Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-08-09
THE STAR ROUTE TRIAL.
THE PROOFS OF CONSPIRACY.
STRONG SUMMING UP OF THE TESTIMONY.
When the Criminal Court assembled this mo,

STRONG SUMMING UP OF THE TESTIMONY.
When the Criminal Court assembled this morn
Ing Judge Wylic asked the counsel In the star
route case II they had agreed upon the
ORDER OF THE ARGUMENTS
Nj. Wilson said that the agreement made was
that Mr.. Ker should open for the prosecution. and
to him the defense should have two replies; then
Mr. Bliss would speak for the prosecution, and to
him the defense would have three replies. Then
Mr.. Merrick or the Attorney General would speak,
and the defense would have three replies Mr..
Merrick or the Attorney General, whichever one
had not previously spoken, would then close for
the government. 1t was understood that the
Attorney General might drop out, and in that
event the defense would have the same number Of
speeches.
MIR. ker's Address to the Jury.
Mr.. ker then rose and began his address to the
jury. He said he proposed to break through an
Old custom and not apologize for the length of the
trial, not from want Of respect, bSt because the
prosecution had nothing to apologize for. He re-
fcrred to the statement OF Judge Wylie that the
case would be concluded on the 4th Of July, and
then to the mass of testimony that 1t had been
earlier closing The testimony covered over 2 200
pages. There were about 500 pages of testimony
for the government. The mass OF papers intro
10 nothing, but when put together they showed
CRAFT AND DECEIT AND DESIGN.
About four weeks ago Judge MacSweeny said
that at the proper time he would make motion
to have the case dismissed. In day Or two it
would be the proper time to make such motion,
which he (Mr KeD knew would be denied. The
last motion lie (IacSweeny) would make would
be ON his Bonded knees at the White House,
when asking executive clemency. These little
orders and petitions might seem too innocent
10 anord grounds for conviction and the
counsel for defense might have been mis!ed
by tnem It might be said that no jury could be
found intelligent enough to put the evidence to-
gether. 1t was the policy OF the defense in such
cases to throw away all the good men they could
ana secure jurors whose intelligence would not be
equal to the case. In this case, however, owing to
the limitations of challenges, the government had
succeeded in obtaining an intelligent jury Mr..
Ker referred to
THE UNPRECEDENTED CHARACTER OF THE CASE,
and the great interest had In it by the public,
whose verdict was already made up, and who were
waiting now for the verdict OF this jury. He re-
ferred to the slanders published about the court
ami the jury, and the necessity that the strong
arm OF the law should retain It's vigcr this Dis
trct. This case, lie said, was watched from one
end OF the world to the other. There was not
paper published in the English language in the
world which did not contain accounts of the star
route trial. where Sem!-Cabinet officer and an
ex-senator OF the United States were brought to
iflal M LOT corruption before jury OF citizens.
When this case was concluded. and they rendered
their verdict, there would be a triumphant vIndi-
cation of American institutions and the purity OF
trial before jury. Mr. Ker said his business
Was to bring out the practical details OF the case,
to show where
EACH MAN IN THIS CONSPIRACY
performed his part Of the transaction. A con-
spiracy was an agreement in which. it might be,
no word was spoken. 1t might be an interference
without words something in which no language
was used. He did not want the Jury to have the
aa, iadsa, iAat the prosecution must prove that the
heard talking together. The agreement was an
inference to be drawn from the facts Conspiracy
was the hardest crime to prove and after being
proved the clearest to recognize. Mr.. Ker then
briefly told who the various defendants were.
OF EX-SENATOR DORSEY
he said he was United States Senator from Ar
kansas. He did not belong there, but loaned his
services to the state. 1t did not appear from ma
tonal history that his valuable services had since
his retirement from the Senate, been sought after
by any other state
~. HARVEY NJ VALE.
When Mr. Ker reached the name of Harvey NJ
Vale he turned to the defense anaasked: HAS he
gone hOme?"
"No; he's here" said Mr. Wilson.
81 don't see him." said MIR. Ker; "but his check
Is here in his place."
They would have to remember, he said, the facts
cracks OF the case. The defense had not put a
witness on the stand out OF which the government
had not extracted something beneficial to its case
even down TO the young gentleman who took the
stand and was going to tell the price OF hay out in
Colorado, He did not believe there was gentle
man on the jury who had not seen him knocking
about the bar-rOOmS OF this city.
WHEN MR.. KER MENTIONED MINER,
he turned and asked, "Where is Miner? Is he
here?"
"Here," said Mr.. Henkle Miners counsel, pat
ting himself on the head.
mo, no, general said Mr. Ker, 81 hope you
VIII never become like Miner They never would
pick you out in crowd as pickpocket, as they
would him. ! want yOu," he continued, address,
ing ing the jury, % vto see his face want you to see
Mr.. Ker called attention to the dates that the
contracts went into effect-July 1S7s-and Vaile's
appearance appear in the combination and the ante
dating or his sub-contractS. He referred to
BooNE's MEETING WITH RERDELL AND MINER
at s. w, Dorseys house, together with man in
troduced to him as John NJ Peck, who acknowl-
edged or signed papers on Peck's name. Subse-
quently Boone learned that Peck was not here at
that time, put was at Chico Springs, Col. The
government had produced a witness who testified
positively that the name OF John NJ Peck to these
proposals and affidavits was signed by John r.
Miner. There was not witness who went on the
stand, outside OF the Notary Taylor, who ever saw
JOHN NJ. PECK.
He wished to God that the name OF John M.
Peck was out OF the Indictment, for II there was
ever man who had been traduced and wronged
by association OF names it was John NJ. Peck.
There was not an act in this whole transaction
that put John NJ. Peck before themas a criminal.
After giving an account of the meeting OF the de-
tlle lelIlng, ne S9lu CR6 proposals
were put in and stephen W. Dorsey had the work
done at his house. Boone said then that he had
to get out.
SPEAKING OF THE RULINGS OF JUDGE wYLIE
in the case, he said once or twice he had felt dis
posed to quarrel with the rulings but since he had
read the testimony over carefully he had not
found one decision which he could challenge or
question. The court had not allowed them to
croSs-examine Boone when he was first on the
stand, but Boone returned to the stand. Boone
had not testified for the government willingly.
II he had what an opening he could have made.
Boone had told them Of the transaction which
had taken place when this combination was
formed. He did not know who represented Rer-
dell In court. He had never heard counsel put
question to witness that was calculated to clear
or benefit Rerdell. He was called
MoNTFORD c. RERDELL.
That was his name as it appeared on papers 1t
appeared also that he was very handy man to
write other peoples names. He was known also
as NJ. c. RuddeH. He referred to the convenient
habit some men had of changing their names
when IL became hot for them In some community.
They did not know much about Rerdell but 1t was
written somewhere in history that he formerly
lived In Arkansas. He (Mr. Kerr did not think
Rerdel would like to go back there unless 1t was
very cold day. "You can't find II cold enough"
ne said, 'for him to go back there to stay ten
minutes"
RERDELLS STATEMENT, OR CONFESSION,
he said confirmed everything that Vale, Boone,
q 0Ion cnTd told <aYG Gov nt0W