The south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1879-1883, 1883-05-01
WASHINGTON LETTER.

WASHINGTON, d. c., 4 pr. Is, S83.
The Star-route trial is rapidly draw
ing to closeand it is interesting to
note the different views and expecta-
tions concerning the result. The
prosecution is very confident of con-
viction. while the offense is in high
glec over the certainty of acquittal.
The judge has seemed to lean heav-
lily lately towards the defense, which
has greatly surprised his frieuds.
Certain it is that Brady and Dorsey
are in excellent 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 a lot of
money to punish the Times. Brady
announces that he intends to make
the government pay him large sum
of money for defending himself
against a prosecution for doing what
the law required him to do. All this
planning for revenge will come to
naught if it should happen that these
gentlemen are called upon to reside a
few years in private quarters at gov
ernment expense. 1t is hardly worth
while to express an opinion as to the
result. A pretty strong case has been
made out by the prosecution, but it
is hard to tell how the jury may s;a d
nevertheless. The defense have fought
tooth and toe nail to Keep all the evil
dence out they could, and good deal
has been ruled out on technical
grounds that would have thrown
much light on the case. This is the
full investigation these defendants
professed to court when first accused.
Mr.. Lilley, the old man of seventy
whom Dorsey kicked out of his house
has brought suit against the latter
for $4,000 damages for assault.
There is a small breeze over the
displacement of Peter Collier, chemist
of the Agricultural department, and
the appointment of Prof. Riley to the
place. From what can be learned it
is a case of refractory conduct ON the
part of the chemist. 1t is understood
that for eighteen months he has chos-
en- SO far to emphasize his difference
with the Commissioner as to refuse
to speak to him,and it became intoler-
able. The original point of departure
was sorghum. Mr.. Collier had the
LIE Due theory about it, and he some-
how got the academy of Science on
his side. Perhaps,at its meeting here,
it will again take up the matter. Pres
ident White writes from Cornell uni-
versity that his college loses and the
department of Agriculture gains by
the removal of Prof. Riley to Wash
ington. 1t is known that Commits
sioner Loring is well sustained. And
now the Agricultural bureau is busy
prognosticating the yield for wheat,
most of which has never been sown
and the rest of which is not out Of the
ground. In order to get THIS ridicu-
lous nonsense the government has to
pay the travelling expenses of half a
dozen agents travelling over Minneso-
ia and heaven knows where. Last
year, besides the fact that nobody
knew or cared one copper cent about
these absurd wheat estimates, cleri-
cal error of a hundred million bushels
was discovered in the bureau of Ag-
riculture. This bureau is really
rather a useful thing when it is man
aged OH common-sense principles,an
does not aspire 10 know in February
how much wheat will be harvested
in July.
The country rests easy under the
absence not only of the President, but
| four out of seven cabinet officers. Mr..
Chandler, of the navy, is still with
the President, though he has not fall
en- out Of the wagon for several days.
Mr.. Lincoln, of the War depart.
ment, is away on the dispatch. Mr..
Brewster, Attorney General, is some.
where out oftown, probably in Phil.
adelphia, but he goes and comes with
such suddenness and frequency that
nothing is thought of it. Secretary
Folger is reported as absent at Seneca,
N. Y.,where his son and daughter are
both very i'll. They have consump-
ton 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 will resign is revived.
The gossips say that when the dis
couraging 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
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