Morning journal and courier., 1882-10-17
News by Telegraph FROM ALL QUARTERS. STAR ROUTE BRlDERS. The AHidavits Made Public
 by Defendants. THE PROSECUTION NOT DlSMAYED. An UnsavOry Record by the
 Affiants.
INQUIRY INTO THE METHODS
Employed by the Alleged
 Jury FiXers.
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.

 The Star Route Brtbery-NIrs Merrfck's
 Opinion of IngersoII,s Afidavtts-Gov-
 ernor Wells Talks of the Case.
 WASHINGTON, Oct 16-When asked to day if he had anything to say on the affidavits pub. lished this morning in reference to the Star Route jury bribery affair." MT. Merrick said that in his opinion it was beneath the dignity of government counsel to engage in news paper discussion of the matter at this time. The whole subject was under investigation and in two or three days he expected that the special counsel would make 8 report Meantime any attempt to forestall public opinion would be unsuccessful. Without doubt attempts had been made with more or less success to force upon the government the services of corrupt meA with the object of damaging their ease. It was clrcum- stance worthy of remark that every one of the jurors whom 1t is alleged were corruptly approached voted for the acquittal of some of the defendants. Some time ago, when Falls disloyalty was first discovered, the Dis trict attorney was advised by letter of the circumstances by the government counsel and his prosecution recommended. After Falls dismissal he wrote several letters to the Attorney General, who refused in the most emphatic language to have anything
 
 Mir. Merrick He had not, however avalled himself of this advice. Mir. Merrick added that he already had three or four cases ready to bring to the attention of the grand jury and would also be ready to proceed with the trial of the Star route cases just as soon as they are reached on the court docket
 Governor H. H. Wells, the special gov ernment counsel, who is conducting the in vestigation into the jury bribery charges, was asked if he hsd read the afidavits published this morning He answered 'Yes, l have read Colonel Ingersoll's ingenious argument, and while it contains many inaccuracies and evident mistakes do not think it is proper l for me to discuss the matter in the columns of the newspapers I may say, however, that it is not true that I was employed by MT. Cameron. Indeed I never saw that gen l tleman nor had any communication of any sort with him on any subject until after was ! employed to do plain professional duty. Another serious mistake IS to suppose that I am Investigating the cases of alleged brib. cry in any private interests. I would not undertake investigation of that sort regarding it as unprofesslonal. I understand my duty to be to prepare the cases against | the accused parties, and when prepared ] ! shall undoubtedly prosecute them in the ap- I propriato legal tribunals. Nor will their prosecution be hindered by this publication of Colonel Ingersoll or any like publication. l The character of some of the persons making
 
 statements would not be likely to obtain much credence anywhere. My opinion is l that the public will be satisfied to wait to see what the real facts are. My work is in such 8 state of forwardness that have for some \ days been in possession of all of the material facts to which the several affidavits relate, but as they include small part of the matter l before me it ought not to be laid before the public until it is possible to give full, true and complete history of all the transactions ' ., ne &la ic learned that Fall was discharged on July 17 for proposing to control the verdict of some members of the Star route jury in favor ot the United States, providing clerkships could be obtained or guaranteed for their relatives or friends. He was originally employed be cause he was lawyer of good standing in this city and it was represented to the gov. erpment that he had in his possession evi dence of the corruption of one of the jurors while engaged in the trial of a previous case. When Falls i'm proper conduct was discovered he endeavored to shield himself by saying that Taylor told him that this what the de I partment wanted. He was, however, sum marily discharged, for it soon became evi I dent that both Fall and Taylor had come in to the department as spies for the purpose oi doing things to compromise it. Taylor another of the effiants, had formerly ren dered good service to the government in oth ! er cases. He was never regularly employed l however, being paid from day to day his services were required. When statement
 was received at the department to the effec
 that Taylor had made an affidavit that he wal employed by the department to corrupt
 jurors he denied it positively, and it is under l stood that this and subsequent conversation, l were reported by concealed stenographer
 and will materially damage his last affidavit
 After his discharge on August 1st Taylor strove to create the impression that he wal
 still employed by the department, the last at
 tempt of this kind being upon the occasion ! of the visit to MT. Cameron on October 7th
 Special Agent Welles states positively thi
 evening that the afidavits secured by tn | government regarding the bribery of th
 Star route jurors will not be made public ex
 cept through the grand jury.
 The officers of the prosecution say tha
 they have other and more important afhda
 wits to make. Brewster Cameron insists tha
 Fall went about doing the work of the su
 perintendent of justice after plan of hi own, and that as soon as the discovery wa made that he was proposing to bribe Juror ! he was discharged. An official who has bee
 at work on the investigation says that be ! tween twenty and thirty affidavits will b f laid before the present grand jury and tha l three or four presentments will certainly b ! found. He adds that the time will 500 , ! come when the public will recognize that tn ! defense knew what was coming and that yes l terday's published affidavits were given ou l to try to turn the current of public opinio in their favor. The defense, however seer :, satisfied with the situation and some declar that the Star route cases will never be trie 1 again.