Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-10-26
THE STAR ROUTE JURY BRIBERY
Report Of Attorney Wells to the Attcr-
ney General.

counsel In the star route fury bribery cases. has
been submitted 70 the Attorney General. 1t is
understood that he says that the affidavits
| they are to be believed, that members OF the
jury were offered brides in money for their
votes which they listened to and considered with
the persons thus attempting TO debauch them
And these solicitations it is alleged proceeded as
Msn leO tne agents OF the government as from
It can make no difference whose agents made the
disgraceful proposals. and that condgn punish
report. therefore. proceeds without any particu
lar order OF classification OF the several acts
matter in a narrative FORM and Is far as POSSIBLE
according 70 the order OF dates
Mr. Wells specifies first the case OF the Juror
EDWIN d. DoNIPHAN,
ana says from his affidavit now In the Depart
ment OF Justice, 1t appears that before the jury
was sworn one Frederick z. Shaw, a member OF
the regular panel I'm attendance upon that term
on the court, said to Mr.. Doniphan that he would
Ike to get on this case, and asked what chance
| there was for him. Doniphan replied, Your
| chance Is the same as any one else"
the report then says that on the 9th or Septem-
| damn good thing for you, and will make little
| myself too. have got the money In my pocket to
give you II you VIII favor S. w. Dorsey. have
| TWO or three hundred dollars can give you now
ana VIII make 1T thousands within ten days"
| ION the following morning, near the court house,
| Shaw again approached the juror and said, Look
| here, you had better take that money and the
| juror answered, GO away or will have you ar
| rested calling Zachariah Tobrner a brother
/
| affidavit OF the latter"
The report Will say that there is here pre-
| sented such clear and unequivocal case OF
| violation OF the statute, against corruptly at
| tempting TO influence the action OF a Juror,
| as to leave no doubt OF the propriety of a
corrupt this juror, and Mr.. Wells recommends that
Frederick e. Shaw and all other persons who may
De found TO have aided or abetted in the ofrensa,
| De Immediately prosecuted on that charge.
WALTER K. BROWN
Inc ehtlre transaction In two affldavitS to be
/ "a nlS of Walfn nrnrx
pecially the agreement, suggests that the whole
thing was device, gotten up by somebody with
une corrupt purpose not only TO buy the vote and
| afterwards discovered. upon the prosecution. by
an affidavit made by James Leonard, on October
II, leS2, 1t appears that week or two after the
commencement OF the trial OF the star route cases.
one T. L. Taylor asked Leonard how he liked the
| Jury, who replied that he did not like some of
them, mentioning the Juror Brown, and giving as
reason that the juror had before been bribed In
announcer case; whereupon Taylor asked II he could
Fall could furnish the proof ON the following
DAY Taylor informed Leonard that the Attorney
General wished to see him, when he went with
Taylor and met Brewster Cameron, who asked
him some questions as to the character or Juror
Brown, particularly about the alleged bribery, and
whether he could furnish proof OF his bribery In
the Long case, and he had repeated what he had
before told Taylor of that transaction; that he
never knew Taylor before this time nor ANYTHING
OF him or his character.
FALLS SWORN STATEMENT.
Frank H. Fall, In sworn statement, said that by
Il. bT.
himself as the agent OF the Department OF Justice
he met with Brewster Cameron, p. ii. Woodward
at the department and gave them the facts In his
possession as TO acts committed by Juror Brown
In the case OF the United States agt John Long,
to the effect that Brown had received
bride from James Nelson, colored, In
turned over to him (FalD, and he paid Nelson s25.
In this interview Fall understood that his duties
were to ascertain IL any the jurors had been APP
preached or were approachable. He saw the At
torney General september 9th, and the latter did
not know him, and he told him OF his connection
with the department., and the attorney said he did
not remember him. The Attorney General asked
him if he had used his name in any conversation
with Juror Holmeae, promising him that
II he should vote for conviction that
the Attorney General would befriend him
after the trial was over. Fall said that he never
used his name in this connection, although he
might have referred TO him in conversation VIII
Haght testified that he was present the CONVEX
had written to the former saying that IL two or
three clerkshipS were placed at his disposal or
guaranteed he could secure the influence OF some
or the jurors for the government Mr.. Cameron
expressed great Indignation at his daring to Sug-
gest such proposition. Cameron told Fall that
he evidently misunderstood the nature OF his
duties; that his services were no longer wanted,
| and he (FalD endeavored to excuse himself by
asserting that he had been told SO by Taylor.
Cameron replied that Taylor knew it was not so.
sation which resulted in Fairs being employed,
to bride the jury he could probably discover them.
The operation OF Fall to be restricted exclu-
ing the plans Of The defendants in that respect
A day or two afterwards Foote brought Payne to
him. The substance OF the interview was that
Foote and Payne stated to Fail that Payne had
seen Brown, and that Brown would sell his vote In
the star route case for $780, whereupon Fall
wrote the agreement, and they went away Fall
further says that on the 5th or 9Th OF july Foote
returned and said that Payne had presented the
paper to Brown. and the latter had said 1t was a
him. but that he would vote as they desired If he
got s., 500
He further says: "while acting for the govern
ment did, in order to obtain Information, give
OUT let 1t be understood In different quarters that
was employed for the defense" And he further
says that Richard I. Laws told him that he was
one OF the men who induced Brown to hang the
jury In the Long case: IL appears, too, by the
AFFIDAVIT OF A. Allen that during the trial, and
While Taylor was in the employment of the gov
ernment he Taylor in company with A. b.
Williams one of the counsel for some OF the de-
PENDANTS, and with George Miller and John Sar-
gent, and asked Taylor what he was doing with
them. The latter replied that he was trying to
$40 from them a few days before and could get $40
or so whenever he wanted to-"
1t is apparent from the whole history OF the
alleged attempt upon Browns virtue that it was
not done with the knowledge, in behalf OF. or In
the interest OF the prosecution; that Its guilty
thorS were neither the agents or acted with the
knowledge or approval or any officer OF the De-
partment OF Justice,
1t appears that every person who had made false
claims OF authority, including Fall and Taylor,
when charged herewith admitted the falsity
thereof, and all persons present at any CONVERSE
tiOuS DeINttti oilctfS Ol tne department VINO en-
piOyed them, or gave them their Instructions deny
that any such authority was ever given them; and
that Brown, VINO it was charged had been bribed
in another case; Taylor, who had before served a
term In the penitentary, and who procured
FAN to be employed because OF the
bribery. Nelson. who had received money from
Fan to pay Brown ''for hanging the jury" in the
Long case. Laws, who claimed that he was the
man who had engaged Brown in that case and
claimed he had been engaged by the defence to
work Brown In this case. FoOte, who employed
Payne to bride Brown and brought hin To Falls
Office.
The report recommends that they be Jointly
and Severally indicted and tried under the laws
and statutes applicable to such cases. This rec
Ommendation refers to Frank II. Fall. Arthur
Payne, Thomas A. Foote and any other persons
discovered, aided or abetted in that transaction.
JUROR HOLMEAD
In respect to Falls approaching Juror Hol-
mead, the report Will say that it is shown by the
testimony that he had not the consent
OF Brewster Cameron and the Attorney General,
that although there was no attempt bribe IL is
hard to believe that the purpose was not an Inn
proper one. In this case the report makes no
recommendation
Fall i'm the Police Court This After.
nOOns
About two O'Clock Mr.. F. H. Fall charged with |
the star route jury fixing came into thePoliceCourt