The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1882-02-24

WASHINGTON, February 20.-The formal
announcement was made to-day that the
Dorsey combination of star-rOutc thieves
had been formally presented by the grand
jury of the district for indictment on the
charge of conspiracy to detraud the gov
eminent on star-route mail service.
1t has been understood for several DAYS
that the grand jury were likely to make
presentment against the accused but such
is the lack of public confidence in the adj
minlstration of justice against influential
individuals in the District of Columbia that
the probabilities in this case were not con-
sidered. On Saturday last one of the most
prominent of the persons presented offered
to wager that three-fourths of the members
OF the grand jury would vote against liz
dieting the ring.
5. W. Dorsey and the greater number of
those accused have been in the city for
several days and seen frequently in consul
tatlon with the witnesses summoned by the
government to establish its case. The pub
LEGATION of the fact of their presentment by
the grand jury seemed to stagger them.
The foreman of the grand jury informed
Colonel George ii. Bliss. who has success
fully managed the case thus far, that the
presentments were agreed to with substan-
tial unanimity, all agreeing as to the sub
sanitation Of the main charge but one or
two doubling whether the statute of limit
ations did not apply. The duty of drawing
the indictments has been intrusted by At
torney-Gencral Brewster to Special Assist
ant Attorney Kerr, of Philadelphia. Mr..
Kerr's reputation as criminal 'peader is
such that it is believed there will be no de-
feet in the documents on which a motion
to quash the indictments can be success
fully made.
The cost of indcting the Dorsey combi-
nation will not fall far short of $4,000. The
witnesses had to be summoned from the
remotest parts of the country at great eX.
pcnse for mileage and attendance. Four
witnesses alone from Oregon cost the GOV.
eminent, it is said, $500 apiece, or s., 600
The Dorsey combination controlled l3l
roHtcS, but only about twenty of their cx-
pedited routes were brought to the atten-
ton of the grand jury.
The parts the different persons to be in
dictcd played in the combination of fraud
have been frequently described in these dis.
patches. One of the parties presented, j
Nj. Peck, S. W, Dorscy's brothcr-in-aw, is
dead, and at first si.ht it may seem a
strange proceeding to indict dead man.
Two persons at least, However, are required
in any action for conspiracy; and if it can
he shown that living man conSpircd with
a dead man to violate the laws, the death
having occurred after the formation of the
conspiracy, the surviving conspirqtor can
be indicted and punished.
Colonel Bliss, who has conducted the
prosecution before the grand jury, was in a
very comfortable frame of mind tonight.
He said: 81 am greatly pleased with the
action of the grand jury, for several reasons
first, IT is u vindication of the admnistrs-
tiAn Of ;npti,n in thiu Iiat, II. .
an answer to the ott-repeated charge that
the present administration did not intend
to press these cases, and there was pur.
pose to shield certain influential re.
publicans from the punishment that
their crimes deserve; third. have some
personal pride in succeeding in task
which | have been repeatedly assured was
impossible. have felt strong in this case
from the start. We could not select any
routes to lay before the grand Jury which
had not been inspected by special agents
There were about twenty OF them, and |
had in the neighborhood of 100 witnesses
| If the ring captured l2j of them
could sustain the case by the 9th
crs. 1t may be that the accused will
demand speedy trial. If SO, of course VT
to little delay. The next grand
jury will meet next month, and with the
expiration of its term the statute of limita.
tons will expire against all OF the men W,
desire TO prosecute, If we are not obliged
to proceed to treat Immediately we vii
have all the more time to so ahead belor,
the grand jury.
III have not said that we intended to dro,
the Prescott and Santa Fe case, in which
Brady and John A. Walshe are implicated
but we will not take that up until the othe
cases more readily susceptible of positiy,
Affirmative proof are considered. "-[Nev
Orleans Picayunc special.