The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-04-23
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent.

|
ing the result. The prosecution is very
confident of conviction, while the defense
is in high glee over the certainty of ac-
quittal. The judge has seemed to lean
heavily lately toward the defense, which
has greatly surprised his friends. Certain
it is that Brady and Dorsey are in excel
lent spirits. and they are already planning
to begin big law suits against the papers
that have slandered them The first suit,
they say. will be against the New York
Times by Dorsey, and his damages will
be laid at half million dollars. He
will engage the best and biggest lawyers.
and. although he has had to raise money
on his valuable property. he will, so he
says, spend lot of money TO punish the
Times Brady announces that he intends
to make the government pay him a.large
against prosecution for doing what the
law required him to do. All this plan
ming for revenge will come to naught if
it should happen that these gentlemen
private quarters at government expense.
| 1t is hardly worth while to express an
opinion as to the result. A pretty strong
case has been made out by the prosecu
ton, but it is hard to tell how the jury
may stand nevertheless. The defense
have fought tooth and toe nail to keep al l
the evidence ont they could, and a good
deal has been ruled cut. on technical
grounds that would have thrown much
light on the case. This is the full inves
tigation these defendants professed to
court when first accused. Mr. Lilley, the
ole man OF seventy whom Dorsey kicked
out of his house, hasbrought suit agains
the latter for $4,000 damages for as
sault.
There is a small breeze over the dis
placement of Peter Collier, chemist of the
agricultural department, and the appoint
ment of Prof. Riley to his place. From
what can be learned it is a case of refrac
tory conduct on the part of the chemist.
1t is understood that for eighteen months
he has chosen so far to emphasize his
difference with the commissioner as to
refuse to speak to him, and it became in
tolerable. The original point of depart
ure was sorghum. Mr.. Collier had the
LIE Due theory about it, and he somehow
got the Academy of Science on his side.
| Perhaps, at its meeting here, it win again
take up the matter. President White
rites from Cornell University that his
college loses and the department of agri
culture gains by the removal of Prof. Ri
ley to Washington. 1t is known that
Commissioner Loring is well sustained.
And now the agricultural bureau is busy
prognosticating the yield for wheat, most
of which hts never been sown aud the
rest of which is not yet out of the ground.
In order to get this ridiculous nonsense
the government has to pay the travelling
expenses of half dozen agents travelling
over Minnesota and heaven knows where.
Last year, besides the fact that nobody
knew or cared one copper cent about
these absurd wheat estimates, clerical
error of a hundred million bushels was
discovered in the bureau of agriculture.
This bureau is really rather useful thing
when it is managed on common sense
principles, and does not aspire to know In
February how much wheat will be har-
vested in July.
The country rests easy under the alb
senee not only of the President, but four
out Of the seven cabinet officers. Mr. Chand
Ter of the Navy, is still with the President,
though he has not fallen out of a wagon
for several days. Mr.. Lincoln, of the
War department, is away on the Dispatch.
Mr.. Brewster, Attorney General, is some
where out of town. probably in Philadel-
phia, but he goes and comes with such
suddenncss and frequency that nothing is
thought of it. Secretary Folger is report
ed as absent at Seneca, N. Y, where his
son and daughter are both very ill., They
have consumption in its most threatening
form and though one has been travelling
in Florida and the other in Minnesota,
they cannot get relief. The rumor that
Mr.. Folger viii resign is revived. The
gossips say that when the @discouraging
condition of his children was made known
to him it had the effect of leading him to
determine on a return to private life.
Added to his own illness, it had very
depressing effect. The Princeton Glee
Club gave concert here one night last
week, and were afterwards entertained at
supper at the White House by young
Allen Arthur and Mrs. HayneswOrth. who
is at the White House during the Pres
ident's absence. Young Arthur came
over presumably to do the handsome
thing by his college mates. They were
received in the Blue Room and half a
dozen young girls invited to meet them.
The boys had supper with plenty of wine
and hilarious time after the manner of
college youths, which was kept up until
three o'clock in the morning.
Here is a picture of Conkling as seen
on the streets of Washington not many
days ago, on his way to the Patent Office
to argue a case before the Commissioner. |
He was dressed in black coat and vest
with dark grey trowsers, and walking at
the head of small procession. For the |
first time within the memory of any man |
in Washington he wore upon his grey
yellow silk curls huge silk hat with a |
widely rolling brim. He moved up the |
sidewalk with all the slowness and splen-
dor of new circus chariot. Behind him
came his secretary a understanding
little fellow, loaded down with books
and papers. Then came five boys stag
gering under more books stuffed IN green
bags Then came the associate counsel
two OF them two abreast" The process
sion was arran ged as follows:
Citizen Roscoe Conkling.
Citizen Conkling's secretary.
Citizen Conkling's private papers.
First messenger with books.
-Four messengers with books. |
Associate counsel two abreast.
1t was fully five minutes passing a
single point. A more imposing process
SION has not been seen in Washington since
Inauguration day. PuoEo.