Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-02-22
THE STAR ROUTE INFAMY.
THE CROSS ExANINATIoN OF
RERDELL-

The Fraudulent Combinations of Dor
sey, Brady & Co.-How an Afidavit
was Proeured-An Emphatic Denial
from Congressman Belford-An AsSer-
ton about the Present Jury.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 21.-In the star
route trial to-day Mr.. Ingerson began the
cross examination Of RerdeIl. The wit
ness Identified the paper presented TO
him by Ingersoll as being in
his handwriting, except the words land
Others" He had signed and sworn to it.
Mr.. ngersoll then read the paper in
evidence, 1t was an affidavit by Rerden.
dated July l3, 1SS2. 1t recites that
whereas certain false and wicked rumors
have been circulated and gained
credit that he (Rerdell) had made
statements TO certain persons regarding
:. W. Dorsey, j. W. Bosler and Brady.
representing that they had engaged in a
corrupt and fraudulent combination to
defraud the people, in connection with
the mail service, therefore he declares he
has had control of their mail routes for the
past three years, and never by
verbal or written direction,
or influence had wrong been done on their
was never an improper act or suggestion
by Dorsey or BOsler TO him. The state
ment that he Rerdell) had books and pa
pers showing that they had beer engaged
in a scheme TO defraud the people was
false. and no such books or papers ever
existed. There was no truth in the
charges. The statement that Dorsey and
BOsler paid % per cent. of their remitted
lines or any percentage to Brady
was pure fabrication. He AYERS that he
has no knowledge that Dorsey or BOsler
secured an increase of service by corrupt
means. He had given them all Of the in-
formation they possessed about their
routes, for which he was agent. No
man ever paid Brady to his knowledge.
The whole thing was a mere scandal.
gotten up for newspaper purposes. In
short, all the stories told of unlawful and
improper operations on the part of Dorsey
and BOsler were malicious fabricatiOns,
and this statement was made voluntarily
10 vindicate them.
The witness said he desired. to explain
the circumstances under which the affida-
Wit was made. \ few days before the
date. July 18th, he had notified Dorsey
that he intended TO 90 over TO the gov
ernment and make a full confession.
On July 18th Dorsey called him into Will
lard's Hotel and threatened to prosecute
him for perjury il he did this. Dorsey
also produced two letters that he Rerdell)
had been foolish enough to write TO a WO-
man in this city, and said he would
break up his family relations if he didn't.
Witness was very much frightened. for he
thought these letters had been DESTROYED.
as Dorsey had promised. Dorsey re-
marked that he was not fool enough to
DO that. He preferred to keep them.
Yielding to these threats. witness con-
sented to make the affidavit. Dorsey sat
down and wrote every word of il with a
pencil. Witness copied it OFF on the dav
following (July 49, in his office in the
Corcoran building. He had II witnessed
by y. Calland- Notary Public and car
ried it to Dorsey and Bosler at Willard's
Hotel.
Witness said that the affidavit was false
in every essential statement 1t was true
wherein II stated that he never seen Dor
sey or BOsler pass Brady for remissiOns.
Mr.. IngersOll proceeded to 20 through
the affidavit by piecemeal. He read the
verbal and written direction: Il received
from each and both of them, in the con-
duct Of business, and never by influence
or otherwise implied wrong doing on their
part or mine"
Witness acknowledged that this was
false at that time. He entertained them
with entries fTOm Smiths account and the
account of ''sam Jones'"
Amy other transactiOn:-' inquired Mr..
Ingersoll.
Answer-'Yes, sir; there was an entry
TO the account of James b. BelfOrd, men,
ber of Congress from Colorado
Mr.. IngersOll-HOw much:
Answer-It was from his check book as
an entry of $1,000 to the credit of Belford
1t was to be charged to the mail accounts
That was in the summer of 1879. The
check was drawn on the bank of Middle
ton Il Co.
Mr.. IngersOll asked what was on the
stub of this check, but objection was
raised and long argument followed as
TO the admissibility of the statement about |
the BelfOrd check, Finally all reference !
to this matter was stricken from the |
record as being outside of the case.
Mr.. IngersOll continued to read pas /
sages from the affidavit, the witness stead |
fastly denying their truthfulness. He |
said he never saw any money paid to |
Brady. He only had DOrSey's statements !
upon that point, and the charges against |
him in the books.
Congressman Belford tonight gave to |
the press the following emphatic denial |
OF RerdelPs testimony: Il never had any !
dealings of a financial character, public |
or private, with Senator Dorsey in my |
life 10 the amount of a single cent. |
Ii my check was drawn in my name, | |
never saw IT, and never heard OF il until /
my attention was called to the statement |
in the Star this evening. Ii the check |
was drawn in my name it must have been |
presented by and paid TO some other |
party, If paid at all. This evening |
went to IngersOlls house !
for the purpose Of requesting |
him to call me TO the stand. and giving |
me an opportunity to declare under oath |
that the evidence given to-day is false in /
every particular in so far as it seeks TO /
involve me in this star route business. [ /
propose that this opportunity shall be /
given me before the trial Closes"
As Judge Wylie has excluded from the 1
records all reference to the BelfOrd cheek /
in Rerdelfs testimony, it is not easy 20 |
see how BelfOrd is to secure a hearing in |
court. so far as the court is concerned, |
this testimony does not exist.
RerdelPs reference to BelfOrd was ap- 4
parently a surprise to the counsel on /
both sides, and neither seemed to wish to 1
have it stand.
Mr.. her. of government counsel, has /
for the statement that the prose- 4
cutiOn has received information that two 4
Of the defendants in that case had said /
that they had fixed two of the members of /
the present jury. Ker was inclined to /
believe that the story had been given out /
in the hope that it would prevent Rerdell |
from taking the stand for the government I