Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-12-01
THE STAR-ROUTERS.
What the Late President 6arhe"
Thought OF the Greatest Frauds
of the Century.
The Recent Removals Approved by All
Good Men, Irrespective or Party
Merriek Ready TO Proceed.

Attorney General MacNeagn, anu was PeII
| licalarly familiar with all the early detalls
| Of the cases. He said:
81 have constantly refrained from saying
ANYTHING about the Star-routes since my
connection ceased with them in February
last. l have repeatedly refused TO be inter
viewed as 10 any phase OF the subject.
think the letter OF MacVeagh is an emphatic
and comprehensive answer to all such care
| less-I will not say MISUNDERSTANDING
about Gar6eld's conduct in connection with
the Star-route cases."
"But l am instructed to ask you specih-
cAlIy whether or not this statement that
Garfield gave Dorsey the governments case
| against him is trueW
cit is not true. l have no objection 10
dispose of that falsehood forever. / was re-
tanned by the government through the at
toIney- general, / think on April ", 1851.
Previous 10 this / had furnished the govern
ment, as a mere matter OF courtesy, with
statement showing the manner in which the
pay on ninety three routes had been manlp-
| nlated. When | became counsel OF the gov
eminent no progress had been made in the
investigation. A tabulsted statement, show
| ing the increases made in the pay on ninety
three routes, had been shown TO the president
bv the acknowledgement and Mr.. Wood
ward. 10 that statement some OF the routes
on which S. w. Dorsey was sub-contractor
president sent for the a'torney-general and
used the emphatic language which Mac
. Veagh summarizes in the letter published
Wednesday morning. That language was as
| follows: i knew comparatively nothing about
the Star-route frauds until President Gar
field called my attention TO them. He spoke
very earnestly of his duty to have them
thoroughly investigated, 10 remove all per-
I sons who ought to have prevented them, and
10 see that al were prosecuted against
whom reasonable grounds for such course
were developed by inyestigation.' He
said he had explained 10 the post
master-general The same views, and also
why he wished him 10 consult me rather than
| the district attorney OF the District. The
postmaster-genersl called on me and weweIt
o the president. He was quite as emphatic
| as before in the expression of his own opin.
| ion on the subject. He spoke of the frauds
as unparalleled villainies, as a loathsome
ulcer on the body polite, needing 10 be cut
out with all its spots, no matter where 1t ex-
tended. He stated that while it did not be-
long to my departmental certainly did not
at all at that stage of the matter-yet he
wished TO associate me with the postmaster
general to the extent of having the latter
feel at perfect liberty to consult me at any
time. He said he intended 10 remove Brady
as soon as the postmaster general could find
a satisfactory successor. At subsequent
interview he regretted the delay in that mat
ter, and urged his immediate removal, as he
held him principally responsible for the
great frauds which he evidently was con-
WINGED had been committed. Subsequently
statements were published about Dorsey's
connection with the Star-routes. L think 1t
WAS on May s. 1881, that Dorsey addressed
letter 10 the Encouragement, in which he
made an elaborate statement of his con-
nection with the mail contracts held by his
al.
Miner. The letter was shown to the presi-
dent, out he refused to do anything, and
referred the case of Dorsey to the attorney
general and postmasteI-general. He most
mphatically stated that he could make no
exceptions in favor of any one. The letter
was Immediately turned over to me by the
attorney general, as he stated at the time, by
direction OF The president. There was not st
that time, and not till long after, any case
prepared against Dorsey. The attorney
general, acknowledgement and Mr.. Wood
| ward knew nothing about the case except in
| the most general way till after the president
| was shot. The only papers the president ever
| saw were those relating TO the niHety-three
l routes. l never told him anything about
| Dorsey, and the frat time the attorney
general knew any details against any of the
| accused WAS in Sept ember, at Elberon, about
three or four days before the president died.
L
| way of the prospects OF the investigation, as
was the postmaster.ge general, but no report in
| writing was made TO the attorney-general till
| few days before the president died.
"To make it apparent how utterly impos-
| sible it was for the president or any one else
| to have given away the governments case,
| | will add that the work Of collecting the
evidence from people living along the
| routes, of getting the statements of drivers,
l \, nd osba
| sumed many months After was retained
| l selected from the nineiy-three routes those
! which l thought deserved the most careful
investigation. Woodward selec,ed the post
Office inspectors who were to rake inquiries
and send them in 10 the posimaster-general
| or Woodward This was about the first or
| second week in May. l drew up instruc-
tions for their guidance, and after they had
been informed as 10 the minor details they
met the attorney general in the postmaster
| generals room and were told by both Off
| GERS that they were expected to ascertain the
! truth, but the greatest care mus be exercised
| that no one might be wantonly injured. II
| was quite two months before the agents could
complete the work. The labor OF digesing
the evidence and utilizing along with it the
records of the Inspectors Division, and
| of the contract officers, did not begin till
after the president was shot"
81 see it stated in the Star.route organs
| that Garfield did not horize your employ
ment, and did not know that you were draw.
| ing pay from the government until some
weeks after your employment"
81 made II a sine qua non that the presi.
dent should authorize my employment before
l would accept. l was not in Washington al
the lime the president directed my retention
and by his request l was telegraphed to
come"
| In connection with the Star-route cases and
the recent dismissal of the postmaster and
/ others at Washington, a well-known Rspub.
Iicau said to-day:
81 see the President, in removing the post
master and assistant postmaster at Wash
ington, acted on that letter of Bliss. writer
this month, calling attention TO the fact thai
hose officers had certified TO bogus bonds
| Now, the fact is, that the Presidents atten
| ton was called 10 these matters in repor
made just year ago by Inspectors Tribal
and Shallcross. 1t was shown in that re
| port that d. 3. Anger and NJ. NJ. Parker
had violated the law and assisted Dorsey
and other Stsr-route thieves. 1t was the
same report that gave the particulars o
| Dewitt c. Wheeler's connection with thu
worthless bonds. There is not fact known
now about the action of those officials which
the President did not know year ago. At
tention was specially called to it by Post
master General james. His tardy actor
looks very singular, to say the least"
| The AGtOrney-GeneraI - etermi ned tina
| the Whole Ring Shall be Prosecuted.
| WASHINGTON, November 30.-Attorney
General Brewster has directed the attention
of Mr. George Bliss TO the case of the Sails
burys, the Parkers, the Kerns party ant
other members of the Star-route ring, warn
ing him sgainst the risk of losing the case
by reason of the statute of limitations, ant
declaring that these persons must be indic.e'
if grand juries will indict them. He ha
also instructed him that no expense o
trouble must be spared in the work of put
! ting the evidence ia the cases before tn
grand jury in all its strength. The attorney
general also SAYS that Mr.. Bliss will proceed
in the course of time, against members Q