Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-10-21
caustic Criticism Of the Methods Of Se-
cret Service Detectiyes-Attorney
General Brewster Handled
Without Gloves.
THE SENATOR'S VIEW OF THE MATTER.


For more than year before the trial begal
the government detectives swarmed owe
the western part of this country, and as
sumed to have authority to speak for tn
department of justice and the postofice de
partment; to offer rewards and asses
penalties. These.
Shiny, UnprtneipIed and Vicious
b. Creatures. .'
acting in the lowest capacity known to men
sneak detectives, went to poor stage-drivers
remote and honest postmasters, and other:
who were unacquainted with their right!
before the law, and frightened them by the
statement that they would lodge each anG
all of them in the penitentiary unless they
made some damaging statement against
somebody, but more especially against me
With an enormous fund of government
money, expended with lavish hand by
men who were no more responsible for
what they do than am for the acts of the
man in the moon, this country was raked
with fine-toothed comb from end to end To
find something that might in any degree
reflect upon me.
Perjury and subornation OF Perjury
were only incidents of the conspiracy be.
gun by Postmaster General James and At
torney General MaoVeagh, and continued
by Brewster and the mOuntebanks he en-
ployed."
II see that the Attorney General asserts
that Bowen and Fall, the two special
agents of the department OF Justice, turn
out to be only spies, acting for the defend
ants and reporting what transpired in that
department to the defendants"
II x>raoppa fhat tho Attnrpau Ganarol
made that statement late in the afternoon.
He is not responsible for what he says
after o'clock, and rarely responsible for
what he says before that hour. A more
detestable falsehood was never uttered by
man. Not one Of the defendants knew or ever
heard OF Bowen or Fall, and have been for
months past and are now in the closets and
most confidential relations with the Attor-
ney General and his wet nurse, Brewster
Cameron. 1t is menstrous falsehood for
the Attorney General or anyone else to say
that the defendants in this case ever en-
ployed q detective in any capacity what
ever, or used any means except those re-.
cognized in the highest and most honora-
able courts of law, or that any attorney en-
gagged in the case for the defense ever per-
mitted himself in argument TO deal in any
personalities whatsoever"
",
Mr.. Merrick were little personal In their
argum ents in respect to yosrself."
1.-THE reply have to make to that is
that
The Bite Of Pismire
may be annoying, but it is never dangerous.
Mr.. Brewster, with bis ruiiled shirt and
nightgown sleeves, and the other parapher-
MALTA Of an age of dead asses, did assault
ME in his speech for having been mechan-
ic, and turned upon me with loathsome
contempt. / plead guilty to the charge
and am not certain but that in common
with all the rest of the mechanics in the
country I ought to be indicted and sent to
the penitentiary for the weakness 1 exhib-
tied in working for my bread. In 1858 /
painted house to pay my way ut school.
/ can go further and say that | cut wood
and did all the odd jobs about the country
house for the same object, and felt prouder
of it than / would of the richest Inheritance
of money. Mr.. Brewster may be proud Of
his personal adorn ment and sneer at me
for having been a mechanic, but / also
have pride in knowing that there never
was q dispute as to who were my father
and mother, and that was born in we'd
lock. Mr.. Brewster jumped from 1858 to
1882. There is
A Little Interval
between these dates that wish to remind
him of. When he was making rebel
speeches in 1851, was in the army TO de-
fend Pennsylvania and the nation against
Brewster's arguments. When he was a
sycophantic follower of Horace Greeley in
1872, / was for the man who destroyed his
doctrines OF 1861. When in 1850 he was
sitting upon the fence of doubt, but had de-
termined, as can prove, to vote for Gen.
Hancock, l was using all the ability
possessed to elect Garfield and Arthur.
But Brewster is in the Cabinet and am
being pursued by the sleuth hounds Of his
power"
There are so many contradictory state
ments made as to your relations to the Star
Routes that / would be glad to have you
tell precisely what they are"
81 can do that briefly, ana only briefly,
for the reason that / am just leaving. l
never had any more interest in Star Routes
than banker has in the paper OF mer-
chant to whom he loans money. / simply
loaned Col. Peck, my brother, and Mr..
Miner what was large sum Of money for
me. When II fell due it was extended and
extended, and, finally, the
only way they could pay was
by assigning me some of their routes,
which was done in April, 1879.
| reassigned these routes soon alter TO sn.
other party, who has had absolute control
of them ever since with the sole condition
that he should return to me the money l
had loaned, and afterward that IL any profit
was made he should have half and should
have half. My advances have never been
returned, and probably never will be-"
"But the papers state that you have made
millions of dollars.
THAT statement is made upon the au-
thority of the birds Of prey who hang
about Washington, fed by the department
OF justice and the postofice department to
formulate the public opinions Of the Uni
ted States. will say, and will show In
contestible proof to any honest or decent.
men, that never made penny in my life
out of any Government contract vhatso-
ever. The opinion you allude 10 has been
brought about by the most shameless de.
paucbery Of the fountains OF news ever
known in this country. Col. Bliss, OF the
prosecution, does not pretend that was
the beneficiary one cent. dent believe
that he will say that was. The postoffice
officials know that / was not, and there
never has been O shadow of testimony TO
show that i was.
"But," interrupted the reporter, "the pa
pers claim that you and Brady were the
heads of the conspiracy"
.The papers claim q great many things,
but their claims are generally disalloved.
Think of
This Censpiracyi
Brady and myself were scarcely on speak.
ing terms. fnever had any more intimacy
with him than had with the king OF Sisrn-
/ was not in Washington from June, 1875,
until I went 20 the inaugural OF Garfield,
and never wrote sKord or sent q message
to any fficiai In the postofice in the mean
time, according to my best recollection.
All ever wanted 70 do or ever tried to do
was to get back the money ] advanced on
these notes. Vail, another man whom It
Is charged that / conspireo with, never
saw but once in my life until this trial BE-
gan, and then had nothing whatever 10 do
with him Miner / had not seen
or spoken TO in over three years.
knew NO more about the expedi-
tions, the increases, and the manage
meni of the Post flee Department than /
know Of the cycle OF the comet We see in
the east every morning. John w. Dorsey
never had ro.ie increased TOR one cent,
lost hrs fortune. h-s u - in.iiing IN 'l1 -i'h
the mail se.f.;- - y...i ~ -.- s:ea