Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-09-16
What walsh Thinks of Dickson.

In an interview published here on Tues
day, Mr.. Dickson is reported as saying that
he placed no weight upon The testimony of
Mr.. John A. Walsh, because be had known
Mr.. Walsh in New Orleans and in this city
in 1876, because of claim which Mr..
Walsh mad made upon the fund raised for
the family of Lieutenant Benner, who died
OF yelloS-fever while commanding a relief
expedition, and because the department, just
before he testified, had given him a remis-
sion on the Prescott and Santa Fe route
amounting to $4,000. Mr.. Walsh is in this
city, and his attention WIS directed this
evening 10 this statement. In relation 10
the remission, be sa d: "There was no evil
dence 10 chow that l received that sum in re-
missions. j was paid more than year ago
a sum OF money for service / had performed
in carrying the mails, which psy Brady had
withheld from me because OF my unwilling
ness to submit to his arithmelical rules.
frzc ional part of this payment represented
remissions."
basis of any agreement as 10 your testimony
in this case?"
"Of course not. Postmaster General ames
believed that the government owed me, and
hence he ordered that the money should be
paid. L never had any conversation with
the prosecuting officers as to what my testi-
mony would be. My own sense OF preprety
In regard to the statement that Mr.. Dick
son had known him in New Orleans and
here, Mr.. Walsh sid: 81 never knew him
before l came to reside in Washington, and
never had any acquaintance with him here
until he came to my Office one day and Of
fered to me for sale postal draft, drawn by
Mail-Contractor George L. McDonaugh and
Endorsed by ID. G. Forney, for about $780,"
WAS he acting as broker in tb at sale?'
yes; and he afterward told me that /
might have bought the draft at greater
discount than did if bad only insisted upon
il, giving me reasons for this an opinion
about the history of the draft which led me
TO think that he understood the methods
which prevailed in the Posiofice Depart
ment."
@Mr. Dickson is reported as having said
that he was convinced that your claim
against the Benner estate was fictitious
one; what about that?"
Sat the repeated and urgent solici, alton of
Lieutenant Benner by letter" replied Mr.
Walsh, Il finally consented 10 discount his
pay Tor four, five or six months in advance,
something very unusual. Almost immedi-
afely after getting this advance, Benner vol
the Mississippi river which was sent from
St. Louis TO tie relief of the yellow. fever
Sufferers, and on reaching Vicksbnrg be was
taken i'll, and he died of me fever OF
course the government would not pay his
unearned drafts. When the Benner fund
was raised and committee was appointed,
of which Dickson was the secretary, my
clerk, Mr.. Shekell, suggested that he should
take the vouchers OF Lieutenant Benner to
the committee aud ask that they be paid, on
the ground that il was a debt of honor, ETC.,
ard that the money had benefited the family
of the deceased"
WAS the money paid your"
"No, and | have the unpaid vouchers.
their payment was had between Mr.. Dickson
and my clerk, Mr.. Shekell, who is a most
honest and upright man"
Zone would infer, Mr.. Walsh, that you
could not have been sanguine as 10 verdict
under the circumstances as you understood
them"
'sNo, l was not particularly confident, as
am never an opiimist. When Mr.. Merrick
called on me while the governments case
was IN eytTeDlis and asked me to come 10 its
aid by testifying, told him it was not fair
for the government 10 ask me to jeopsrdiZe
the issue of my civil actions against Brady
by coming to the rescue OF battle already
lost"
What do you meanw
Il meant, aud SO represented, that / had
no confidence in the jury: that it was allowed
TO go al large subject TO the temptations of
the defendants. After narratiug TO him the
episode of the McDonsugh-Forney draft, l
declared that ] refused to believe in the pos
sibility of proper verdict"
There is a rumor on the streets that you
called upon Judge Wylie to-day in relation
10 the present grand Jury. Is it true"
''YeF, but would prefer 10 say nothing
about that. It is a rather delicate subject"