Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-08-25
THE STAR ROUTE TRIAL.
PLAIN TALK FROM MR.. MERRICK.
FRozENFACTs FROM THE TESTIMONY

FROZEN FACTS FROM THE TESTIMONY
When the Criminal Court opened this morning
Mr. Merrick resumed his address to the Jury in the
star route case. He referred to the testimony of
Mr.. James In reference to the revocation OF Che
order Of increase on the route from White River
to Rawlins. When Mr. James announced that the
order should be revoked Brady asked, scornfully
If economy was to be the order OF administration
Mr.. Merrick, reverting to his propositions OF law
submitted last evening, cited o. S. agt Cole 5th
McLain: The State agt Mather, 4th Wendell; U.
S. agt Babcock, Sd Dillon; the case of Daniel
OConnell.
BRADY THE CENTRAL FIGURE OF TIE CONSPIRACY.
Here, Mr.. Merrck said, there was but one con-
sptracy, and but one alone, of which Brady was the
central figure and the genius, and the light of
which came from s. W. Dorsey. Leaving the law,
nousiy that a mistake would be beyond possibility,
he would now return to an, inquiry concerning
facts. He proposed to begin at the beginning, and
going down unite his exposition with that OF his
colleagues and bind them so tightly together that
no defendant could esci ipe his responsibility. 1t
appeared to have been the especial part OF the
counsel in the court whenever opportunity offered
to rise and avow his Misunderstanding the case
with the same contempt that they treated the
other defendants, to whom 3. W. Dorsey seemed
to say, 81 am better than thou"-admirable posi-
tion for him whow the genius OF the whole, and
stood In their midst
LIKE SATAN IN HIS FALLEN HOST
The first Introduction the jury had to these de-
PENDANTS was through the testimony of Boone
Although Boone had LOO contracts in operation
since 1878, not one single contract was ever ex-
pedlted. Boone, in 1877, met S. w. Dorsey In the
Post Office departm mt, and Dorsey asked Boone
to come to his house Boone went; they talked.
When this conversation was about to be intro
duced, tue jury would remember the fight the
prosecution had to get out the truth. These men
OF high character
FOUGHT VIGOROUSLY TO KEEP OUT THE LIGHT
that Boone was about to let in. Dorsey told Boone
that they were about to bid for mail routes He
had letter from Peck, his brother-in-law, a sort
OF mythical person, W hose name was signed by
Miner and RerdelI: S. W. Dorsey said also that
his brother, John w. Dorsey, was going in j. ".
Dorsey, Clrist!an gentleman, who had commit
TED nagrant forgery that would soil the record OF
the worst scoundrel in the world. s. w. Dorsey
said also that Miner was going in--Mner, a man
famililr with the ways OF Ohio law and Ohio
courts. Some men had greater experience in dif
f1cult transactions than Others. 1t may be that
the criminal do:k is not new to Miner. Miner or
go In.
WHO WAS MAKING UP THIS CONSPIRACY
and gathering about him his associates? Bids
were to be put in for the letting o. july 1873 and
Dorsey wanted Boone to go to work and prepare
the bids. Prior to that time they had had not a
word OF Peck or John w. Dorsey. In December,
1877, Miner j. W. Dorsay AMI Peck came here to
Washington. Miner having been determined upon
,
roO, where, close together they could confer upon
plans within walls that would not speak. In that
po;als were flied up. At that time Peck was
here or at least suppo5e1 to be here. Boone did
not no l. know Pei, pedk An individual calling him.elr
dGclng himself by letter of Miners. Boone never
until afterwards found out that
THE LETTER WAS LIE
ana the man was not Peck This was fraud and
the hrst patent act OF fraud, showing that these
men regarded their obligations as nothing. It
seems as II this We're almost an unnecessary fraud
for Peck was living somewhere and could have
been got at in some way. Bidswere put in and
contracts We're awarded to the several and respec.
