The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-03-07
THE STAR ROUTES.
Tne aovernment case all IN.

WASHINGTON, March 6.-The Star route trial
WAS resumed to-day. Witness Boone was re-
called by Mr.. Bliss. The pencil memorandum
containing the "Smith" and "Jones" entries,
which RerdelI swore had been made By Dorsey,
was submitted to witness. 1t was written by
either s. W. Dorsey or Rerdell. He would not
like to say which one. The Chico Springs
letter from Dorsey to Rerdell, dated April 8,
1878, was next shown. Witness declared posi-
lively that Dorsey did not write that letter.
The court asked if he knew who wrote the let
ter. He answered that he would not like to
say. Witness was then turned over to the de-
fence for cross-examinatioD.
Mr.. Ingersoll offered to prove it was in the
usual course of business for defendants to sign
the names of each other. Court refused the
offer, saying 1t would be proper when the de-
fence began taking up the "Smith" and
"Jones' memorandum. Mr.. Ingersol called
witness attention to the entry IN. G. r." and
asked his opinion. Witness thought the mem
orandum down to "profits and loss" favored
Dorsey's handwriting. The remainder (Which
included the Smith and Jones entries) favored
the handwriting of Rerdell Witness again
reverted to the circumstances surrounding the
signature Of the papers, but court abruptly
bade him drop the circumstances Witness
explained when this filling in and interlining
was done, Parties pGrposely disguised the
handwriting SO that speaking from writing
alone 1t would in many cases be impossible to
say who did the writing
&AltoI IeCcoS OlT. IAtE pIoC66uBU 10 examine
several post Office and auditor clerks to prove
revenues and productivenesS of different
routes. In answer to an objection from Mr..
Wilson the court said it did rot understand
that the evidence was presented to show that
Brady knew how small were the revenues from
routes, but the law required that expedition be
made with due regard to the productiveness
and II an officer made expedition without such
regard then it was proper matter of inquiry,
Court refused to allow Mr.. Wilson to ask one
of the clerks if he knew how many of the star
routes paid expenses. holding that it was not a
subject proper to touch upon in cross-examina-
tion.
The defence having objected that the evil
dence of productiveness did not come down to
q recent date, the court replied that if they
thought they conld show that Brady was SO far
sighted ss to perceive that the expedited routes
would be productive within few years he
ought certainly to have credit for that course
Mr. Ingersoll declared that as a matter of fact
there was not Star route west of the Missis-
sippi river that was not operated at a loss.
the court again quoted the limitation i'm.
posed by law upon the expedition allowances.
Certainly the Governments evidence was COM
petent when it embraced a statement of the
revenues for the two quarters before and after
the expedition orders. If the defence could
show that there had been no abuse of power
and that the orders had been wisely made they
should not be excluded, because the Govern
erDment had not gone that far.
l.. BY mutual agreement consul waived the
reading OF a number Of official papers and Mr..
Merrick said THAT is the Goyernments
case, your Honor
The defence is expected to begin their case
tomorrow.