Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-09-07
THE STAR ROUTE TRIAL.
SENSATION IN THE COURT!
FHE JURY CORRUPFLY APPROACHED,
INDIGNATION OF JUDGE WYlIE
THE ATTORNEY GENERALS CLOSING
REMARKS.

~
REMARKS.
The Criminal Court room was crowded again to-
day to It's utmost capacity. When the court met
Attorney General Brewster resumed his address tC
the jury. He said that nothing but sense OF
duty had brought him here. He was not here to
pick up the chips and shavings Of the ease. He
would assume that the jury would remember the
case. He would endeavor in a simple and direct
way to present
THE VIEWS HE HAD OF THE CASE
When he entered court day before yesterday he
heard counsel (AIr. IngersolD addressing the Jury
In vehement terms telling them that If they were
Influenced by public clamor they would virtually
be bribed. He did not understand why lawyer
should talk to jury that way. If he should
talk so to the court, he would be going to
THE VERY EDGE OF CONTEMPT.
They had been told in violent terms that the
government had been prosecuting these defendants
and making victims Of them. What motive could
there be for that? A political one? Why the very
men now on trial were members OF the party of
the government. 1t has been one OF the scandals
OF this case that the government, or the party,
wanted these men spared for party considera-
tions. He came here to testify that the
government was in earnest, fearfully in earnest,
and that @ these s, defendants @ knew it. The govern
fact that upon the records Of the Post Office de-
partment showing vast sums OF money dsbursed
but in the west there were
sCANDALOUs TALES OF CORRUPTION
1t was the duty Of the government to investi-
gate 1t. 1t was the duty Of these defendants IL
they were innocent to come here and assist in the
inquiry. Why was all this cry of persecution
raised? raised Why Wv, was the jury mpored to acquit
torney GeneraD hardly knew the men when he
saw them. Mr.. James and Mr.. MacVeagh were
strangers to them What motive was there ex-
q a In ~
Inherited this case. His duty brought him here.
He reminded the jury, briefly, OF the testimony Of
Messrs MacVeagh, James. Walsh and Buell.
After examining Buell., he said, the defense
halted.
THEY LOST THEIR BATTLE IN THE sKIRMIsH LINE,
ami that was the end OF the campaign. When
that man was crOSs-eXamined and exposed HIM
self 1t was an end to the case. There was not
man who heard or read his testimony who did pot
Say that there was an end OF the He referred
IN most complimentary terms to the services OF
Mr.. Woodward, and said the public owed him
much.
He REMINDED THE JURY
that when the prosecution wished to offer a
missing letter written by Rerdel the defense very
promptly produced letter book. Why did they
not produce the other books7 Why had they not
put people on the stand to explain the case? Mr..
lngersoll, he said, wanted to impose his convic-
tons upon the jury. Stephen w. Dorsey, the
defense had said, had nothing to do with this
except to aid brother, tlnsmith, who knew
they not produced Bosler9 The defense had had the
brazen audaelty to stand up and say that it was
dor the government to call Bosler, else the pre-
menr. What did the government want OF
Bosler? Had they not made out their case? Mr..
had brought him here, it is probable that he would
not have talked as the defense would desire to
have HIM Were the defense afraid OF his integ-
delicate feeling for these DEFENDANTS for he had
been associated with him. The defense did not
want to bring him and Bosler did not want to
come. ne lived only at Carlisle, Pa; he had been
in the city and it would have been easy to ha We
secured his attendance.
JUDGE wYLIE SUGGESTED
that he was On the recognizance of one of the de-
PENDANTS.
known such daring feat In criminal practice as
this declaration by the defendants counsel Men
who were engaged in the defense OF bad men were
verge OF criminaltty. Mr.. McSweeny had suggested
to Mr.. Wilson that it was proof of Mr. Brady's in
nocence that Brady had left letters On file which
he would have destroyed If he had not been innO-
cent Why. in every criminal case evidence OF
guilt Is obtained by just such oversights as this
desk, would it be considered evidence OF his inno-
cence because it was found there? Such a rule
would destroy all evidence; the courts would be
closed, and 1t would be
A ST. VALENTINES DAY FOR THE yILLA1Ns
Brady, he said, had disregarded the advice OF
postmasters, OF inspectors who knew nothing but
their duty. He had not inquired as to the receipts
OF the offices. He did not ask what was wanted of
on routes where only one letter a week
was carried. The thing was so thin that daylight
shone through 1t. Brady consulted nothing but
In this case? He had absolutely surrendered every
Go1y but himself He said, "Oh, was cheated.
Ihese were set Of scounres, He CHE
These defendants bad handed Rerdell over to the
Jury. they had hardly said shadow OF a word in
ms ~ case. brady came here ana said that he was
sorry he had been cheated
BRADY's ATTEMPTS TO ESCAPE.
Brady was virtually testifying against the de-
lendants In his attempts to escape himself. He
proposed TO read a few authorities bearing upon
declared here the heresy that it was doubtful
whether an officer OF discretionary power could
wen De indicted for criminal act done within the
Judge Wylie said that question had been settled
n the early days OF the trial.
y, Mr wilson read what he had said to the effect
L1at tne rlghC or Judicial supervision over such
oliclal acts was disputed by some OF the best
and said he did not In this case hold
his case.
''AEoTHER CHILD WASHED"
''As Mr. 1ngersoll said eloquently," re-
marked the Attorney General 81 will say another
child washed" This remark having caused con-
siderable laughter, Judge Wylie reprimanded the
marking, .This Is not second class theater, nor
snail We allow the disorder that prevails In in
'tltutionS OF that kind to prevail In this court
The Attorney General said that he had repeated
remark which he did not think was nice. They !
aad not come here to wash children dirty linen
He read from tables showing that to the con-
IracIorS on these routes there had been paid |
b31S,O4067 Tor Increase and expedition. He read |
rom another table giving the pay Of the con-
,ractor and sub-contractOr on twelve routes, |
showing the total pay to the contractors to have
amounted to 1919 S39 94 and to the subcOntractOrS
elS6 Wy O4, leaving profit on these routes OF |
4O90 w going to these idle men, the creatures
u brady'S bounty. Could not Brady have said |
Nhen General Sherman and others approached |
lm tnat ne would not make any more expeditions |
at Sucn rates? That he was not getting the SER
1lce at falr rates? They had been told here that
mere was no proof OF overt acts; that there was
atai variance between the proof and the indict- |
nent These men who declared that they wanted |
tuu investigation wanted now to trampie the In.
llctment under foot and escape because they |
there was fatal variance. He went over |
Drleny some OF the orders, afldavits, &C., included
among the overt acts. They had been told that |
Stepnen w. Dorsey had nothing to do with this |
;ase. he thought he could show that
STEPHEN W. DORSEY WAS THE ORIGINATOR
and organizer OF this conspiracy. He thought it
would be interesting to go through the evidence |
and see how often this man, who, it was claimed.
NEW nothing ABOUT these matters, appeared. It |
vas fHevidence that on ninety.sx different 0cca-