The Portland daily press., 1882-01-16
THE STAR ROUTE CASES.

Indications that Cabell's Trial will be
Indefinitely Prolonged.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 14--In the Star Route
cases to-day, Col Bliss opened the proceedings
BY Offering in evidence all the bids and con-
tracts which were identified by Notary Web
ster yesterday, as having been witnessed by
him for the defendant, Cabell. The defence,
having demanded the Identification of all of
the bids and contracts, over 5000 in number,
in which Cabell is concerned, 1T now appears
that the trial of this case will be indefinitely
prolonged. An attempt was made by counsel
for defence TO have Col Boone, who has been
subponaed as witness on this case, excused
from attendance, but the prosecution refused to
assent to this arrangement unless some one
competent to DO so was ready to swear to
Boone's handwriting. The Identification OF
the papers of like character was then proceed
ed with, Mr.. Webster, the notary public who
witnessed them, again taking the stand Mr..
Byron G. Coon, clerk in the contract office of
the post office department, identified number
Of bids made by Cabell, on which contracts
had been refused, as belonging to the tiles OF
she department. Col. Bliss having accidental
~ broken some small leather straps inclosing
the papers, Mr.. Wilson exclaimed, humour-
ously, your straps ere as rotten as your
cases. An effort made by the defence to
have witness acknowledge that the mail con-
tract business had been for years conducted by
contractors on wholesale basis was strongly
objected to by the prosecution, and the ques-
tion and answer (Which was in the affirmative)
were withdrawn from the evidence. MIR.
Cook, of the prosecution, said that the admir-
sion OF such extraneous evidence would de-
stroy the harmony of the governments case,
which led Mr.. Wilson to remark that their
harmony was discord. Messrs. j. c. CROSS ant
and Clarence Stetson, contract office Gle rks,
were examined in the same direction. Mr..
Croissant defined the difference between
''bad contract and "failing contract" say
ing indulgence is usually shown by the depart
ment to the former to certain degree, and, II
this was exceeded, he was then declared fall
ing contractor. This debarred the contractors
from receiving further awards of contracts.
Mr. Wilson made an endeavor to have the wit
ness state that he knew Capt. Cabell to have
paid more for the performance OF mail service
on some re utes than he received from the gov
eminent under the contracts. This lead TO an
other objection from Col. Bliss, which was sus-
tanned by the court. The defence asked the
prosecution who the witnesses were they ex-
pected from Kentucky, Mr. Oliver saying that
he was Kentuckian himself, and knew some
thing of real estate there. Col. Cook replied,
ssrcastically, "We expect to present reputable
witnesses from Kentucky to swear to the value
of this land An adjournment was moved
until Monday, but Col. Bliss explained that be
had been summoned to New York by the sud-
den illness of his wife, and although he would
endeavor to be present, he could not be certain
of doing SO. He therefore asked that the trial
go over until Tuesday. On motion of Mr..
Wilson, who said that he would be occupied
on that day. the court adjourned the case un-
I'll Wednesday next.