Daily Kennebec journal., 1883-02-17
FROM WASHINGTON.
TIE STAR ROUTE CASE.
RerdelI's Confession Attracting Crowds
to the Court RoOm-rhe Way
They Fixed Things.

WASHINGTON, Feb l6-
The criminal court room was filled this
morning with an excited throng to hear the
continuation of Rerdell's testimony. The
witness testified that Miner handed him .
petition on the route from Mineral Park to
Rioche and requested him to interline the
words, Three trips on schedule of sixty
hours" Something had been erased in that
place. but the witness did not remember
what it was or who made the erasure. II
was either Miner or himself The number
of the route had been changed.
Merrick presented the witness with petition
for an expedition on Ehrenburg Mineral Park
route signed by John Dorsey. The witness
had never seen it before. Another paper
was shown purporting to have been signed
bv j. w. Dorsey. The witness said it was
not in John Dorsey's handwriting and at the
date set out in the paper November 26th,
1879 John Dorsey vas either in Montana or
Dakota and could not tell who signed the
name Two letters in John DOrsey's hand
writing were identified by the witness and
read by Merrick. The witness continued.
s, w. Dorsey instructed him to prepare an
affidavit on the Toquervill and Adairvile
route. The witness requested him to make
calculation. Dorsey said he twitness) could
do it himself. II was only necessary in
making calculation to preserve the propor-
ton of $50 or POO per cent in allowing for the
increase. The witness carried out the in
structions. although he had no idea of the
number of men and animals required on
either schedule. He simply figured SO as to
preserve the proportion.
The witness had a number of these blank
affidavits. They had been taken from his
office Immediately after the return Of the ver-
diet in the last trial. When the witness was
released from Jail he found his desk opened
and his papers scattered. S. w. Dorsey was
the only man beside himself who possessed 3
KEY to the office. Among the papers carried
off were letters passing between 5. w.
Dorsey and himself and between S. w.
Dorsey end j. w. Bosler.
st was fiat burglary" interjected Mr..
Ingersoll.
The witness said he had sued Miner, Vail
& Co., for services rendered.
Merrick read the record in that case to
show from Wallis statement who constituted
the firm 1t shows that Rerdell in 1879 sued
Vail & Miner for $500 for services rendered
in the transaction OF their mail business.
The defendants replied that they are not
indebted to Reidell, but that he is indebted
to them. Reidell was employed by them in
connection with S. w. Dorsey, but he had
been fully paid. Another letter from Vail
was read. 1t is dated National Hotel, May G.,
1879; it read: "Reidell has sued us, Vail,
Miner & Co.. though alleging that the firm
is only Vale & Miner, for what he claims as
wages, etc. If it goes on, it will expose our
private affairs; it will draw out who are the
real partners of the firm. He cannot recover
anything, and will draw himself into serious
difficulty. 1t seems to US that you had better
tell him to withdraw his action at once, as
we have but twenty days in which to make
answer"
The witness said that when the case came
to trial, compromise was affected, Miner
drawing a check for the amount. The wit
ness kept the books for the concern for a
time. S. w. Dorsey gave him instructions
in reference to entries to be made in the
books.
An objection was made to the relation of
instructions, but was overruled.
After the usual recess the witness resumed
his testimony, which was quite lengthy, but
of little interest or Importance.
After a wrangle over a notice to compel
the production of certain books the court
adjourned.