Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1882-10-20

L Alleged AttemDIS aL nThOeTX DIV the
| GOvernment-The anidavits OF Ju-
rors-Men swearing They Were En-
| pl0yed for the PurpOse-Implirat
to the Eject tina: Jury-Fixers were
in the Employ Of the tIttOrney Gen
! eral.
Col. Robert Ingersoil has caused to
be published a number of affidavits,
for the purpose of showing that several
| of the jurymen in the late Star-route
trial were corruptly approached by
employees of The Department of JUS
tice, aud that these employees regular
ly reported their proceedings from day
to day to the Department or some Of
fcer thereof. The publication has
caused the greatest of excitement in
| Washington. The theory of Col. In
gersoll is, that the administration delib-
erately attempted to bribe the jury to
convict the Star-routers so that it would
receive the credit and a reelection,
The whole country, says Ingersoll elo-
| quently, seems to be reeking with
political rottenness and dishonesty.
The first affidavit given is one made by
| William Knox Browa, one of the jurors,
on the II inst, as follows:
County of Washington, District of
| Columbia: William Knox Brown, be-
ing duly sworn, says he was a juryman
in what is known as the star-route case;
that during the trial of said case one
Arthur Payne came to atlantis house
and left a note saying he wished to see
affiant. Affiant afterward saw said
Payne, and Payne said man had
asked him if he could say anything to
| oH
paper and handed it to affiant to read.
The paper was an agreement with F.
IL. Fall, to be signed by the afiant, to
the effect that if the affiant and
Thomas Martin, also one of the jury,
| should vote to convict the defendants
In the star-route case, or if atlantis
vote, or that of Martin, should hang
the jury, then affiant was to receive
$1,000. Affiant read the paper and
then said to Arthur Payne, 81 Inn go
ing according to the evidence; Fail is
ID rascal, and you both can, n,go to
hell, and l shall vote in accordance
with my convictions" Arthur Payne
said that Fall was lawyer and has his
office on d street.
[Signedl WILLIAM K. Brown
Subscribed and sworn to before me
this 18th day of October, A. D. 1882.
lSeal J. F. OLMsTEAD,
Notary Public.
Then follows the affidavit of Thomas
Il. Foote, resident of Washington un-
TIL July last and now of Newark, N. J.
Under date of Newark, Sept. 26, he
swears he was present when Payne
was employed by Fall to corrupt the
Jury, and then he himself brought
Payne to Fall for that purpose.
EMPLOYED BY THE GOVERNMENT.
He also swears that Fall gave him to
understand that he (FalD was employ
ed by the government, and he was to
get money from the government to
pay amounts he had offered for the
corruption of Brown and Martin. Fall
| informed the affiant he wanted the
signature of Brown to the paper above
referred to in order that he might show
1t to the parties he was working for,
and thus obtain the money. Next
comes the affidavit of James A. Mel
con, of Washington, Sept. 13, in which
he swears he met Fall early last June,
when Fall informed him he would
soon be employed by the department
of justice as special detective in the
star route cases. Fall also stated he
wanted two or three men working un-
der him who would make daily reports
to him, and if Nelson was employed by
him it would be in the capacity of
special detective and that one part of
Nelson's duty would be to watch jury
men and see that no person tampered
with them. Nelson swea1s subse-
quently tina the went with Fall to the
attorney generals Office and there met
Brewster Cameron. Fall told Cameron
he thougt Nelson's services would be
valuable, and Cameron informed Mel
son that he would be placed on the
| rolls of the department at $50 per
month. Nelson was to receive instruct
| ions from Fall. Some days later or
about July l, Fall instructed Nelson to
see Jurors Brown and Martin, the two
colored jurors, and say to them that if
| they would vote for the conviction of
| Dorsey and Brady they would be well
paid for it, and both have government
places at once after the trial. Nelson
swears Fall informed him he (FalD
was authorized by the proper parties
to say this. He was also instructed by
Fall to watch Dorsey and Brady and
see who they were connected with at
| ali times.
ANOTHER AFFIDAVIT.
William r. Laws, resident of Wash
ington, swears Fall approached him
and endeavored to employ him to OBJ
tain evidence that one of the star
route jurors accepted bribe in an
other case, and make an agreement in
case the jury could not be broken, to
induce one or more of them to vote
for convicting the defendants, so that
the worst that could happen to govern
ment would be to hang the jury. Fall,
Laws swears, claimed to be in the en-
pley of the government, and author
lied the affiant not only to pay money
to jurymen, but to promise govern
ment positions. Laws declined to as
sist Fall, informing him that his (Law's)
sympathies were with the defendants.
Thomas r. Foote testifes that Sept
20 he received a letter from F. II.
Fall. written Sept. %, containing The
following passage:
FRIEND FoOTE:-I saw Arthur PAYNE
to-day. Knox Brown is out with a
statement that Payne tried to bribe
him to vote for the government, and
that he represented F. 81. Hall. If
Payne or me gets into any trouble we
may want you, as you know all about
it. We can elk" Brown if we want to.
Of course you and Payne found out j
was government detective, and want
a point on Brown. There was, so far
as know, no attempt to hribe. There
may have been enough got from Brown
to fix him if the government want us
to do it. Don't talk to any one about
the matter until inform you of the
right time. The government will per-
haps want Us. Brown has lied, and
we can make him smart for it if he at
tempts to ipjure Payne. He and you
know it all, and will stand together
against Brown. Payne will send you a
paper containing my 'interview" with
8 reporter. Mum" is the word.
Please answer. Yours respectfully,
F. III. FALL
Col. Ingersoll next addresses two aft.
davits subscribed by William Holmead,
one of the jurors, on Sept 10, and the
12th inst.
EFFORTS 10 BRTBE ANOTHER JUROR.
| He swesrs that during the second