Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-04-04
THE STAR ROUTE TRIAL.
Vale as a Witness for the Defense

When the star route trial was resumed this
morning, Harvey NJ. Vaile, one OF the defendants,
was called to the stand by the defense, and exam
lned by Mr.. Henkle, his counsel He testified that
he was born In Vermont, studied law in Louis
vile, and was connected with the Evening Journal
In indianapolis. Afterwards he pract1ced law at
Kansas City, Mo. The court refused to allow in
The witness became connected with the mail bust
ness in 1862 Mr.. Henkle attempted TO show that
thls connection had been brought about accident
ally, but Judge Wylie remarked that it would be
better to wait until the witness had been i'm
peached before defending him.
Mr.; Henkle said the prosecution would not i'm
peach the witness.
"They wont?" said Mr.. Merrick "He swore at
the last trial; you forget that"
VAILE's CONNECTION WITH THE STAR ROUTE CASES
The witness described his early relations with
the other defendants He had never had any
agreement or understanding with Brady that he
should extend favorS to him.. for money or any
consideration whatever. The witness said that 1n
July, 1873, Miner came to him in great trouble and
asked his advice as TO putting Service upon his
routes Miner offered to give the witness all of
the contracts that he controlled and said he
had powers OF attorney from Peck and John W.
dorsey. Inc witness finally went into the buSi-
ness Miner seemed to be standing alone In need
OF help and witness thought 1t would be a kindly
act to help him out. About August 1873 " itnesS
at Miners request went to Brady and attemted To-
secure an extension OF the time allowed for put
ting on service.
WHEN WITNESS ASSUMED AN INTEREST
upon the 1St OF August the service On some OF the
routes was down. Brady telegraphed to the wit
ness at Independence, Mo-, asking what service he
would assume The witness replied that he would
see all the Miner, Peck and Dorsey routes started
Dut not the watts routes: Witness did not then
know that Boone had an interest In the contracts
or that senator Dorsey was interested. Witness
never heard OF Moore until Mr.. Williamson, the
o aH to The
John W. Dorsey was read in evidence constitute
ing Valle as treasurer and Miner secretary OF
the combination, and supulating the portion of
the receipts that each member was to receive.
senator Dorsey had no interest In that partner
SNIP SO 1ar as the witness knew. The contract,
WnUn was signed In October, 1873, was dated back
from no sinister motive, but to cut of certain
postal drafts that were outstanding.
THE DIVISION OF THE ROUTES
Tne witness described his negotiations with Sem
ator Dorsey, and the bad feeling between
themon account OF the conflicting interests arising
out OF the advances made by Dorsey to start the
routes before Vale entered the combination and
nied suDcontracts to secure himself. About March
otn, 1873, he and Dorsey had another quarrel but
the result of the interview was a division of the
routes in which witness received 40 per cent of the
aoutes' @ Miner 30 per cent and S. W. Dorsey 80 per
ness never saw s w. dorsey again until June. 1881
The witness said he had nothing to do after the
DIVISION with the routes taken by Dorsey, and
dorsey had nothing to do with the witness routes
witness thought he first became acquainted with
Rerdell In December, 1878. He had no recollection
VI ConVeISatlOnS with Miner and Rerdell at the
National hotel, such as Rerdel had testified to.
CONTRADICTING RERDELI.
Mr. Henkle went over the conversations as re-
ported by Rerdel, repre- esenting Vale as calcuat-
ing that the routes, If properly managed, would
realize 5000 600 or 100000 year gross, and said he
aid not believe he ever had any such conversa.
tlons. At that time witness would have been very
willing to have taken his money and gone out of
the concern He denied that RerdelI had gone
west In the fall OF 1873 at his {the witness0 in
Suh
on the Rawlins and White River route, and Rer-
dell went out at that time. Witness had never
employed Rerdell, but he understood that Miner
mad given him conditional employment
The usual recess was here taken -