Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-12-11
sERpE14.,ANp HIS COUNSEL.


from Arkansas, and counsel for Montford C..
Rerdell, one of the defendants. Mr.. Wiltshire
appears now in the case for the first time, he
having been constant visitor during the last
trial. but not regarded as member of the corps
OF counsel. He is about fifty. has light mus
tache. and is Wiry and nervous in appearance
SO far he has taken no prominent part In the
proceedings. Rerdell generally sits Just behind
MI Wiltshire, and views the proceedings over
his shoulder. Rerdell is small in stature. aud
somewhere between IS and 40 years OF age.
He has a face that denotes great
tache Of a light color. Rerdell was formerly
an Arkansas politician, and fell in with
ex-senator Dorsey there. He came
here as clerk or secretary to Dorsey.
For while he was provided with position
there as an unusually expert clerk. When Dor
sey went into mail contracting Rerdell became
sort OF agent for the combination Of contrac-
tors here, and, according to the indictment now
against him, employed his cunning and his ex
pertness as a clerk and penman In furthering
the conspiracy to defraud the government.
After the frauds were discovered and POstmas-
ter General James cut the mail service. out Of
which the combination had made such great
gains. erdRell and his employers appear to have
had falling out. Rerdell, it is stated, was
paid $1,000 year, besides perquistes, for man.
aging the correspondence and maintaining an
Office here. When the service was reduced to
an improbable basis, it appears his employers
concluded to dispense with his services. Rer-
dell, who knew a great deal of the secrets of
the combination, and probably felt also that he
was In danger Of indictment and punishment
went to the Postmaster General and Attorney
General, after his dismissal from the SER
vice of the contractors, and made a
full statement Of the methods of the
combination. He went one day, to New York
for the purpose of getting books which would
corroborate hsstatement but he never produced
the books His old employer. having learned
OF MS treachery to them, seemed to have inter-
copied him and used some influence to change
his course. At any rate Rerdel attempted to
undo, by making an affidavit. what he had done in
temporary fit of virtue or ofrevengeful passion
Ihls affidavit contained the absurd statement
that his confession had been a ruse made in the
capacity OF detective serving ex-senator Dor
sey for the purpose of learning what was being
done against him. 1t was understood at one
time that Rerdel was to be used as a witness
against his fellow defendants. When however.
ne changed his ground, as described above, he
was indicted with them. Now he occupies a
very singular position-reprobated alike by the
prosecution and the defense. The other de-
PENDANTS, and Brady especially, have made efforts
70 secure separate trials, owing to their fear of
Rerdells confession, acting OH the theory that it
can only be used as evidence in a trial in which
Rerdell Is defendant. Rerdel was one of the
two men convicted at the last trial. probably
both because Of the damaging evidence he has
provided against himself, and also because he
was perhaps unable to bring the same influence
to bear upon the jury that some Of his CO.
defendants seem to have employed 80 very sue
cessfully.
MEssRs. WILLIAMS AND CARPENTER.
Next to Mr.. Wiltshire sits Mr.. A. B. Williams
q washington lawyer, who Is one of the counsel
for Brady. Mr.. Williams is slender. wears his
hair cropped short and light mustache In
the last trial he made one Of the addresses at
the close Of the case. Next to Mr. Williams sits
Mr.. r. B. Carpenter, of South Carolina, one Of
the counsel for the Dorseys. Mr. Carpenter is
So or 60 years of age; tall and inclined to stoop
His dark hair and mhstache are sprinkled with
gray. He is dark and has q Spanish cast of
features, with square set jaw, deep eye SOCK
cts and arched brows. He has very quiet de-
meanor in court and seldom rises to speak.
t Mnen ne does speak ne makes use Of no art,
talking in very plain, straightforward manner.
JOHN ". DORSEY,
one of the defendants, who sits behind Mr.. Car
penter, is an older brother of ex-senator Dor
sey. He is about fifty and sparely built. a typi-
cal Yankee, as pictured In dime novels and
caricatured in the South. He has a reddish
beard, which seems to defy the barber. His
complexion is sallow, and his whole appearance
worn expression, which has grown more marked
since he has been defendant In the cause. He
is not inclined to be sociable, and generally
comes and goes from the court house alone. It
was In order to assist Miner, Peck, and John w.
Dorsey, the defense claim. that ex-senator Dor
sey became interested In the star route service.
MIR: INGERsOLL.
Next to Mr.. Carpenter at the table sits Mr..
Robert G.. Ingersoll-bald rotund and fluent.
Mr. IngersOll is better known to the country as
lecturer than as lawyer 1t has been sug-
gested that it was Mr. lngersoll's comforting
views regarding future punishment that in
duced the star reuters to retain his services as
counsel. He appears for the Dorseys, and takes
an active part in the proceedings in court and
seems to furnish the inspiration for all the more
daring and impudent movements on the part of
the defense Mr.. IngersOll, besides repre-
senting the defense in the court champions
their cause outside. While he is equaled, if not
eXcelled, In legal experience and knowledge by
other members of the counsel for defense, his
fascinating elOquence gives him place among
them As an acknowledged leader. He lounges
about much OF the time while in court, reading
newspapers or chatting with neighbor as at
much at ease as If in some club room. A great
deal OF the time he keeps an unlighted cigar in
his mouth, and when tired of that replaces It
with little slice off piece of plug tobacco.
MEssRs. DAyIDGE AND WILSON.
Mr.. Walter d. Davidge, who occupies a chair
next to Mr.. Ingersoll, is well known to Wash
ington people, having held leading place at
the bar here for years. At the former trial he
used to stroll into court now and then as a
spectator, and was generally invited to seat
on the bench with Judge Wylie. Now he ap-
pears in the case as counsel, representing John W.
Dorsey. Mr.. Davidge was one Of the special
counsel for the government In the Guiteau trial.
He is probably nearly sixty years old. His
clean-shaven face is classic in outline, and his
gray hair curls closely about his head. He is
very impressive and pleasing speaker.
Mr.. Jere Wilson, an eX-nember of Congress
from Indiana, and one Of the counsel for Brady.
sits at Mr.. Davidges right. He took the lead
ing part at the last trial in the examination of
witnesses, besides bearing his share of the bur-
den Of argument. Mr.. Wilson is short and very
spare He has large head, and wears a
mustache and beard on his chin, which are
turning gray, and he is always busy in court
and appears to be the most active of all the
large corps Of counsel engaged on the side of
the defense.
BRADY.
Ex-Third Assistant Postmaster General Thos
J. Brady when in the cOurt room paparalIv sito