The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-06-30
BOTTOM FACTS.
As Given by W. A. Cook, Once Coun,
sci in the Star-Route Cases
What Garfield W anted DOne---A Mis-
take In the Order of Trial---Other
Washington News.

WASHINGTON, D. c., June Civilian A
Cook, the counsel employed by Gen. Garfield
to prosecute the ssaI-roIte cases, has given
statement Of the policy which he understood
Gen. Garfield had determined to pursue
Cooks statement is substantially this: THE
cause Of my retirement was a radical change
in my relations to the case This was due to
difference between Bliss and myself in ref
erence to the cases that should first be tried.
insisted upon the trial. of cases which
would involve but brief period, and in
which the evidence was direct, concise and
satisfactory Bliss, without consultation, de-
termined to take the Brady-Dorsey case. This
was complicated and involved a large amount
of testimony and great expense and the evil
dence was far from direct or clear 1t was
chiefly circumstantial and conjeetural The
evidence in the other cases was brief, peril
nent, and direct Bliss reason for taking up
this case was the existence of personal feel
ing against Dorsey. He said that Dorsey and
Boone were the head rascals and he was going
for them"
Cook plainly intimates that Bliss selected
the Dorsey-Brady case because it was likely
to be the longest and because his fee was 800
daily He also says that the wealthiest con-
tractors have never been indicted.
did you have any personal consultation
with President Garfield as TO these cases." Mr..
Cook was asked.
He said: I'm Directing to take up the case
which was tried, and in urging the selection
of the other cases, was pursuing substan-
tally the plan marked out in a private con-
sultation with Garfield. At the outset had
an interview with President Garfield, in
which he stated that he regretted that there
was any occasion to institute proceedings
against parties occupying such public and
important positions as some of those did who
were involved in the charges made, and 1t
was especially painful to him in view of the
service rendered him in the campaign, which
led to his election as president, by Mr. Dor
sey to have him involved" u. I5ef.t.
did he ever indicate any purpose Ito
shield Dorsey in any way"
mo purpose to shield or protect him, if
there was strong and just ground to believe
that he was actually guilty. He laid down
this absolute rule; That | should examine
with the utmost impartiality all the pertinent
facts, and report the same to him in person
and confidentially.
Before President Garfield's death, had
you developed in your Investigations any
Eases sufficiently TO recommed indictments %
I'VE had found sufficient evidence against
Lilley, who was a clerk in the auditors
office Garfield told me in such cases to go
on His position briefly was this That all
| accusations that were properly made should
De thoroughly, patiently and fully examined,
out there was to be no assumption of guilt,
and no one was to be pursued from any per-
sonal feelings or protected from any per-
sonal considerations In the nobleneSs
IF his nature he went beyond that, and said
that if, at any time after proceedings were
instituted, we became satisfied that there was
not sufficient strength in them to justify fur
ther prosecution, that they should be openly
and frankly abandoned. That was his true
position"
did the inquiry proceed far enough in his
lifetime to convince him Of the extent of the
fraudsq'
| Il do not think it had, except to a limited
extent. Neither Bliss nor Brewster would
have been employed had Garfield lived Mr..
Bliss began to assume control when Brewster
became attorney general When the Dorsey
case was presented to Mr. Bliss at Elberon he
pronounced it very weak. l called his atten-
ton to that when he insisted upon selecting
that case, but be responded that he intended
to so for Dorsey 1875