Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-12-13
A CoNrUMAczoUs wr,fNESs.
Spencer Heard From az
Last.
he LEADS THE OFFICERS wILD-GOosE CHASE
FROM NEW YORK TO CALIFORNIA AND BACK
AND GOES TO CANADA.

FROM NEW YORK TO CALIFORNIA AND BACK
AND GOES TO CANADA.
| SPECIAL te the New York Tim es
WASHINGTON. Dec. lathe temperance of
| ex-senator George E. Spencer in New York
state reYives interest in His connection with
the pending star route trial. Mr.. Spencer has
made statement which has been telegraped to
this city for publication. 1t is said that he-is
now at Champion, town in Jefferson county.
where he was born. The important part of his
statement is the assertion that he did not run
away from the star route trial last summer. but
that Mr.. George Bliss told him to 60
There are some errors in the tele2raphed state
ment, which may have been made by the person
who wrote it. For example, Mr.. Spencer is
quoted as having said that he remained in this
city throughout the first trial. and that it was
not until after the end of that trial that he was
told he could go. 1t is not probable that Mr..
Spencer said anything of the kind for everybody
knows ne disappeared before the government
had put In all Of it's evidence. When the GOV
eminent wanted his testimony it could not find
him. He disappeared before the defense had
begun to put in its case. The assertion that Mr.
Bliss told him to 60 has been made in this city by
other persons since he departed. 1t is an asser-
ton which attracts attention because Mr.
Bliss is the government prosecutor and because
Mr.. Bliss filed with the court the affidavit upon
which process was issued for Mr.. Spencers
arrest as an Ascending witness. Mr.. George
Bliss emphatically says that Mr.. Spencer lies II
he asserts that he (Bliss) told him he could 60.
Mr.. Bliss said to the Times correspondent to-
day that Mr.. Spencer never had any conversa-
ton with him about going away. but another
person approached him, coming, as he believed,
from Mr.. Spencer, and asked that the govern
ment should let him go. Mr.. Bliss says that he
declined to do anything of the kind He had
reason to believe. as he afterward set forth in
his affidavit. that Mr.. Spencer could give valua-
BILE testimony, and he, could not give
Even if Mr.. Spencer had asserted that
he could not give such testimony he could not
have let him go, for 1t would then have been
| said that he had been instrumental in suppress
made he heard no more about Mr.. Spencer until
he learned that he had gone. 81 afterward
discovered, said Mr.. Bliss THAT Spencer went
to New York and then to Omaha. l heard OF
him as being at Omaha His friends here as
| sured me that he would return and testify If a
telegram were sent for him. l telegrapheu.
saying that process had been Issued for him.
and that the process would not be served if
news should come that within specified time
he had started to return to this city. l received
no reply. The process was sent and all attempt
was made to serve it. From that time until
| about two months ago heard nothing of Mr.
| spencer, although officers of the law were
searching for him. Then we heard that he was
! at OsceOla. where ne mas mines. not far from
/ Cherry Creek, New. We also heard of him in
| Minnesota. An officer Of the Post Office depart
ment saw Spencer In Leadville, but he did not
| know that the government wanted him. Spen-
Ger then said he was going to Denver. The de-
| partment officer afterward heard that a process
was out Tor Spencer, and he tried to find him in
| Denver. but in vain. Agents of the govern
ment have been looking for him as far away
at San Diego. Cal. Spencer came east from
Chicago about two weeks ago. and we have been
| told that he came on the same train with one of
the most prominent of the counsel for the de-
PENDANTS in this case. Since that time he has
been in New York. We have seen persons who
have talked with him, but we have been unable
to get hold of him. One person reports that he
saw him In this city on Sunday last. Unfortu-
natey for Mr. Spencer there is q letter in exist
ence written by him to friend in this city from
| Omaha Neb., soon after he absconded in which
appears his own statement Of the reasons which
led him to go. That letter does not agree with
| the story he tells now"
Mr.. Bliss received during this conversation
two reports from officers of the government
employed in Nevada for the purpose of finding
| spencer. These reports abOunded In details
and indicated that the missing witness by the
aid of his friends, has led the governments
agents on a wild goose chase from one territory
to another. and from California to New York
Mr.. Bliss says Spencer Will be found if trust
worthy, and Intelligent agents can find him,
ana that he Will be given an opportunity. not
| only to answer to the court for his contempt,
but also to tell what he knows upon the witness
| stand. Bearing in mind Mr.. Spencer's course
in this matter, Mr.. Bliss thinks that what he
Will say upon the witness stand may not be of
any service to the government but it will be
shown that he told several prominent men
about the circumstances, which it was believed
| he would relate in court. If he has now for
gotten those stories, the prominent men to
whom he told them have not forgotten them.