The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-02-23
The Star Route Ring.
WHY THE GOVERNMENT FAILED TO
CONVICT IN THE TRIAL AT LINCOLN.
c,.a.t.,


WHY THE GOVERNMENT FAILED TO
CONVICT IN THE TRIAL AT LINCOLN.
Special Despatch TO The Press.
Washington, Feb. 19.-It has al
ready been announced that the Gov
ernment has not succeeded in the con-
spiracy case recently on trial at Lin
coin, Neb., but the circumstances have
not been fully explained. There were
several costly ring routes extending
from Deadwood to the railroad North
South and East. The route from Bis
marck to Deadwood, where the pay
has been enormously increased, was
entirely discontinued by Mr.. James.
The route from Cheyenne to Dead.
wood was in the hands IF the Sails
burys in the town terms from 1874 to
I 1882, and the pay was extravagantly
raised. 1t was believed that the ex-
pedited time on the route from Sidney
| to DeadwOod was not made and that
the Salisburys were receiving heavy
pay for services not performed. In
order to succeed in their attempts to
defraud the Government the contrac-
tors must have been aided by the post
masters at Deadwood andlSidney, who
were required to forward to WASH
ington record ofdeparturc and arrival.
Evidence was not secured on which the
Government.could proceed until Sol
omon Star, the Postmaster at Dead
wood, made Il full onfession to an of.
ficer of the department. After max
ing this confession Star absconded, and
it is said that the Government has
been unable to find him. The Gov
ernment also relied upon the Postmns-
ter or Deputy Postmaster at Sidney,
one Clarey, who was Indicated "a one
of the contractors, and who had des-
cribe the methods that had been used
by him and the stagenlen before the
Grand Jury at Omaha in December.
With Clarey were indicted Edward
Corbin and II. G.. Iddings, the mana
gers of the route, employees of the
Salisbury. These three were charged
with conspiracy. and in the absence of
Solomon Star the Government relied
upon Clarey until the beginning of
the trial. When Clarey was placed on
the stand and asked to identity the
false reports from the Sidney Post
Office which he had made for the be-
netit of the Salisburys, he faltered. and
| when tod he need not make any an
| swcr that would crimilate himself he
refused to testify. The Government
counsel endeavored, by exhaustive ar
gunient, to lead the Court to compel
| the witness to answer, but the judge
ruled in favor of Clarey. The counsel
for the Government thereupon decided
that they would proceed no further in
the case of conspiracy, but would pros
ecute Clarey, Iddings and Corbin on
the indictments, so far rs they relate
to the making of false reports. These
cases were continued 10 the May term
OF the court. 1t il reported that Clarey
had agreed to testify for the Govern
ment, and had given no notice that he
would break his word until he took
his place as n witness. AT the moment
the counsel for the other defendants
announced they appeared to defend
him also it appeared that lie had fallen
in the hands of the ring. The des-
patches sent East in regard to the trial
seem to have been written by the rings
counsel. The truth is that by the con-
fesson of Star and Clarey the whole
fraudulent conspiracy is disclosed, aud
although the guilt of the accused was
made clear the Government failed be-
cause one of the postnasters had run
away, and the other, nt the last mo-
ment, fell into the hands of the ring
and refused to repeat the confessions
of his guilt which he had already
made to Commissioner and the
Grand Jury which indicated him.