The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1882-04-14
p1leehlp Corvallis Gazette.
WlsHINGTCN LETTER.
sFrom sur Regular Correspondent
Wa b nqton, ID.

route conspritors are innocent
They at least should not suffer pre-
judicial condemnation, but now,
after the grand jury has founi true
bill against them, there has arisen a
serious doubt that they will he pros
ecuted with vigor and earnestness
Certain it is thatNhey have employed
tie very best legal talent that large
wealth, no matter how acquired, can
command. The Government OF the
United States is also wealthy, but
when the cases came up recently,
only poor Corkhili appeared to meet
the dense aud brilliant array of law
yers employed by the Star reuters
Poor Corkhill is only fisnrehea'I,
and a very soft one 1T that. lie al
.itudenlzed as counsel Tor The pros
ecution in the Guiteau case, and arro-
gated great glory to himself because,
torsooth, fore-doomed verdict OF
guilty was not evaaed. The incom-
petence of Corkaill is the ly-word
of the bar here, and he would never
have been known as lawyer II
politics had not made him L. :.
Attorney for the District of Columbia.
Colonel Cook, upon whom the piose
cution of these cases, prior to Gar
fields death, devolyed, was in every
way fitted for the work, but he has
now formally Withdrawn from the
prosecution. In an interview last
night he said:
The causes lea'ing to this action
on my part arc of two or three
month duration. may say that
ever since the death of President
Garfield have noticed the gradual
freezing out process of all the origin
al agencies in these cases, and, when
Mr. Gibson was squeezed out by the
change of safe combination and re
quest for his keys, felt then that
it would not be long before | was re-
tired t.om the cases. Col. Gibson
was Il thorough, earnest. and efficient
soadjutor, and I felt in his loss that
Of a valuable aid. In fact, | have
received no encouragement, nor have
] been sent for or given the conf
dence of President Arthur or his
Cabinet. Three nights before the
assassination of President Garfield
he sent for me, aud in the presence
of Acknowledgement McVeagh, said
10 me that he wanted these Star
route cases pushed, not in the spirit
of vim 1icliveness, not with desire
to iniure any individual especially.
but to effect the conviction and pun
ishment of the guilty parties, N"
matter whether friends stood in the
way. He promised me al! aid. /
said TO him that it would be npces-
sary to employ persons, and gave
him the full outline of the mode OF
my procedure. received from
him the full assurance of his support.
/ then proceeded in the case and
employed detectives 70 watch tn"
jury to see that they were not tam
pefed with, and also TO watch h..
movements of my witnesses. Whr1
/ say TO YOU that every detective
has been removed and others i'm
ported from Philadelphia, AMI
further, that when the last batch Of
indictments were brought in, they
were not even submitted to ne, nor
have | seen them, sou will readily
concede that my professional relnta
tion was at stake, and that from IL
case in which | had promised Prc>i-
dent Garfield to bring the majority
of the guilty parties to justice, | was
forced to retire. The most remark
able thing in The whole business Is
the purchase of the Republican by
Mr.. Geo Bliss, the sum of $4,000,
his own personal check, being paid.
to Mr.. Brady, and the retention, on
the journal at the same time ofKll-
bourn, Conger and the balance OF tie
Star route men. Taking all these
circumstances into consideration, any
candid person will at once see the ell
tire change which has come over
this case since the advent of the
present administra,ie II, and Mr.. Geo
Bliss makes it extremely doubt fnl
as TO the issue. 1t is possible that ]
may have to say more betsre | get
through"
yr,en