Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-07-11
THE STAR ROUTE TRIAL.
i'm the Crininal Court To-
day.

When the Criminal Court assembled this morn.
ing MI. Bliss was about to proceed with the evi-
dence on route No. 40, ,1o4, from Mineral Park to
Pioche, Arizona. when Mr.. Wilson arose and called
the court to direct Mr. Bliss to permit the defence
10 See the papers which were produced in court
yesterday with reference to the route. Mr. Wilson
saiu he had spent all the morning at the Post
Office department
LOOKING FdK rE FAprRs
and found that Mr. Bliss had not returned them to
the department. "My time," said Mr.. Wilson, 'is
perhaps not worth as much as his but it is worth
as much to me. Now hope the court will do some
Thing to enable US to get at these papers. We are
put on until the testimony closes and then here
we are, the next morning, unable to get them.
Mr. Bliss said that he had sent the papers to the
department last evening, but there was no one
been returned this morning. The delay last eve
ming had been caused by mistake OF a clerk, who
e Wsoo as q
the defence by having to wait upon the convent
ence OF Mr.. Bliss.
THR COURT HELD
that as Mr. Bliss was responsible for the papers to
the department he should return them to the de-
partment, where the defence could inspect them.
He checked further discussion on the matter.
A POSTMASTER ON THE STAND.
Mr.. Bliss having submitted further record evil
dence concerning route 0,104, Wm N. Krider,
postmaster at Mineral Park, was called.
Mr.. Krider was questioned as to the operation Of
the mail route, and Identified the signatures ON
persons residing at SgIal, point on the Mineral
Park and Ehrenberg route, and not on route 4O 104
Mr WILSON, on cross-examination. brought out
the fact that Ward, NeIada, where the letter Of
Mr.. Bean was dated, was 100 miles from the route
The witness was questioned with the view of
showing that Signal, where the petitions were
signed, received portion Of its mali through the
Mineral Park Office, but the witness said that so
far as he could recolectno letter for Signal ever
M nnrhh &c nfHn
Mr. Callahan, OF the contract Office, Post On1ce
department. was called Tor the purpose Of identi-
After the mail bills, record OF production and
other papers on the route had been presented, Mr..
Bliss called up route A, 80 from Canyon City to
Camp McDermott, Oregon John NJ. Peck was the
contractor The route was originally let for g. $780,
the conditions being one trip week on a schedule
OF 100 hours In August 1880, the route was in
creased to four trips week and the contractor al
lowed sS,666 per annum
Mr Coon, OF the contract Office, and Mr.: Wood
ward, post Office Inspector, were examined as to
papers respecting the rolte. Geo. E. Spencer was
called and did not answer MI. Bliss said II he
attachment He was informed that after being
here sometime Spencer lad left the city and gone
west.
Mr.. Bliss then proceeded to read the various
records concerning the Dute.
AFTER THE NOON RECESS,
Mr.. Bliss continued to Offer petitions and applica-
tions for increasing the service on route 16O for
some time.
James F. Browne, of Fort McDermott, who car
r1ed the mail on the route from January 16 1S79 to
August, 1880, was called as witness. He carried
the mail over half the route as a sub contractor
under Mr.. Vale. The witness testified to having
circulated petitions for an Increase at the request
OF MI. Miner. The witneSSteStified at some length
70 the preparation and CIRCULATION Of the petitions
one or these petitions WIS tlle one which Post
master Hall, at Canyon CttyS testified his name
had been forged.
NOTES.
After THE STARS report OF the star route trial
closed yesterday, Mr. Bliss continued to submit
papers respecting route 40,t04.
A letter dated August 25tla, 1879, written by
Horace d. Bean Since deceaSed), lawyer at
PlOche. to the Second Assistant Postmaster Gen
raj, was read, which stated that the number of
letters that passed over the route either way was
on al. average OF less than six per day, and that
the officials there didn't know why the route was
established, unless 1t was to enrich persons mme-
diately concerned.
The witness, Spencer, for whom Mr.. Bliss init
mated his intention this morning OF taking out an
attachment is ex-senator Spencer, or Alabama,
whose testimony is wanting regarding the Oregon
routes. He has been In the city and disappeared.
Mr. Merrck, IN conversation at noon, expressed
the Intention OF the prosecution to make vigor-
Gus en- ort to obtain the eX-Selator's presence.
Mr.. Merrick said to-day thai the reports that
the new evidence to be presented to the grand
jury implicated three Senators was incorrect 1t
aHected only one Senator, he said.