The Evening critic., 1883-05-23
laiienged Four Friends of the De
PENDANTS from the Jury.

and II the Court had allowed him four cbal
| lenges, he would have
challenged Four Friends of the De.
PENDANTS from the Jury.
| What more does he admit ? That when the
| Court decided that all OF us together only had
four, he endeavored to challenge one, WHY
because he believed that one to be an enemy
| OF the defendants; because he believed that
one would be In favor of the prosecution, be.
cause he believed he was a friend of the de.
PENDANTS; because he believed he would be
the friends OF the defendants away. why To
the end that the defendants might be tried bv
ad,ny. ar enemy That is what he was trying to ac-
Rerdelrs Mind a Den OF vipers.
Let us take another step. That proposition
reveals the entire man; that takes his hide
on; that takes his flesh all on; that leaves
MS heart bare, naked; you can see what he ia
made OF, and 1t shows the Workings of his
spirit, the motions OF his mind; and You see
In % mere den OF vipers; you see entangled,
me stand stamped by the seal OF the Depart
ment OF Justice, and that Department says to
WE'VE men, Here is a gentleman that you
can believe; that gentleman proposes to sell
out his codefendants to us, but we would not
puy; he is an honorable kind OF gentleman,
put We would not buy"
Mr.. Merrick-It should be interpolated tbore
III you VIII pardon me a moment--that the
government refused TO accept Rerdell until he
himself had pleaded guilty.
Mr.. Ingersoll-I understand that, saw
now, Mr. Merrick, that would not for any
thing In the world, on subject of that kind,
testimony. Although you and have not been
very cordial friends during this trial, and
neitner nave and Mr.. Bliss, yet II know N.Y.
seif would not for anything In this world put
stain upon .your reputation, or upon the
reputation OF either of you, by mlsstating n
%0rd Sr, iio o. this testimony would not do It.
am incapable OF 1t. admit that the evidence
is mat the proposition was rejected, but also
insist that
The Government Knew tho proposi.
tiOn Had Been Made,
olherwlso Il could not have been rejected And
so say that after this man had made that
proposition, infamous enough TO put blush
upon the cheek OF total depravity, the Govern.
ment men, put that witness upon the stand scaled
win 'he seal OF the Department OF Justice,
NOW, we Will go another step. He sat with
us from day TO day, gentlemen, as you know;
went in and out with us as one OF the code.
PENDANTS. In the meantfme-and thore 10 n
langhable side even to this infamy-h, bor-
fowed money from Vale. He went to him as
$40; wont
L Want to Buy Bread and Meat to
Give Me Strength TO Swear You
Into the Penftentiary.''
And Vale gave him the money. Would YOU
believe man like thatG You cannot think of
man low enough, you cannot think of a de.
iendant vile enough to be convicted on such
testimony.
A Question for the Prosecution TO
Answer.
Now, We VIII go another step. He wanted
TO make that bargain with Mr.. Blacknar. Mr.
Blackmar swears that he told Mr.. Merrick of
Il, and that Mr.. Merrick rejected IL; would
have nothing to do with 1t. At that time Mr..
Woodward had two afildayits of RerdeIi in
his possession-an afldavit of Rerdeil, made
IN september, supplemented by another am
uavit, behave, of November that he made in
the city OF Hartford, covering seventy pages'
When Mr.. Woodward saw Mr.. Rerdeil Sitting
MIL MIL the he Iefendants, pretending to go with
tnenl, nc lWoodwardl had those two aiIidavits
OF Rerdell in his pocket. Did the prosecution
Know that Rerdell had made the two aflda.
WIS., vlsf do not say they did, gentlemen. 1
there stop.
Biachmar and RerdeIl-The Reports
That We're Handed to Bliss.
Another thing: Mr.. Blackmar swears that
,1ey had signal to look at the clock, and that
O'Clock, have forgotten the hour; but Mr.,
Blackmar could not SIT In his room
he gave awe him ime Waii,ng for him. and
know he was to wait that night. Then what
nnaapIeneds nal Then Mr.. Rerdell came to Mr.
what? do not know. He sat with the defend
ants; he gave to Mr.. Blackmar written reports
M Mras p,Sera were theyS do not know. What did
to Colonel Bliss. What did he do with them?
1 40 not know. Did ho road them? / do not
Know. Did he know that they were in the
That Is for you.
Did Bliss Know?
btlll another point: Mr.. Bliss, In his omen.
Ing speech In this case, telling about the con-
fession that Rerdell had once made. and n
confession that he would prove In this yery
Ir1al, says, speaking about the dispatches that
Dorsey sent Rerdell at page 290:
''One OF them expressed regret that thew had
parted IN anger and begged him to come back,
ad', anu INC otner beseeched him to pause In the
course upon which he had entered, as IL would
result In the ruin OF Dorseys family. Mr.
herdeIl came back to the city with the dis.
the Attorney. General. When he got here"
-, That Is, In Washington
mo fell into the hands OF somebody, and
from that time on he lost all desire 10 protect
himself and to clear his conscience, buf passed
altogether under the Influence OF these de.
PENDANTS. Their ranks were closed up and he
stands before you now as one OF the defend
ants, whose testimony against himself"
Ihat Is, the confession to Macveagh and
VIII be accepted by the court and by you as
a93SptS,ey VIII ,Sy conclusiye and whose testimony
ana tbe ~ ghS sSs np9n this conspiracy
MI. bliss, after this jury had been fmpan.
eled, stood before them, while RerdeiI was
siilIng LING wltn US as a defendant. and said:
and he" ''''" "P'
Rerdell-
Islands ta before you now as one OF the defend
Meaning the confessions made to Macyeagh
ana 70 Postmaster-General James
&C." ~ '0"'
=, The question arises, "Did Mr. Bliss know at
that time that Mr.. Woodward had In his pock.
ets TWO afndavits made by Rerdell, one made
IN september and the other in November DID
ne know at that time that Rerdell had given
DIS papers over TO Mr.. Woodward? Did he
know at that time. that he had offered to
challenge the friends OF the defendants from
lne panelY And so knowing, did he give us 10 |
understand that Rerdell had passed from tho |
influence OF the Government and was now net, |
that N''Si"i'
Mr.. Bliss Would Furnish RerdeIl
With n Mask |
behlnd which he could gather Information |
from tne defendants anu sell IL to the Govern.
meht Tor immunity? Is It possible? Those |
were the circumstances. do not say that he |
knew. do not know. '-"' H'
The Duty ana Mission OF a Goyern.
memt.
Gentlemen, do not believe that IL IA the |
duty ofa government 10 prosecute It's citizens.
do not believe that 1t Is the duty Of a GOV.
ernment 10 spread net for one OF the peonie |
whom II should protect. do not believe in
the spy and informer system. 1 believe that
every Government should exist for the pur-
pose OF doing Justice as between man and
man. Tho mission OF q Government Ia to pro- |
teCt ana preserve Its Citizeng from violeurai