The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-03-17
The star Routes.

rlenced in filling the panel of the |
grand jury in the criminal court |
this morning, General Brady again |
took the witness stand and was
further eross-eXamined by Bliss. |
He did not remember that any in |
congruity in Miners affidavit on the |
TOngueRiver route attracted his at
tention.
After extended questioning as to
the reason for eXpediting individual |
routes, and the considerations which |
influenced him in granting or refus-
ing expedition which resulted in |
nothing of interest, except 10 show |
the cOOIness and readiness of wit |
ness, he proceeded. Saw Vale |
very infrequently while in the post |
Office department., and could not |
remember how he learned that |
Vale was going to assume the SER
vice for Miner, Peck u Co., probably
had been informed by the chiefsl
clerk; the congressional investiga-
ton IN 1878, was his reason for no, |
insisting upon the immediate estab-
llshment Ofservice at the beginning |
of the contract term upon Canyon |
City, +. McDermott and other routes
always thought it better to grant a |
small allowance of time than de-
clare a contractor failing cOntr ac-
tor.
Bliss then took up the report of
the proceedings of the congressional
committees, and asked Witness if
his statements then made were true.
He asserted that they were. He
said if necessary to expedite a route,
and the contractor insisted upon
pro rata compensation, it would be
necessary to allow it, or continue
the service on the old schedule.
Bliss inquired what would be done
if the figures vera too high under
his rule. We would say, old fellow,
you viii have to come down, and
then make another proposition.
Meanwhile we would continue the
the old service. Witness presumed
the congressional investigation of
1880 had been brought on by his re-
quest for deficiency appropriation
of 100000. He was asked if he
did not say he had spent $780,
600 of the total appropriation of
$5,900,000 for 1879, before the 1st of
January, 1879. The answer was
that he did not remember. OF
course the official papers would show
how many orders for expedition he
had made while assistant postmaS
ter general. There were a number
of them-over hundTed--but the
postmaster general made some Of
them.
! Biiss-Don't you know you made
! ten times the number made by Your
| predecessors +?
Oh l presume did. l thought
myself ten times better an assistant
postmaster general. Tyner anu
Jewell did little in the expedition
of steam boat services.
Question.-You spoke OfCOngress
approving your acts, where DO you
| find that?
| Answer 4 regard the granting
of the deficiency appropriation as an
approval.
Question.-Was that the only
basis?
Answer-(Sharply) that was
enough.
Questionable they give you all
you asked?
Answer.-vNo, but they gave me
enough.
| Question.-Then you asked for
more than you needed?
/ AnsWer.-Yes, for more than
enough to make up the deficiency.
Bliss produced one of the Price
drafts and asked if witness had
ever had the paper in his possession.
Wilson objected; meanwhile Wit
ness closely examined the paper.
Merrick expressed his intention
of showing that two drafts fOr$1, 900
each and $1,000 in money had been
placed upon Brady's desk while he
was acting as second assistent post
master general, by the contractor
on the route, for corrupt purposes.
He proposed to show that another
; bill for $500 fTcm Daniel Murphy.
of st. Louis, payable to Murphy's
; order, had been sent to Brady for
similar corrupt purposes. They eX-
pected to show they had direct re-
latiOn to expedition and putting on
service on certain routes.
The court interrupted and asked
if Merrick held, if the facts were
proved as proposed, he could oblige
defendant to criminate himself.
Merrick contended that he could,
and read from authorities in support
of his proposition. Having Yolun.
tarily gone on the stand, defendant
muat run the risk of committing
himself, and the reason was plain.
l Tue law did not contemplate force
when such witnesses were allowed
to testify. Ii they showed that on
and about the same time wit
ness was STEPPED in Yillainy
. it was not competent evidence.
: During the delivery of Merrick' 5
argument, which occupied about
y half an hour, and was characterized
n by it's bitterness aud scathing com.
}. ments upon Brady, the latter sal
j with the greatest cOmposure i'll the
e witness box, looking him calmly il
f the face. Without hearing the ar
gument on the part Of the defense
the court adjourned until Monday