New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-07-19
THE STAR ROUTE CASES.

| fBY TELEGRAPH TO TIE TmBUyE.l
| WASHINGTON, July 1S.--There was a stir among
the few lstess spectators of the Star Route trial
to-day when Colonel Bliss called out in a clear
| voice, John A. Walsh
When Mr.. Walsh stepped into the witness-box,
there was general stretching of nccks
| to sec the man wloss evidence the
| Grand Jury had failed to find sufficient
| for the indictment of Senator Kellogg Mr. Brady
also shared in the interest of the audience coming
in to take a seat among his counsel. Mr. Walsh is
keen, alert man of the world-of the Washington
world in particular. His pr0nOuncedly aquline
nose and bright eyes and military mustachcs
helped TO give him this appearance. He was very
neatly dressed in well-ittIng coat and waistcOat
Of dark blue, with trousers of gray very large
wrist bands and displayed an imposing seal ring
In general appearance he rcsembed prosperous
New-York stock-broker or successful Washington
operator" in legislation.
After few prerhinaries Colonel Bliss asked Mr..
Walsh whether he had an interview with General
Brady during December, 1880. Mr.. Walsh pulled out
Of his pocket Omiuous of letters and papers,
and hunted through them for something which
would furnish them tho date of the interview This
proved to be a note written by him to Brady on De-
cember 2S, suggesting meeting at George f. Shcri-
dams house in Est, Sixth, which was re-
turned by Brady with the Endorsement to the effect
that he would come. The letter was passed about
among the Star Route counsel and closely inspected
by General Brady himself Mr. Wilson held it up
before Mr.. Walsh and asked him whether
he did not write tho Endorsement himself.
Mr.. Walsh quietly replied that he did not !;
that he believed it to be General Brady's hand
writing that the note was brought back to him by
General Brady's page. Mr. Walsh stated that he
had money dealings with General Brady prior to
that time and had loaned him various sums of
money, most of which at that time unpaid.
"What occurred at that interview asked
Colonel Bliss Mr. Ingersoll promptly objected
and Colonel Bliss being called upon to state what
he expected to prove by the witness, read from
paper that he expected to prove that General Brady
had ordered the expedition and increase of routes
in which Walsh was interested; that he
stated to Walsh at that interview that
when contractors obtained such expedition
of their routes they always paid him
for making the order directing the expedition that
he BRADY always received 20 per cent of the in
crease from the contractor; that such his in
variable practice, and the witness and everybody
engaged in such contracts knew 1T; that Brady
claimed as an offset to the debt to Walsh that he
BRADY was entitled to the 20 per cent of the
amonnt of expedition made for him; that he told
Walsh that he must have understood it that if he
did not understand it he must he fool that he did
not make these orders for fun; that he walsh
must conform tc the practice of the office and pay
him as all the other contractors had dOne that Brady
made calculation Of the amount due him by Walsh,
putting il at over S30 000 and thereupon took up
the promissory notes and put them in his pocket
claiming that they were paid and had only been
given as n matter Of form.
Mr.. Tngersoll in rising to argue for the defence be-
wit IN eta /. nf H. Iio
clients, be claimed S. w. Dorsey and j. w. Dorsey,
could not be bound by anything Brady might have
said in any statement, done in any transaction
with the witness Nothing in the way of descrip-
tion or confession declaration could be evidence
TO establish the crime of conspiracy. There was
not scinta to show that there had
been conspiracy. If declaration was TO be put in
evidence it must be a declaration male while
Brady was carrying ont the conspiracy. declara-
ton conld not he accepted except from n cOnspir-
aor and no conspiracy had been shown. His clients
could not be bound by transactions between Brady
and Walsh if any were hal. Then leaving the legal
feature of the question Mr.. Inge- soil made little
excursion into the realms of defamation de
wanted to know whether anyone under the dome
and scope of heaven was Idiotic enough to believe
that General Brady had said the things ascrbed
to him.
amused at this point. Haf-adozen of them
smiled whenever the Star Route counsel
smiled; and the astste claim-agent who is
foreman of the jury and VINO has taken laborous
notes from the very opening of the case dessted to
enjoy Mr.. IngersolPs elOquence and humOr
Colonel Bliss here interrupted to add another
point to those to which Walsh would testify. This
was that Brady had said that petitions for increase
Of service were filed matters of form to make
excuse for expeditions. Mr. Ingersol resnming
argued that if all that was to be proved as passing
between Walsh and Brady should be admitted,
it did not tend to prove a conspiracy and
did not touch any other defendant in the case.
Suppose" said he, Mr. Brady confesses that he
conspred, that does not prove that any other man
conspred."
Colonel Ingersoll's remarks seemed to bring the
case to crisis. Mr.. Merrick and said that the
hour had now come for the final dIscussoniand de-
csion of the question which had been raised before
and been running through the case: Whether con-
spiracy had been shown. Judge Wylie sug yested
that that question ought not to be discussed until
the Government had put iii all the evidence it had
to show conspiracy. In response to this, Mr.
Merrick said that the Government had substan-
tia lly done this. 1t reserved, however, the
right to supply omissions hereafter and he referred
to the evidence CT ex-senator Spencer, for whom an
attachment had been issued There was running
discussion here of some length between Mr.. Merrick
and the Star Route counsel, Mr. Ingersoll pressing
Mr. Merrick to know whether it should be definitely
understood that the Government was practically
through with it's case and Mr Merrick repeating
the statement he made. 1t finally understood
that argument upon ths question should begin to-
morrow
No positive arrangement was made as to di-
vision of the time. Ono of the Star Route
counsel said in Joking way that the argument
might 90 on until tho Court was satisfied" Judge
Wye seemed very much amused, laughed and
said with a twinkle in his eve that that might re-
..i.4 4Io nrr,,rnnnI vary rnnch This annarent in