Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-04-11
THE STAR-ROUTERS.
Judge Wylie Decides the Indictments
Good and Sufficient, and Over.
rules the Motion to Quash.
The Recognizance Of Dorsey Declared
Forfeited, and His Arrest Ordered
The Straw.BOnd Cases.

WASHINGTON, April 10.-When the Star
route cases were called this morning, Brady,
Turner, Minor, Keerdell, Cabell and Eoone,
of the defendants, appeared in court. Judge
Wylie said the motions in the cases of Dor
sey and Brady were similar, the principal
point made being that the defendants had
not been bound over by the commissioner to
await the action of the grand jury, and that
the jury had found indictments without the
cases having been properly brought before
them by order of the court. The judge then
read the Maryland law of 1922, upon which
these points are based, and reviewed the history
of the adoption of the legal code of the Dis
trict, and defined the force of The Maryland
statutes, which are claimed to constitute part
of the laws of the District OF Columbia The
decision he finally arrived at, after an ex-
harstive consideration of all the acts subse-
quent to that organizing the District courts,
and that act itself, was that the law of 1772
had disappeared from the District code along
with all of the Maryland laws of the same
class many years ago. The Judge then took up
other points OF motions TO quash the question
of the jurisdiction of the court, and the point
that the conspiracy charged in the Indictment
had not been sufficiently defined. After
reading the statutes bearing on the iurisdic-
ton of this court, he decided that the court
certainly had jurisdiction in the premises as
to claim that conspiracy had not been es-
tablished by the indictment. He said it
was only necessary to consider whether or
not the defendants had by their joint action
endeavored to obtain, or did obtain, money
or its equivalent from the government by
illegal methods After reading the statutes
at length the judge gave his definition Of
the meaning OF conspiracy, and reviewed
carefully the portions of the indictment con-
tanning these allegations, and said in his
opinion the evidence presented therein was
strong enough to warrant the prosecution of
these defendants and he therefore decided
that the indictments were good and sufficient
in all particulars. He then took up what
are known as straw-bond cases, which were
sent TO this court again, and d. cided that the
indictments were sufficient in these cases also.
Judge Wylie said this decision would dis
pose of the motion to quash in the Soteldo
murder case.
The recognizance of Stephen W. Dorsey
was declared forfeited and his arrest ordered.
Colonel Totten formally noted his objec-
ton to the decision of the court.
Most of the def ndants entered an appear
ance and the court adjourned until pm.
EVENING SESSION.
At the reassembling the clerk read the in
dictment against General Brady, Wm. III.
Turner, NJ. q. Reredell and John K. Miner.
They were then called on to plead when
Colonel Totten, counsel for defendants, stated
that IN the c%se oil brady aud turner he mad
certain pleas Of abatement to file. These
pleas were to the effect that pending the
time the grand jury were finding the
indictment certain parties other than the
district attorney and his assistants had free
access to the grand jury room and made
speeches before the jury, and also laid be-
fore the m pamphlets and other er pdyte evil
dence. Colonel Totten asserted that this was
exercising undue influence upon the grand
jury, and said that he put in this plea in
stead of pleading to the indictment.
Merrick, for the government, commended
that the defendants were there simply 20
plead unity or not guilty, and they t,anid
not enter Into any other question at this
time.
After further discussion, the Court, at 6
pm, remarked, that as the defendants were
under arraignment he could not adjourn
court, but taking into consideration the late
ness of the hour, he would direct recess
until tomorrow.