Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-09-13
THE STAR ROUTE JURY.
EXPLAINING THEIR CURIOUS
PROCEEDINGS.
Conflicting Views of the PaneI-FOreman
DiczsOn's Tongue LOOsened.

WAsHINGToN, September 12.-An analy-
sis Of the votes taken by the star route jury
reveals some remarkable opinions. Four
jurors voted that no conspiracy had been
proved, and then the same four voted Miner
and Rerdell into a conspiracy, and found
them guilty on the last ballot.
Foreman Dickson voted that John
W. Dorsey and Vale were
guilty, while Brady and 8. W. Dorsey were
Innocent. On the same ballot, it appears
that Halmead finds all not guilty except
Brady. The jurors who had found Rerdell,
the clerk, guilty, found his employer, Dor
sey, innocent. Another, who had pro-
nounced Miner guilty, found his part
ner, Vale, innocent. Jno. B. Nc
Carthy, one Of the jury, said that
himself and, IN fact, the majority Of the
jurors were not by any means satisfied with
the verdict. He and eight other jurors
voted rom first to last TO convict those Of
the defendants upon whom the Jury dis
agreed. There was, he says, but very little
! change In the ballots from first to last.
! Those jurors who favored the conviction
of all the defendants, excepting Turner.
were convinced Of their guilt, and would
not change their votes because
/ they had considered the case well before
arriving at this conclusion, and those who
voted for acquittal used the most subtle
argument in the support Of their decision,
and would not yield.
Foreman Dickson made public another
more detailed and ciTcumstantisl account
Of the attempts at bribing himself and other
members of the jury. He relates that on
August 23d he was approached by Henry
a. Bowen with an offer Of $25, 900 to secure
the conviction of Brady and Dorsey. Bowen
.4,,E4v Id
a special agent of the Department of JUS
tice, and endeavOred to bring about an inter
view between Dickson and Attorney Gen
ersl Brewster. Ga q second occasion, when
Bowen sought Dixon, he was accompanied
by Brewster Cameron, another special agent
of the Department of Justice.
Dickson gives in detail the reasons which
led the Department of Justice to seek
conviction in this manner, the principle be-
ing that it had become political necessity.
Dickson says he did not believe these men
were acting under authority or could have
paid the amount offered, but he takes pains
to set out, In manner which pa.takes much
more OF argument than a statement of
facts, the reasons why Bowen and Cameron
probably were inspired by the government
officers. His statement aims at iustifying
himself and his three companions who
voted to secure q disagreement as to Brady,
Vale and the two DOrseys. In doing this
he has made violent attack upon the pros
ecution, its methods. and against everybody
but Judge Wylie. He makes an elaborate
defense of himself and his three colleagues,
Brown, HOlmead and Martin, in which be
takes thigh moral' ground, and still
more elaborate argument against the con-
viction of the defendants.
Dickson recognizes the apparent incon-
sistency of convicting the two men of least
Consequence and disgreeing upon the 9TH
ers, but he iusti6es the two convictions by
proving from the evidence that Miner and
Rerdell were tools of the ring OF contrsc-
tors. Dickson says he will tomorrow file
his statement with the District Attorney and
ask for immediate action upon it.