Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-01-02
TIRE TRIAL OF WILLIAM DICK.
son.


When the hearing In the Dickson case was re-
sumed this morning In the Police Court. Mr.. Wells
began his argument In the case. The charge
against the defendant was that he attempted cor
ruptly to influence his fellow jurors in the late
star route case, and the principal fact relied upon
was the reading OF paper before the jury, and he
proposed to confsne himself simply to the reading
OF the paper. This fact was attested to by all the
jurors except one, and it made no difference
whether vote was taken or what the circum-
stances were which led to the reading of the
paper. He cited the section from 1st Russell ssOn
crime, page 162 which stated the OfenSe consisted
10 the attempt and not the result Mr.. Justice
Flelds, In commenting upon 1t, says: s'That Con-
gress Intended in the trial Of public onenses, that
sonal influence OF whatsoever kind" It is claimed
tnat the paper was not to influence the minds or
thenury. II this was the case. why was 1t read at
all, or why was 1t prepared at all, or why did
Dickson tell them that he was going to publish It
for his vindicatfon. At the time only he and
even 1t had become public it would not have
been Justified.
ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT FACT
Is that portions OF the paper were read to several
OF the jurors and not In full 1t was not read in
full until after two votes had been taken In the
jury room. 1t had no affect until then The SUBJ
jet OF bribery had not been brought up until the
Dickson case was brOached The alleged other
attempts to bride were only indefinite oral state
ments. HOlmead even denied such an attempt.
Br0wn's was another case, and In the matter OF
Doniphan. Dickson advised him to say nothing
about it. There is no connection between these
Two. what more effective way could be pursued
favorable to a vote for reading the IA per than
reading portions beforehand to members OF Ihe
jury. They wanted to hear it all. while dpnounc-
ing 1t as another safe robbery affair. This indi-
Gates an ingenious and wise arrangement
This is not an unlettered man, but a man
OF affairs, who listens to serene Language
from the judge denouncing such attempts aud
sucn a man, under such circum stances, couli not
do such an act without knowing that he was ex-
posing himself TO serious consequences. The
natural effect on the members of the Jury wouId
be a reyusion for such a degrading offer as 10
make them go over to Mr.. Dickson, and
THIS WAS NANIFESTLY THE OBJECT
The next public ulterance on the subject was
made by Mr. IngersOll, VINO asked the court to in
cate with each as to attempts made to br be
so that they could know who had been an.
preached: The manifest object OF this was to put
ment That an agent OF the Department OF Justice
had approached their foreman was designed tn
o ehs 6 as to place all on the
Win TINS was the manly attitude OF the jury, who
refused to believe that the government would au-
thor1ze such thing. 1t is manifest that
NIX DICKSON KNEW THAT He WAS ACTING UNLAw-
The conclusion Is that he prepared the paper and
managed to have it read In the jury room. and.
knowing that it was wrong, committed the ofrense
aimed at in the statute
paper was false. He must have known that the
department did not authorize the approach' and
snd ne
outside Of this 6cfsoS eGsa a % nos BE- o.
was really offered, then he Is already guilty under
The statute. The witness McNelly test ned that
Dickson told him that he did not believe It was an
attempt to bride, but simply to ind out how he
stood. Mr. TObr1ner testified to the same fhjno
ana SAD that COX and Olcott told MIN that they
the trial closed P. A kennedy also gave gave
the same version OF what Dickson said of
Bowers attempt. This latter witness talked with
Dickson told him that neither Cameron nor the
attorney General had any knowledge OF what
Bowen was doing. and that the latter as irving
TO md out whether he was
AKNAvR Oh FOOL
The witness Lowe testified that Dickson said
the day the trial closed that Bowen tried to pna
out whether he Dickson) could be bribed. he
further said that he believed that tt was made
by Bowen OF his own volition. On the next day
in his published account OF the interview. which
consisted OF the fact that Brewster Cameron Vas
nos present during the interview with Bowen.
Although several persons listened TO this CONVEX
SaIion reported ~ MI. Lowe none OF them were
called to deny any OF those statements m sde
ME- Wells further reviewed the testimonS and ss3;
It must follow that at the tlme he read The
Ra PAP Snas M gcsson knew Il was false
peached. NV AA'
PALPABLI VIOLATION OF sHs Law.
The respectable geutlemen that knew nothing oe
the faces IN this case tesed % the general gooi
reputation OF Mf. Dickson. But that cannot afYect
this case Neither can the impueninr a. novrSs
character elect this case Tnere ned s. no re.
NIeace mace 20 10Menb testimony. It could be
and o. lhs "e sses s.sa sn:s q so. .s
BOWEN u Bowen was such deprayed ckaFactcr