National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1882-06-06
THE STAR ROUTE CASES,
Colonel Hiss Continues HIa Opening Ar
Rument for the Prosecution.


Yesterday in the criminal court Mr.. Bliss re-
sumcd his opening in the star route trial. lie said
that on Friday he had gone over the laws aud
rules as TO increase OF mail service, and the con-
duct OF Mr. Brady fin connection with the same
In 1878 Brady made slxty.six orders for increase
and in 1870 seveny 1.-TWO orders for the Dorsey com.
binotion. 1t might be said in excuse Of Mr., Brady
that he believed the petitions, for increase were
genuine but they would show cases In which all
tile stmastcrs along route certified that expe-
ditlon was unncc ssary. II II be true that MI;
Brady was deceived who deceived him, aud
where docs It leave the otheis7 SO far lie had
spoken of Mr.. Brady lccause they regarded him
the most guilty, for he stood high, and claimed
that he was so high that he was only nmennhle to
Impeachment proceedings. Mr.. Bliss claimed
that he
WOULD PROVE ALL lie HAD STATED.
In regard to the other defendants Mr.. Bliss said
they were stephen W. Dorsey. who was n Senator
and chairman Of the Post-O frce COMMITTEES John
w. Dorsey his brother n resident of Mddeboro',
vi John NJ. Peck, brothor.in-la law Of s. w. Dor
sey, In poor henlih-consumpton John X. Miner,
# end of Dorsey, a resident OF Sandu.ky, ONO;
the District Commissioners for time, aud clerk
for stephen w. Dorsey; MIR. Turner, clerk In the
Office OF the Second Assistant Postmaster General
a,d Mr.. Vnile, regular contractor Mr. Bliss
snid they expected to show that MIR Boone was
brought into this combination bee 'uso r. his
supe Tor knowledge Of the business. MIR. Dorsey
may have gotten up his petitions, &c, bu if It had
| not cen for Brady nothing would have been
made 1t required him to give the orders, &c. Mr.
went into the department., aud in five years was
REPurED TO DE A RICH MAN.
| He claimed to have made money In certain
inventions, but they did not realize anything
| like the amount he attached to them. The con-
| spLracy began in December 1877 In December,
| 1877, MIR. Boone through the mail sent circulars
to all contractors in the South aud West, asking
certain acknowledgements TO be sent TO james
II. Kettner & Co, lock box IA, Washington. 1t
was nsccrtnined that Kcttner was boy Of l6 years
They would hear good deal of lock box ia
Bids were also sent TO pos,masers nj Little Rock
and Fort Smith by Stephen w. Dorsey, with re-
know they came from him. Mr.. Bliss claimed
that the dates and oaths on these bids we're untrue
The comb nation put In about 1000 bids, aud the
never bid In cases where the service WINS more
than three trips per week. They took routes
| which could be increased. or the routes they
| obtained Us were weekly, p semi.week.y, and II
tri.wCckly. They Lost $4,000 by routes being
dimi uished by railroads, and gained 100000
THROUGH THE ORDERS OF MR.. BRADY.
Mr.. Bliss then proceeded to define the ord con.
sprncy and snid he expected 10 show that ali the
pa ties were concerned in it. The bids were got
up in the third story of S. W. Doreys house by
Miner and Boone. and that all the defendants
were joined in one common pool. The investiga.
ton was commenced in May, 1884, when Mr. Ktr-
dell met ex. Senator clayton, aud told him that
h desired to tell the whole story. lie called nn
| Postmuster-General James, aud uitcrwurd Oh the
Attorney. General and gave, them the details of
| tho firm. MIR Rerdell subsequently called on MIR.
Woodward and aiterward they met on the train,
whcn ne stated TO Mr., james that he was going
for the books that he had felt better than he had
for some years because he had made cl an breast
of IT, The next day ON his return, at Trenton n.
J or the first stopping place, Rcrdcl received two
dispatches from Dorsey, one syyiug "DJn't let uS
part In anger Get # at PHILADELPHIA and all viii
be arranged" and the other, For Gods sake, don't
ruin my family" since then, however, Mr. Rer-
dell hnd by some inluen. been led IL change his
course of action. Mr.. Bliss thought The cout
wOul instruct the jury at the proper time that tie
COZ eSson OF n C,nspirator was evidence. The
various routes were hen taken up and discussed
and the increa.c and expeditions pointed out un
I'll the court adjourned,