New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-06-22
THE STAR ROUTE CASES.
-xs- r,,uo rpI.Ic COsT
~ur TOTAL sum GREATLY MAGSrFIED IN SOME GUAM
yyRs-AN APPROXIMATE ESTIMATE

try TELEGRAPH TO THE TRTBuSEl
~, .surxeroS. June 21.-"Wbat have the e'Sr
ponte prosecutions cost the 'aA pa
:, the United StatesP is q"'
40 which many answers have peen e,'e
Several of the estimates exceed $l,ooo'oVV WV ~
or two figure the amount to nearly 'wioo -
snm. While it is impracicable as yet 10 op'sin s"o
exact figure, TRIBUNE correspondent.
snent several days in an investigation Oh ,n0
;eet has reached results WHICH
approximately correct. Most Oh 'h0 ,l n
o;ven are from the books of the treasury - -,
rnent and the Department Of Justice; alu w.
estimates are given the manner in "u0" 80, 90 a
n,enared ia shown. Thrown into the io'in VI 90
,-,,,,or, the expenditures from the beginning u
a. Scr poute investigation are as foito"s:
snoo;ol connsel-B H. Brewster, services FoVVo'
George bliss. services and expenses @oo,o 10 90
7 Merric g vices $32, 900; W. W. hoi' eo
y. A' ov,anses. SOS, $40 w. A. Cook. services
" VIC. A NJ Gibson. SIS, 900; II. II. Weus Jury
hriberv easesl SO, 500 ia total OF @loV,l0p'
WITNESSES fees and travelling expenses TO Maio1
~. 1888. $70,576 ~. Jurors fees, nrSV .i'@ ',
90 9b2 iurarS fees, second trial, $l'ooo-" o'a1
Of rs sss. Reporting first trial, @3'ooo' nc 90
ing second trial. $6,3O0-a tota4 ol PY,o 9,,o
Printing record. first trial, S7,|lo ot' piinV'ps
.oord second frial iestimatedl. $l2,0O0-a tota Oh
~.
Satoctive service. second trial, $49l1 on. I. H.
woodward. Post Office Inspector lestlha'eub
e7 o7e These ,ums aggregate $261, 31s 20.
Tbe accounts of the special attorneys nave hoV
-. hAo, maid in full TO the end of trial. On june
y George Bliss presented an ACCOUNT "
OK ooO which he withdrew "hoh
was found that balance of only Sl,1oo reihal"'u
from which he could be paid. de promptly oie"
that amount. leaving an unadjusted claim III us
favor of So. 300 A few hundred dollars chargeo ny
him ON account of expenses" and included III 'uo
foregoing summary, have been withheld oy 'n'"0,
counting officers of the Treasury Inc last pay ineV
made 70 Mr. Merrick $500 on April H. ior 'u0
time from January 10 April L, leaving ABOUT TWO
and a half months pay due him-say So'ooV' INC
Last navrnent made to Mr.. Ker, $5,427. was on May
o.. but the period is not indicated. The amount
400 him lime % The is still in servce VIII be, say
GO 5oo There is still an unadjusted account oil
w Cooks. He claims $2,50OS the Attorney
General allowed 81, 000 bat that has not yet oeeh
maid. owing TO the lack OF an appropila'oi'
The last payment to II. II. Wells on account Oh 'no
;nrv bribery cases-which resulted from the nrS'
Star Route trial-was on February o. anu 'uo
.,o,rt ,vas $500 for one month. Attic same rate
II he is still under pay, he has since earned eo'O
These several amounts estimated make Io'"' u,
s15 600 which, if added to the total OF counSci
fees. make an aggregate on that sccouNV "
$145,756.
Subsequent to March Is the Government put no
witnesses ON the stand in the star Route trial ana
II is not probable that much II any more, money
will be paid out on account OF witnesses ices an"
Sro1o1Inc expeuses in that trial The jurors fees
:; hotb trials are estmated-fOurteen weeks Tor the
Hcst trial and tweuty-seven weeks for the last
trial The cost of printing the record OIL the
first trial is from the books of the PuDllc fIihei
The cost for the second trial is not yet exactly
knovp but is estimated by him at SloOoo 10
$4,000; the larger sum has been USED III inc Iole-
going summary. For reporting the trials tho uo'.
erumeut paid 10 cents per folio; the NUMBER Vi
soI;os IN the printed page is T. and the number OF
naoss Of printed record in the first trial is 334l'
the number in the second trial about 5000. ME-
yood1rord has devoted his whole time TO the Star
Route Investigations for more than two years. his
60, is 81 COO a year, TO which should be added
S. day for travelling expenses nc uelectife
services in the first trial were largely incurred ia
an attemnt TO discover the WHEREABOUTS Oh eX-
Senator George Spencer, OF Alabama, VINO Was re-
gardcd as an important witness f i0t the he0 Densrt
ment of Justice has gwen sOou ueal vi
bis time 10 the star Route cases but ne would
have been employed ana PSsp n ca J ton
therefore, il appears that the entire cost to tine Gov
eminent of Star Route INVESTIGATION aho tIla'S
from first to last has not greatly exceeded 90 -
e2s Ok Counsel for the Government assert that
a. post Office Department has been able as a
result of the investigation, TO recoup from dls-
bonest contractors an amount Wucn greater thth
this which otherwise would have gone 70 sven the
gains of men who were engaged Ill neeclhg Inc
Government Besides, the frauduleiit lLethouS oy
I;cb 1he Goyernment was despOiled have been
Thoroughly exposed, and IL is now guarded against
them. . r Tit. ,rbo bao
An officer of the Department OF justice VINO mas
Investigated the matter, said to-day:
In the matter OF paid special counsel by the
limited states in cases in which IT has Deen party III
interest the records the Department snow thot uiuef
The present Administration the compensation mas Oeen
econooieai and perhaps more economical tLan under
precediug ones save aad except IN the Walcf Oh the
asfar Route prosecution. Tne 6ONefnLhthl
has Maid special counsel fees ranging from Si,OOO
IN $1,000 IN the ordinary cases which nave arisen from
Iniv I go 70 this date. Fees or $4,000 were APP
nroyed by the AttOrneyGeneral win tue conse3t OF
The Executive each OF the counsel employ ca IN t9e
(;utean case Referring to statement tnut possibly
The fees IN the Route cases are not III
H. history of the Office, u Is proper
10 saw mat from years 1881 10 1864 there was APP
nronSiated Nv Congress for special count
sci fees In the settlement OF private
land claims in California; ana IN we ueGnce or
$500 0O and by airmterpTetatlOn OF the law over
S2OOOOO In the year 1855 there was appropriate io
Iheae alone 9OZOOO anu III ecs
for special counsel In 1889 $5OooO one man
Te counse who has employed Tor tne longest per
iod i'm the prosecution OF the star Rou,o cases hds re-
ceyed moi unite @4S services extending rom tne
time on thA frat payment November o. 1851 10 June ID
ias9 caJcnIafg the time employment at year ana
half ha conpeu would be at the rate OIL S3ZVOO
year large but not unprecedented sum ferbaps ia
This matter IL IL not improper TO add that the amounts
Involved I'm the Star Route cases. wncn the G0yerhenI
will probably seek 10 recover e&ceed SoVO0,VVV'