The Indianapolis journal., 1883-03-07

cumstances. Witness explained that when
this filling in and interlining was done, the
parties purposely disguised their handwrit-
ing, so that, speaking from the writing alone
it would, in many cases, be impossible to
say who did the writing. While awaiting
witnesses from the postotfice to show
the revenues of the routes, some
argument took place upon the admisibility
of evidence to show the practice of Brady's
successors in regard to expedition Mr..
Bliss said Routt, who had preceded Brady,
made but a dozen such orders, for inconsider-
able amounts, whilst Brady beginning with
twenty orders for large amounts in his first
year, ran the number up to seventy or eighty
in his second year. He therefore thought it
proper to introduce such evidence in proof of
the charge of improper expedition. Mr.. In
gersoll argued that during Mr.. Routt's term
the country was suffering from a panic, and
that the government had been compelled to
retrench equally with individuals. The
court said that the matter had been disposed
of during the first trial; it was too large and
vague an inquiry to go into at this stage of
the proceedings.
After recess Mr.. Ker proceeded to examine
several postoffice and auditors clerks to
prove the revenues and productiveness of the
different routes. In answer to an objection
from Mr.. Wilson, the Court said it did not
understand that the evidence was presented
to show that Brady knew how small were
the revenues from the routes, but the law re-
quired that expedition be made with due re-
gard to produchveness, and if an officer
made expedition without such regard then it
was proper matter of inquiry. The Court
refused to allow Mr. Wilson to ask one clerk
if the knew how many star routes paid ex-
penses, holding that it was not subject
proper to touch upon in cross-examination.
The defense having objected that the evil
dence of productiveness did not come down
to a recent date, the court replied If they
thought they could show that Brady was so
far-sighted as to perceive that expedited
routes would be productive within 4 few
years he ought certainly to have the credit
for that course.
Mr. Ingersoll declared that as a matter OF
fact, there was not star-route west of the
Mississippi river that was not operated at q
loss. He referred to the early days of the
overland route, where the government car
ried at q cost of So 4 letter. for which they
received cents now. He inquired where
were they to draw the line.
The court again quoted the Limitation i'm
posed by law upon expedition allowances
Certainly government evidence was compe-
tent when it embraced a statement of the
revenues for two quarters before and after
the expedition orders. If the defense could
show that there had been no abuse of power
and that the orders had been wisely made,
they should not be excluded because the
government had not gone that far.
BY mutual agreement council waived the
reading of a number of official papers, and
Mr.. Merrick said: THAT is the governments
case, Your Honor"
As it wanted only an hour of the usual
time of adjournment upon motion of Mr..
Gngersoll the court adjourned. The defense
are expected to begin their case tomorrow.