tive parties bidding. Boone was to have a certain
number, but they chiseled him. Bids that were In
his name he found afterwards hid been changed
to the names OF Others s. W. Dorsey did not in
tend to have in that conspiracy any man whose
actlon ne could IL not control He Intended to have
Boone was not that sort OF u man. The agreement
was that
THESE coSsPIRAroRs SHOULD HAVE COMMON IN
TEREST
In the contract. SO far as Boone knew, s. w. Dor
sey was to have no interest Taat was fact
which they did not intend Boone to know, be-
cause a Senator Of the United States could not
mold contract. But the time was to come when
Dorsey was to leave the Senate, and the interests
ing recognized interest, SO soon as the American
people were gratifie1 at the sight OF his retire
ment from the highest council of the nation. Yet
5. w. Dorsey could not entirely conceal himself,
and he appears as an active participant in several
operations Boone said s. W. Dorsey directed the
form OF the bonds, and directed Boone to send the
bonds to C,endennng postmaster at Fort Smith,
ARK. where suTetes wculd be procured. The pros
ecution offered Dorsey's letter to Clendennng, but
counsel OF S. w. Dorsey, Notwithstanding their
protestatlon that they wanted every thing to come
and was not permitted to say what was on the
Dldd1ng book: Why had not the defense produced
this cook. All these contracts had as sureties
at the earnest solicitation Of Stephen W. Dorsey.
Yet 1t was said that Stephen w. Dorsey had no In
terest in these contracts. While these transac-
clerk, helped Boone in the work. Rerdell was one
OF the men suited Well to be used by bad men.
Rerdell was helping Boone, and s. w. Dorsey was
guiding and directing both.
"BusINEss ON THE GRAVEYARD PRINCIPLE"
Boone said he had no records, for they did bust
ness on the graveyard principle" 1t had been
better far for them II then, when In contemplation
OF prospective guilt, all had enabled some under
clples. The combination prospered. They were
in no danger from Brady. The danger was in the
records in other Offices Those records would not
down. Then came
ONE OF THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY EVENTS
he {Mr. Merrick) had ever known. The Missouri
shepherd (Va1le) came upon the scene and he met
Miner. At the first meeting Miner told Vale that
his [Miner's) routes were in danger vaile goes to
eNJ oaG oohCu uu iOI uD eXleuSIOu VI IOI
Dorsey, Peck and Miner. He did this for man
whom he had never met till that day. He went to
plead Tor Official Indulgence for his dearly beloved
ana unknown friend. Vale said he didn't know
anything about Brady. He knew as little about
BRADY as ne did Of Miner. He had no love for
Brady; In fact, Brady had been unkfnd to him
put IN his great broad humanity everybody was
va1ie's friend Gould the jury believe all thts2
Vaile's love for Miner at first sight was not the
only on YIN lnstance-he did not mean sentimental love
az nrst sight, put that which rang the bell at a
jingle OF dollar 1t was not the only instance of
LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
In the case. Had not Brady rushed into his Buels)
arms ana let him have $40 900 at his first meeting
$4,000 to purchase the Capital which was to be
run for Brady, and pour out malice, SANDER and
libel upon honorable men of this Distrct-upon
the court, upon the jury upon the counsel for the
government, and everybody who dared raise his
ma ana voice against this conspiracy. Mr.. Mer-
TICK sKetched the operations by which Boone was
"Irozen out" and Vale took his place. The route
Wnlch valle TOOK at Brady's request was expedited
Delore service was put on. Service was not put on
until January. Why did the Second Assistant Post
master General allow these men to lag in this way
when the public, as the defense claimed, was SUI
iefihg SO much for want OF mail service? Brady,
IN DenaI OF this now wellfOrmed conspiracy,
Iampled upon another law in not declaring the
contracts void. In other cases Brady enforced the
law Win malicious vigOr. Why had he declared
the MacD0nOugh contract, which Walsh held, for