Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-07-21
THE STiR-R0trE SCANDAL.

THE STiR-ROITE SCANDAL.
The public conscience, in the shape of a
squad OF newspaper reporters, IS III aking
pretty severe arraignmcnt of the Star-rou's
proceedings James A. Walsh, ono of the
principal Witnesses, having fallen into the
clutches of perscvcrng young journalist,
was Obliged to disgorgo some very startling
and disgraceful facts, If they are facts, in re-
spect to the testimony regarding several
prominent Shareholders which he gave in the
jury room. Walsh, ii seems, in the
course Of his business as broker had dis
counted a line OF drafts for mail contractor
named McDonough. In return for money
which he had advanced, Walsh accepted Nc
Donough's contract, and becoming in this
way contractor himself, he was initiated
into the mysteries Of the stellar orbit. Walsh
Star-rouic contractors, among whom were
Senator Kellogg and General Brady. An
cmissary of Brady's came to Walsh af-
ter the latter had been some time q
tribution of $4,000 us his assessment for q
Star.route pool with which to influence Con-
gress to make such appropriations as the
Shareholders desired. Walsh was not to
be bribcd, and an effort was accordingly
made to buy out his contract but this also
failed But in revenge General Brady cut
down the service ON Walshs route to de-
gree which rcudcrul his contract II mere
farce, and he finally threw II up. Walsh
brought suit against Brady fer $4,000,
which so alarmed the principal parties of the
ring tina, they humbl,d themselves to beg
him not TO proceed, lest their underhand
dealings should become public. The follow
ing is brief outline Of Walsl's statement of
We met, and after rather protrac,cd ses-
| sion we disagreed very NATURALLY, Gen.
| Brady assumed as matter of fact that SO far
| from owing me S3j, 900 or $40. 900 he was of
| opinion that was indebted 10 him. | asked
| him to explain, which he did as follows
ale said tina. my route had been 'eXpedi-
| tcd trirs increased, and that must be dull
of comprehension if | inihgincd that such
| things were done for fun. Remarked con-
sidered that such expedition and increase of
| trips us had been accorded me by the post
office department were in compliance with
the wishes of the people who petitiOned for
the service and in accordance with law. lie
responded facet )usly that such reasoning
might have held good in the younger days Of
| the republic, but this was a practical age, and
that ought not to object TO the application
OF the rule viii Ii had been administered TO
all contractors alike. liz applied some pecul-
lar arithmetic tn my case, figuring that the
increase i'll my pay per annum was from
S74, 500 TO Sl35,71j. lie said that | owed
fund, having been benefited blythe cxpd4i-
tire of that fund. | said that it would take
powerful glasses for me to discover
wherein | had been benefited, rcfcrr-
ing him to bis various orders Affect
Ing my route. Well, Inc said, ! had held
back Aad made nu ciio,l ia help the
cause, and generally was Of no use (; that, had
| been, should have been treated different
" perhaps. said that if the money had
been expended, as he alleged, for influencing
Congress, there should be some evidence CIV
en- me- and in the absence thereof certainly
could not believe in the necessity of such a
payment in word, | did not believe it. |
asked him who disbursed the money. lie
| SdlV lnut WIS ~ ulliiI III iili', Hud hG"ii "
iterated that had been benefited. lie treat
ed with rldcule the idea that expedition was
granted because of the petitions petitions
were only afforded him TO the end that he
might act within the law that if | would
exercise my memory | should reoollcct the
fact that petitions in my own case for the
restora alton of trip. reduced hau not produced
any result, and, what was more, would not
produce any. told him that viewed from
nv standpoint, waving the moralities ill.,
volvcd altogether his demands were out
rageous and that would no, submit to them;
maintained that the service on my route had
been performed 10 the utmost OF my ability,
that had taken the contract in good faith,
and had not performed service on "postmas-
ter3' certificates and that ii the service was
performed generally in that way felt NOR
ally convinced that no mail contractor would
submit to any such demands.
In defence agains, the personal charges
brought by Walsh, Senator Kellogg in a
published card, says;
The grand jury Of the District of Column
bia, composed of twenty-thrcc OF the hest
citizens of Washington, majority OF whom
are opposed to me, politically, last week
carefully and thoroughly examined the checks
IN Walsh's possession, and heard all he had
to say which tended, in any way, to connect
me with the Star-.outc cases. l understand
every member Of the jury exonerated me
from any completely in these cases. Walsh's
statements are composed OF truth and false
hood, so skilfully woven together as TO create
an impression unfavorable to me. 1t is true
that had the misfortune to have some Dusl-
ness relations with Walsh, in his capacity as
banker am sure if the testimony OF Walsh
| hafo ha
lie as it was to the grand jury, the public
could not resist reaching the same conclusion
as the grand jury had reached Walshs
purpose, evidently, in making the statement
that he did is to place himself in better
| light before the public than that in which
the grand Jury left HIM when they came into
court and said, by their action, his testimony
was not worthy of belief. The action OF
the grand jury relieves me of the necessity
of replying to Walshs statements in tic
tail.
From mass of entirely personal amt IRE
sponsible testimony, like that which we have
presented on both sides, it is, of course, inn
with any dcilnitencss. The testimony in the
proceedings has resolved itself into mere
exchange of scandal, from which sufficient
proof may be extracted TO convince the pub
lie of the crminality of all concerned.
Further developments, of course, are in
order, but they can not change the complex
ion of the whole affair, which is, and must
remain, n disgrace to all connected With
Many persons who read the word "ulema
that occurs so frequently in the dispatches
from Egypt, have no idea of its meaning. 1t