Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-12-21

Mr. IngersOIl In Defense Of the
D0rseys.

Mr. Chandler having concluded his address TO
the jury I'm the star route trial last evening" when
the Criminal Court met this morning Mr.. Inger-
soil, counsel for the Dorseys began his opening
address In his exordium he dwelt upon the jury
system, saying the jury system was breast
work behind which an honest man can withstand
the attack of an entire nation. These defendants
had this jury TO stand between them and the pre-
1udlce OF the hour. The jury was the tribunal
absolutely supreme The jury were the Judges of
the fact and law and Of the worth OF testimony.
They could utterly disregard the testimony OF any
man which they did not believe to be true. They
asked them to decide not as somebody else de-
Here all letters Of Attorneys General
all desires of Presidents, all popular clamor all
preJudiceS or every kind were turned II dust and
ashes Somehow, people were naturally SUSPECT
Gus. suspicion was only another form OF cow
ardice.
THE MAN WHO SUSPECTS
generally suspects because he is afraid. When
you find frank, generous, brave man, you find a
man without suspicion. Suspicion was the soil In
which prejudice grew; prejuiice was the Upas
tree, in the shade OF which all reason and justice
die. The case to be tried in the light Of facts
not In the fogs and clouds of suspicion. So the de-
PENDANTS were glad 10 have statement OF
the facts In the case to this jury. The
Indictment was the star and compass OF this trial.
IL was claimed that people conspred in secret.
People stole In secret, too but that was no excuse
for convicting man OF stealing without proof
MT. IngerSoll gave a sketch of his view OF the
indictment. The difficulty OF establishing the
charge, he said. was something with which the
jury had nothing to do No man, he said, could
oe inferred out or his liberty, or inferred into the
penttentiary.
THE GOVERNMENT MUsr PROVE
these letters, petitions and adavits to be false,
and that Brady knew them to be false.
He commented on Mr. Bliss reference to the
TACT that these men had not been engaged I'm the
mail business before entering this conspiracy. He
SAID that II that was proof of conspiracy every
man, when he first began business as mail con-
tractor, might be indicted for conspiracy AS a
matter OF fact however, he stated that John NJ.
Peck had been In the mail business before, having
neen one OF the bidders In 1874.
REFERRING TO JOHN W. DORSEY,
Mr. Ingersoll said that great pains had been taken
TO say that he was tinsnith. Was there any
law against tinsmithS bidding for carrying the
mail? 1t had been stated that John w. Dorsey
was tinsmith, with view of casting some dis
honor upon him. As matter OF fact, John w.
Dorsey was merchant Mr.. Ingersoll proceeded
10 rlolcule various statements made about the de.
fendantS
GAS DAMNING FACTS"
SUCH as that Miner lived In Sandusky; that Peck
married Mrs. Dorsey's sister; that Miner stopped
at Dorsey's, and other things OF the kind, all OF
which "frightful facts" Mr.. Ingersoll said he
would admit He said when Mr.. Bliss empha-
sized the fact that Miner had stopped at Dorsey's
house he felt like rising at once In court and plead
ing guilty.
THE COURT CHECKS Mr.. INGERSoLL
Mr.. 1ngersoll described Senator Dorsey as man
frank, brave and generous 81 have" he said "a
great and most Infinite interest In the case on his
account. He is not only my client, but also my
friend. / not only respect him but admire him.
l.say to-day that never met man with greater,
or better, or more sterling qualities than Stephen
W. Dorsey. endorse him."
rn1r Wx,1;o
transgressing the rule forbidding counsel throw
themselves into the witness box and said he must
conflae himself to what he proposed to prove
"i, they can prove that" said Mr. Merrick, 81
"The court. said Judge Wylie to Mr.. Ingersoll
sanhot allow you TO prove that you are Dorseys
1rienh, Ths OF conrt D4rsey .is Is your M friend"
OF the character OF the defendant, and would be
very glad II 1t were done here, for it would give US
the opportunity OF meeting il in rebuttaln
Mr.. fngerso, proceeding remarked upon the in
telligence OF ex Senator Dorsey, and SAID he knew
what he was doing always, and there would be no
attempt to Skulk from his acts. ~ Think" said
Mr. Ingersol, " he has much intelligence as any
man know, as any man in the present admins
tratfGn."
The court having admonished Mr. Ingersoll again
tnat ne was transgresSing the rule, Mr. Ingersoll
said: "It is so rare for man to have client like
thlS that like TO tell the jury what kind OF man
ne Is When man gets to place where he has
some power IL produces envy, and that Will be
shown to be one or the features OF this case"
Shown that political envy inspired witnesses, and
IL would be proven. In reference to
THE CLENDENIN BONDS,
Mr.. Ingers0l said the bids were sent out in blank
to the poStmserS for the protection OF the bidders
who were unwilling to disclose the amount OF their
bids to these postmasters AS matter OF fact
however. these bonds had never been used on
these routes, and he believed had never been used
on any route.
Mr. Ingersoll argued that the fact that these con-
thor hlpt,,v nOp
different routes, showed they were honest and
fair In their bids. Speaking OF the difference in
mems bids. he said 1t arose from the difference In
kinds OF men. Some men would think forty horses
were necessary where another believed twenty
horses were sufficient Some men made fortunes
out OF horse agony, like some street railroad CON-
panleS, ana teamsterS, and freghterS and when-
ever they found hard, cruel man. IL he could not
whip his wife. he would take it out OF his horse.
MI Ingersoil vent on to explain, according to his
theory, why these men had bid on small and cheap
various transactions connected with the charge
against the defendants, arguing that there was
no evidence Of security. Upon
THE INTRODUCTION OF VALE INTO THE COMBINATION
In August lss8 he said that the conspiracy fanked
by the second assistant postmaster general, and
buttressed by all the clerks that were needed, ac-
tually got so hard up in August, 1s7s that 1t was
willing to give third to anybody who would ad-
vance the money to carry the thing along. That
was the way Vale came into the conspiracy
At one O'Clock recess for half an hour was
taken.
eTAR ROUTE NOTES
The fees for prosecuting and defending the star
route case seem to fade into insignihcance COM
pared with the fees for reporting It, The lawyers
for the defense say there is no possibility OF their
realizing fair compensation for the great amou mt
OF time and labor they must expend, and that be-
sides they are losing all their other business The
counsel for the government are not represented as
receiving over a hundred dollars day In any in
dividual instance. As for the Stenographers, how
ever. MeSsrS. E. ID. EaSton and H. H. Alexander,
whom the public will remember as the reporters
OF the Gufteau case 1t appeared the other day dur
Ing the discussion and arrangement OF their pres
ent contract, that they received about two hum
dred dollars day, or some sixteen or eighteen
thousand dollars for reporting the last star route
trial In the present case there has been con-
cert OF action on the part OF Judge Wylie and
counsel for defense which has resulted in the low
ering OF their compensation. 1t is not claimed
that they received more in the other than the
usual rates OF the profession, but the opinion or
Judge Wylie Is that the rates need revision and
reduction. In the discussion, which ran over part
OF three days, Judge Wylie having remarked that
the reporters earned four times as much as the
salary OF the Judge OF that court, Mr.. Wilson ad-
ded: -Four times as much in three months as the
salary OF the judge for year; so say twelve times
as much"
Mrs. S. W. Dorsey was a spectatOr in court this