Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-06-07
THE STAR ROUTE TRIAL.
Mr. Merrick Continues His Able Sum.
lnlng UP of the Testimony.

Mr. MerrIck Continues His Able sum.
ming UP of the Testimony.
Before Mr. Merrick resumed his address to the
jury in the star route trial this morning he stated
to the court that he would probably consume
part OF tomorrow in argument addressing the
jury.
Mr.. BRLFoRD BLAMELEsS.
Mr.. Merrlck said injustice may have been done
Mr.. Bslford, either through some misapprehension
CT Rerdell or in some other way. He thought it
due to Mr.. Belforj to say that there was no testt
mony in the case or stricken out OF the case at all
duplicating him in these transactions. He paid
a compliment to Mr. Belford's standing as pub
lie man and said this statement was due him, as
otherwise he might unjustly suffer by having
some OF the odium resulting from the nefarous
transactions OF these defendants attached to him.
DIssECTING THE DoRsEYs
Mr.. Merrick analyZed the evidence to show that
John w. Dorsey had never put a cent into the
mail business, although S. ". Dorsey claimed to
be at first only managing his and Peck's interest
Us Dorsey ever PAID Peck $4,000 for his In
cussed the testimony of John W. Dorsey and ar
gued very effectively that it neRatlved ITSELF He
Partnership with Miner VINO was in s Washington. a
he sent the money, he claimed to havecontributei,
to s. W. Dorsey instead OF to his partner. John ".
Dorsey said he had not borrowed money from s.
| W. Dorsey. but the advances made by S. W. Dor
sey were IN consequence OF confidential arrange
nent between S. w Dorseyand himself.S. w. Dorsey,
however, ,sworo that he loaned money to the parties.
These arrangements were all confidential. and
| now the United States government, whom these
parties had robbed, wanted to be taken into that
lc0n1dence. In his testimony j. ". Dorsey said.
| also that he was not certain whether he knew s.
| Words he did not know that S. W. Dorsey was
advancing thousands OF dollars j. W. Dorsey
said, also,that S. w. Dorsey was advancing money
OstenSibly, but really he himself was advancing.
The only theory that would diSentargle these
| statements was the theory that these parties
were
ENGAGED IN A CONSPIRACY.
j. W. Dorsey himself said they had q private
| understanding. the details OF which he had not
| given to the court and jury Mr.. Merrlck said
that If the jury was satisfied by the proofs that
such red books as Rerdell described did exist and
contained entries OF payments to Smith, repre-
senting Brady, then that was indutitable proof
| II he proved the shadow OF the memorandum on
| the books. 1T necessarily followed that the
! substance existed which cast that shadow. Mr..
the subject OF the affidavtS and quit the record
testimony to consider the parol evidence, he had
doubt OF the existence OF conspiracy. He might
now be engaged In work OF supererogation, but
s ry M ms aay 20 ms 70 lay e
| OF these defendants. He did not rely upon Rer-
dell's evidence to prove the existence OF these
| books. He would take Rerdell's testimony simply
! as an assertion OF a fact, and show how 1t was
sustained by others. The first circumstance he
referred to was that In 1879 when Rerde said that
memorandum was given him. Dorsey said he had
given Rerdel exclusive charge OF ali his business
relating to mail transactions. If such relations
pose that Dorsey told Rerdel to open set OF
| books.
JOHN ". DORSEYs PERIL.
Mr.. Merrick then related the circumstances
leading up to the Congressional investigation OF
1890! When Rerdell was summoned as wit
rncC illnH nv
claimed MIR. Merrick, .neglectrul, thoughtless
lightning dared to strike that anointed SKULL"
Brady. told him Of the BOOKS I ana and Brady H said ID
Dorsey was fool to keep books, and suggested
that copies could be made, emitting suspicious en-
ted this evidence OF Rerdell concerning this con.
versation with Brady. but it mattered not even if
that conversation was not In evidence. They had
the testimony Of Donneliy friend OF Dorseys, to
whom Rerdell had taken the books to be straight
| ened out and copied, ana Donnelly's description
corroborated Rerdell. He showed that it contained
| "William Smith" account and hts description
agreed entirely with Rsrde!i'ss account Of them.
! marks were drawn through certain accounts,
which were to be omitted. The "WilIiam Smith
account, amounting to about *aOoo was lett out,
because that was the tell-tale that threatened
| ruin to Dorsey. Donnelly had worked two even
lngs in making these copies and all CT one night
from sundown to sunrise. The emergency was
that Rcrdeu had been summoned before the inves-
t1gatlng committee and had pleaded sickness ia
order to gain time to have the books copied. Dom
In aS near like the others as possible
RERDELL STRONGLY CoRRoBoRATED.
Mr.. 1ngersoll had declared that II Rerdeu and
Moore were taken from the case there was moth
Ing LETT. They could take them out and the case
of the government could spare them, but they
could not take them out when they We're csc 50
strongly corroborated as Rerdell was by DON
nelly and other witnesses. Donnelly was not the
| these books. Charles E. Gibbs also saw these
books. He was employed In fndeXlny three OF
Dorsey's letter-6ooks. @ This was the Index the the
defense refused. II this index had not shown
eliminating facts they would not have refused
them. The witness Gibbs saw the books. His
Vile had copied them on another occasion, and
Gibbs plainly recolected the name of "Sm!th"
and Zones in the pook m The reason MrS gibbs
was then sick; she had lost child her nerves
were broken down and her body weakened, and
peri!led her life. There was nothing more sacred
to him (Mr MerricD than a woman in distress.
rS1sS sede aSa shoan TasS that
kept these books for Dorsey, when he wrote to
Rerdell to find out what the entry was in certain
lieve that years ago. In 1879, when Donnelly flrst
saw these books, Rerdell was preparing evidence
6r tns den aa al 20 o., aes5roy - Ine truth @ was
debauched creature, Rerdel followed at the heels
Of Dorsey like faithful dog ready to do his bid
mohey into his masters pocket. Mr.. me MerricS lex
made very effective review OF the eviiencec con-
ceTnlng these account books, showing tn 1t logi.
cal conclusion could be drawn but that the books
undoubtedly existed, and contained these suspi-
cous entries. In further support OF RerdelrS as
sertiOns respecting the memorandum, he showed
that Kellogg and Torrey, who kept the only other
books containing Dorsey's accounts, each said
that they kept no general mail account at the
time In question. Kellogg said he kept small
mail account, and Torley said he kept no mall
account. 81
MIR. Carpenter Interrupted, and claimed that
TOrrey said that he did keep mail account
AFTER STORM OF WORDS
between counsel Mr.. Carpenter read q passage
where Torrey said he did keep mail account.
Mr.. Merrick then read further from the evi-
dence, claiming that Mr.. Carpenter had misrepre-
sented the record, as this account Of Torreys was
made from checks given him by Rerdell. He
showed also that TOrrey said he had never kept
mail account prior to February, 1880. Mr.. Merrick
then handed the pencil memorandum to the jury,
together with other papers acknowledged to have
been written by =. w. Dorsey, to show the iden-
t1ty In the handwriting.
The usual recess was taken
Star Route Notes.
THE J. B. B. CHECK.
Last evening, before court adjourned, Mr.. Mer.
rick referred to the 81 B. B." check and declared,
In reply to Interruptions by counsel for the Defense
tnat Rerdell's testimony was that Dorsey told him
that the check Was drawn to j. B. Belford, ana to