The Indianapolis journal., 1883-03-24
Favorable Sentiment Toward Brady,
Coupled with n Conviction that He
Will Be Acquitted.
The State Department and the Cru
sade Against American Pork.
Retaliatory Suggestions of the American
Consul at Nantes Our Relations with
England-Notes and Gossip.
THE sTAR-RoUTE TRIAL.
The Cost of the Cases-A Feeling that Brady
Will Not Be Convicted.

The Cost of the Cases-A Feeling that Brady
Will Not Be Convicted.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, March 23.-The star-route
trial still drags its tortuous length along.
1t has been running now for nearly four
months. Locally, it excites very little in
terest, and it is only when some dramatic
incident occurs, such as Congressman Bel
ford's spread-eagle protestation of innocence,
Rerdelps confession, letter from Dorsey or
the like, that one ever hears it spoken of ex-
cept as an excuse for yawn. and an ex-
preston of mild wonderment as to when it
will be finished. Very few newspapers care
to print anything that is not derogatory to
the defendants, for fear of being charged
with being in sympathy with star-route
thieves" and the special reports sent out
from here are apt to be colored to suit the
tone OF the papers publishing them. Al
though the government has already ex-
pended something like $250000 in the prose-
cution of these cases, over 800, 900 of which
has gone to pay special counsel, not one
person in twenty in Washington expects to
see any of the defendants convicted, unless
it be one or two of the self-admittcd thieves
who have turned States evidence, as they
call it. 1t is undeniably true, and your
correspondent is not conscious that
he is in sympathy with star-route
thieves" or with any other thieves when he
says it, that there is very strong sentiment
in Washington against the conviction of
General Brady, coupled with a belief
amounting to positive conviction that no
jury can ever be impaneled in the District
that will convict him. As witness he has
made decidedly good impression, and the
opinion is freely hazarded on all hands that
he will be acquitted whatever the verdict
may be regarding the others. He is what is
termed good Witness He answers
questions readily, and with the greatest ap-
parent candor and desire to tell the jury and
opposing counsel all he knows, though the
closest scrutiny fails to reveal point against
Brady, but as he is not government witness
it could not be expected that he would assist
that side materially. Brady has stoutly
maintained his innocence from the first, and
his friends say he came honestly by every
dollar he possesses. He is known to have
been an inveterate gambler in stocks since
the war, and it is said OF him that his first
really successful deal was in Bell telephone
stock, in which he cleared $43S000 in ten
days, from an investment of $43, 900, about
half of which was borrowed from friend to
whom he disclosed the nature of the venture
With this start he is understood to have
cleared $3,000000 or $4,000 00G, and his
friends maintain he did it honestly.
Rumor that Price Has Made an Affidavit
duplicating Brady and Kellogg.
WASHINGTON, March 23,-It is stated upon
the authority of one who has seen the docu-
ment, and whose statements are believed to
be trustworthy, that Mail Contractor James
B. Price has made an affidavit, which is now
in possession of the government, wherein he
alleges that he, on one occasion, gave ex-
Assistant Postmaster-general Brady 81, 500 in
postal draft, together with So, 500 in cash. to
corruptly influence Brady's official action
He also alleges, it is said, that on another
occasion he gave ex-senator Kellogg for a
similar purpose, $4,000 in postal drafts
drawn against his (Price's) paw as mail con-
tractor on the mail route from San Antonio
to Corpus Christi and that in addition to
the aforementioned $4,000 in drafts he also
gave Senator Kellogg note for $5, 900, all of
which paper, he deposes was paid at ma
turity. Price testified before the grand jury
yesterday. II
The Attempt to Secure a New Indictment
WASHINGTON, March 23.-It is expected
that the investigation by the grand jury OF
the evidence concerning BradySStar-route
Contractor Price and ex-senator Kellogg
I'm L.
the former grand jury returned an indict-.
ment against Brady and Price for conspiracy,
but refused to indict Kellogg. 1t is under
stood that an application will now be made
for the indictment of kellogg, based not
alone upon the testimony of John A. Walsh,
but also on that of Price and Others Mr..
Ker who presented the evidence to the
grand jury yesterday, holds that prosecu-
ton will not be barred by the statute of lin
itations, as held by some lawyers interested
in the defense of the star-route defendants.