductions, however, the De-
| partment has kept back several thousand dol
af fynln n fn,sp n.ptD .Rf
| ney-Deadwool mails.
Furay, by Threats, COmpels CIary
to Confess
Sometime last fall Detective Furay discov-
| cred to his CONSERVATION that Clary, as post
master at Sidney, had been sending the month
ly records of arrivals to the Department,
showing arrivals somewhat ahead Of the time
given in the daily mail bills. Clary was there
upon threatened with unheard of horrors
unless he "confessed." "confession " was
dictated, and wholly unconscious of any in
tent, either OF his own or any one else, 10
"conspire" to do anything wrong, Clary was
bounded on to declare that the reports were
bin and Iddings, but without any pecuniary
compensation from them or any one else.
The Judges Ruling-Clary Offers to
Testify.
Forthwith the expensive machinery of the
United States was set in motion. The trial
commenced before Judge Dundy at Lincoln ON
Thursday last Yesterday morning Judge
Dundy, decided that the prosecution could not
pesses ne, for the prosecution had all testified.
Mr.: a:o ciaryy offered to D., waive his priv,
but the prosecuting counsel, in a pet pet,
refused to call him. Judge Dundy imme
diatoly directed the Jury to acguit the de.
the box, returned verdict Of not guilty. In
ruling that Clary should not be compelled by
the Government counsel to testify, Judge
Dundy said that "probably Clary had, at the
time he made his written statement, and also
at the time he was before the grand jury as a
prffr CaA ft,ax,a sexrI Ia.r
prosecuting counsel, or some one in authority,
and coming here now and finding himself
might well hesitate what TO do.''
The Accused Innocent.
There We're no witnesses examined for the
defense, although the defendants counsel
were prepared to show the entire innocence oi
the accused, and this by testimony OF the most
unanswerable nature.
The Cost Of the Trial.
| II is estimated that the recent trial cost the
United States at least $4,000. This large ex
| pense account Is a legacy from the "reform
administration Of James to Genera
Howe. Instead OF expending further thou
sands OF the peoples money In this persecu
tion OF the Western mail service, the efforts Of
the Post-oiflce Department might with far bet
!, terresults be now devoted TO finding out VIII,
and how James reduced our Star service anC
| yet increased the pay OF Eastern railroads to
an extent that necessitated demand on Con
| hciency thus created.
/ Ex.POstmaster CIary's Statement
; Inan interview held last evening with +
, Z. Clary, late postmaster at Sidney, the fol
| lowing facts were ELECTED regarding the nj
l legged false report sent in from his Office. MI
Clary claims that the statement he made to ]
{ u. Furay was an invention gotten up by an at
Y | torney under the direct supervision of Fural
a | himself, and was handed TO Mr.. Clary to sign
/ | and 1t was given under the impulse Of tn
4 | moment and while he was laboring unde
h | great mental excitement, caused by the sal,
Furay threatening him with all sorts OF prose
| cutIons and promising that as far as he (Clary
y | was concerned he would be protected. Fur
: | thermore, that II should be kept out of tn
. | papers, but no sooner did Fuiay arrive II
u Omaha than he caused II TO be published
II Clary says he made his statement withou
. taking any advice OF counsel and without giy
Il ing the facts as they should be. He claim
that he made the statement that he based tn
o | arrivals all the year around on a ifty-hou
Z schedule, but the fact OF the matter Is that 70
y six months In the year the schedule Is sixty
Il | 1ve hours between DeadwoOd and Sidney an
n | the coach invariably gets in from Ave TO tWely
d | hours In advance OF the schedule time, there
II by eXpediting the transmission OF the ma
5 | twenty-one hours and making up abou
1--WE times the time that Furay claims wa
. | lost in the summer. The fact Is that whe
, | the mail arrived right ON the minute on tn
y | nfty-hour schedule the mall could not NOV
y | for eight or ten hours, but would lie in Oh
y | olnce AT sidney, there being but ono train
Il day. During the winter on sixty-nyehou
- | schedule the stage Is not due until - mi,
u | night, and consequently would have to lie
II the office until $50 the following night, bu
instead Of the stage company taking all iii