Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-11-16
sTAR-aoUTe DISCLOSURES.


WASHINGTON. November I5.-If the Star
route case should again be tried, il is hoped
that ex-senator George Spencer, government
director of the Union Pacific railway, will
voluntarily come here to testify for the gov
ernme at. Ii is said the defense at the last
trial suddenly closed their case, fearing Mr..
Spencer would be on hand at the last mo-
ment. 1t was this, it is said th at STAN peded
the defendants and made them close so alb
ruptly TO avoid the direct testimony Mr..
Spencer would give sgainst Dorsey and
Brady. In this connection there Ia an inter-
estiug fact never before published. When
Mr.. Spencer told friend, who was Rspub-
lican ex-senator from New York, that be
had seen Dorsey pay Brady money, Mr..
Spencer was asked il he intended to
make such a statement on the witness
stand. Mr.. Spencer replied that he
would have TO do so if he appeared as 3
wilnees for the government. "Then you pro-
pose TO confess having knowledge of trans
action which, if dishonest, makes you party
10 this guilt" said Mr.. Spencer's friend.
Mr.. Spencer said that he did not think that
construction could be put upon his testi-
mony, His understanding was that Brady
was assessing Dorsey very heavily. and if
Brady learned that Dorsey had witnesses Of
the payment of money it would stop further
exactions. BRADY is thief" said Dorsey
TO Spencer. II want you to be a witness of
the robbery he practices on me-" Spencer
could not ezrlsin to his friend how Dorsey
bad put himself into Brady's clutches, and
the more he thought of what he had seen the
more discreditAble 1t appeared for him to
admit it on the witness stand.
EVIDENCE OF BRADY's ExACTIoNs
But ex-Sena'or Spencer is not the only
person who witnessed the payment OF money
h. Il. L. IL
Posi- Office Department the report of a special
agent, dated Little Rock, June IA, 1881,
which contains the following remarks ble
statement, obtained at that place by the spe-
cisl agent from well-known Republican pol
iticians in Arkansas:
One day Stephen W. Dorsey, then United States
s'Unwrsp that paper an and see what It contains"
stckles counted its Enclosures and said: There
to 70 with him, and they went direct to BrSdy5s
office. Dorsey handed Brady the paper and its
contents. Brady never opened it,, but put the
IT. After q few minuteE conversation Dorsey and
siekles left Upon arriving in the hall after leav
81 want you TO recollect this circumstance"
Oa the following dag the special agent
wrote as follows:
hsre since had further conversations from
which it sppesrs that sickles was made witness
Brady's demands upon him. 1t is stated by my
informant that Dorsey told Brady that sickleS
hned Dorsey $1,000, and continued to fine him un-
i'll IL amounted to so much that Dorsey drew no
mail pay for six months.
WHAT THE ALLEGED WITNESS SAID.
While the S'sr route trial was proeress-
ing, and when Mr.. Spencer was in Washing
ton in obedience to the summons served on
him, Mr.. William Sickles, the person re-
ferred TO in the report OF the postofice spe
cial agent, was also here, and was privately
interviewed about the transaction spoken of
in that report. He had been an inspecting
clerk in the Postofice Department, and Wis
tied Arkansas in the line Of his duty. He
knew ex-senator Dorsey. He was asked:
"Have you ever heard any one say that Mr.
Dorsey made you a witness TO his giving Second
Assistant Postmaster General Brady package
II never hSard such thing until Mr.. Merrick
interrogated me In regard 10 it, That IS the hrst1
ever heard of it. Since be interrogsted me il
passed between Senator Dorsey and me for years
past till Mr.. Meriick intetrogated me, Senator
out OF the courtroom. He asked me if knew
any such thing, and declined to answer. told
wish to converse with him. did not tell him
whether it was true: 1 thought wo uld have
when did Mr.. Merrick first ask you whether
you ever saw Dorsey hand Brady package con-
''It was Monday ornirg of this week"
when did DSr,sy S call IL, you out ot the court
room ana ask you ABOUT tulS money.
"It was the same day. had not spoken to any
body else upon this subject. for the conversation
between M Merrick and me regarded as conf
Dental, and communicated it to no one else till
now. When refused to give an answer to orSey
he looked offended. do not remember what he
said, but something about its being lie. Ny i'm
preston was that he thought had told such
story"
TREAoHERoUs MEMORY.
Mr.. Sickles was further examined, and
when his memory was refreshed hs admitted
that there was once some transaction that
Dorsey wanted him 10 Der, but some
bow his memory could not grasp it. He
was asked If he had ever had any conversa-
tion with Gov. Powell Clsyi on or ex-Chief-
Justice Mcclure on this subject in Little
Rock, but he could not recollect having cou-
versed with sny one on this subject. Mr..
Mcclure was in Warrington at the time of
this interview with Mr.. Sickles, and so was
Mr.. Clayton. Ii will appear somewhat re-
markable that Mr.. Merrick, of government
counsel, and ex-senator Dorsey, one OF the
Stsr-route defendants, should both have
asked Mr.. Sickles on the SAND day the same
question, and il is the more remarkable ss
Mr. Sick les said in the interview:
When conversing with Nr. Merrick I felt yery
certain that the whole matter vas mistake so far