Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-09-13
STAR ROUTE BRIBERY.
WHAT DICKSON AND DONJPHAN SAY.

WHAT DICKSON AND DONJPHAN SAY.
lsowen's Alleged Offer of S25 900 to Cor
rupt the Jury-The Good Thing
Shaw Thought He Had.
The defense are now boasting, first,
that there will be no further trial of the
Star Route cases !; second, that if there
shall be one, Judge Wylie will not preside.
On the other hand Judge Wylie said that
the cases would undoubtedly be tried in
October, and, as Judge Wylie presides
over the criminal court until the 1st of
next March, the defendants can scarcely
hope to prolOng the next trial beyond his
term. 1t is not expected that the trial
will be very long one. The government
has learned wherein the evidence can be
much curtailed. and it is not probable
that the defendants have such an exhaust
less mint of money that they will care to
indefinitely incur expense. The govern
ment is earnest for new trial, aud the
attorney general telegraphed from New
port to special counsel Merrick, directing
him to prepare for it without delay.
In reference to the bribery charges, MIR.
Merr:ck has had interviews with all Of the
jurors who voted for conviction. From
them he derived much valuable infOrma-
ton. One Of tho jurors, shaking him by
the hand, said g This thing must be
probed to the bottom, or it will be useless
to have any more jury trials in this dis
| trict.''
Dickson, the foreman, is making denials
| that any of the jurors were bribed, and
alleging that he was approached by q per-
son having authority to represent the de-
partment Of justice, and offered bribe of
| int md hu
Henry NJ. Bowen, temporary special agent
of that department..
He represents Bowen to have said {:
" This is now the attorney generals fight
and he must succecd-'tis political life
or death with him. He does not regard
Judge Wylie as friendly to the prosecu-
tion by his contrary rulings. He also said
that the case came to Brewster as a legacy
from his predecessor, MacVeagh, and that
it had been terribly mismanaged by Mac
Veagh and James. Mistakes bad been
made aud errors OF counsel had leopard
| lied it, and the present administration did
not care to press the case until Brady's
papers commenced their TRADE of abuse
and villificatiOn of the administration and
its officers, and now. under all circum-
stances. the defendants must be con
| victed.''
Dickson practically admits himself that
lie did not believe at the time that Bowen
had any authority to represent the depart
ment Of justice in such matter, for he
| says that he did not believe Bowen had
S25, to say nothing of sa5, 900, proposed to
give him. 1t may be that one Or two
special agents of the department have
been influenced, by reasons which do not
appear, to make such representations on
behalf of the defence, but if they had, the
government will undoubtedly be able to
prove that it was the result Of a cOnspir-
acy, only less grave in character than that
which originated the Star Route frauds
themselves. Mr.. Bowen, who is now in
| Arizona, On matters not connected with
the Star Route cases, will bc Immediately
ordered to report in Washington. On his
arrival here in may be possible to ascer-
tain the truth of this extraordinary story.
He has also authorized the recall of
Brewester Cameron, = special mail agent,
who is now in San Francisco, to tell what
he knows Of the alleged bribery. Mr..
! Cameron will be remembered rs il former
| resident of Lancaster. What connection
he had with the Star Route cases has not
been developed during the trial, but it is
probable he has been acting in detective
capacity for the postal department.
EDS. INT.]
Mr.. Alexander +. Falls, the lawyer re-
ferred to in Mr.. DicksOn's statement as
having attempted to bribc Juror uOl-
mead, prOnounces the story q direct false
hood, made entirely out OF whole cloth.
| and without the slightest foundation in
fact. Mr.. Falls says that he was never in
the court room during the course of the
trial that he does not know Holmead,
and has no recollection of ever seeing him.
Juror Doniphan's Story.
The most direct statement of attempted
bribery in the case, is that of Juror DOui-
Fhan, who carries on tho business of :,
shoemaker in Washington. aud who during
the war fought in the rebel army. He was
earnest in his belief that Brady and the
two Dorseys ought to be convicted, aud
when argument and deliberation ceased in
the jury room he proposed to fight it out
according to the most approved scientific
methods with Foreman Dickson. The lat
ter declined to make the test, us he was
too tall Tor his wOuld-b antagonist. Dick
| son is about six feet two inches high and
Doniphau about five feet eight inches.
The story of the attempt to bribe Doniphan
| is substantially as follows: Before the
jury was sworn a man named Shaw, Cne OF
! the regular panel, expressed 4 desire to get
on the jury which was to try the Star Route
case and asked Donip!.an what the chances
were for getting on. fIc was Informed
that his chance was as good Us that OF any
body else, as there We're 2G in the regular
panel.
When the case came up Shaw was re.
jected by Merrick, for which the latter
Was rOundly abused by the disappointed
juror. On September 4, as Doniphan
caLle down through the capitol grounds,
lie heard some one calling him and tound
it was Shaw. He said to Doniphan II
have got damn good thing for you and
will make something myself, too. |
have got the money i'll my pocket
to give you now ii you will favor
S. w. Dorsey. II he gets off we Can
get anything We want. 1 have $500 Or
$500 can give you now and will make il
thousands within ten days" Doniphan
asked him if he knew tine position that hc
was putting himself in, to which Shaw re-
replied that he thought ho was a friend of
his and wanted him "to make good
thing" that Dorsey was a powerful man
ana that, as soon as The trial was over and
Dorsey got clear, E,owstc" would be
histed.' Doniphan's ;:nsw4r was that
Shaw had better clear uut anh he left him
standing by the naval monument and went
up the avenue alone.
The same evening a little boy rang Mr..
DDniphan's S door bell aud said that Mr..
Shaw wanted to see the former at the cap
itOl that night. Donip plan said to tho boy
"Ali right" but remained at home and did
not sec Shaw. The next morning AS Mr..