The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-03-17
THE STAR ROUTES.
Brady Still Under Cross-Examina.
ton
The Witness Cool and self-Possessed,

The Witness Cool and Self.POssessed.
WASHINGTON, March 16.-After some delay
from difficulty experienced in filling the
panel OF the grand fury in the Criminal Court
this morning, Mr.. Brady took the stand aud
was further eross-examined by Mr.. Bliss. He
ala not remember that any incongruity in Mr..
Miners atfidavits upon the Tongue river route
nad attracted his attention. The temporary
contracts originally ran for six months, but the
term was afterwards extended to one year. A
contract might have been discontinued in order
10 70, put on better service and for other reasons
1he power of the second assistant in that re-
spect was broad, but in all other cases except
Wnsfe the service was discontinued for cause,
such as failure to perform service, it was re-
qulrement OF law that the contractor be al
lowed one month s extra pay.
Mt Bliss instanced the Tongue river route
ana asked how the contract vas to be made
prontable by expedited when it was losing
contract at the old schedule.
Ihe witness answered, "You will have to
ask tne contractors about that"
Questlon-You stated that you expedited it
10 MAKE 1t profitable to the contractor How?
Answer-Expedited so as to get good service.
SAID we preferred to help the contractors
ratnei than oppress them. Wherher it did or
NOT IS matterdor them
MI DilSS pfts5eu Ln6 Qu6StlOQ IN a euG
form, the witness answering that he would not
like q take q tri-weekly service without expe-
dition when he was losing money on one trip
per week. When expedition was added, how
ever, it seemed to benefit contractors. How
the witness didn't know. That was question
for the contractors.
Mr. Bliss asked why the witness had length
eDed the schedule time.
He answered that it was only just when the
schedule had been fixed and the contract taken
on misstatement of distance.
Q.-Then why did you tell Judge Kdder you
could not do it on the Vermillion and Sioux
Falls route?
A.-Because S. I don't remember that there
was any such misstatement of distance.
Mr.. Bliss asked if the service was ever put
up for an individual.
The witness said he sometimes accommodate
very we'll treated when he was Assistant Post
master General He thought it had resulted
in a better service.
Mr.. Bliss-Don't you know the Post Office
Department is now sef-sustaining?
Al do, but that is not through any curtail-
ment of the Star service. 1t only results from
the increased sale OF stamps.
Mr. Bliss-Did you always get expedited SER
vice at the lowest possible rates?
Al did
The witness was asked why he allowed q
contractor so much more for expedition than
ltS dCtual SOsb as SHOWN Dy ulleQ SuD contracts.
lie answered that he was not dealing with sub
contractors. A contractor was held for service
summer and winter. A sub contractor was not
bound to the Department and could throw up
the service any time in the middle of the win
ter, when contractor was bound to immedi-
ately restore the service It was not the prac-
tice to increase and expedite route whore the
service was being already inadequately per
formed.
Witness did not know there had been two
affidavits upon one of the routes under discus
sion, and SO had no explanation to offer in re-
lation to the instance cited by Mr.. Bliss, where
the affidavit most favorable TO the contractor
had been accepted
Mr.. Bliss then took up the report of the pro-
ceedings in the Congressional committee and
asked witness If his statements then made
were true. He asserted they we're. He said If
it was necessary to expedite route and the
contractor insisted upon pro rata compensation
1t would be necessary to allow it or continue
the service on the old schedule
Mr.. Bliss-What would be done il the figure
was too high under this rule?
Ave would say, old fellow, you will have
to come down and make another proposition
Meanwhile we would continue the old service.
Some discussion took place in relation to this
point, MIR. Bliss contending that the contractor
could not be forced to carry the mail on basis
OF actual number of mon and animals used re-
gardless of contractors affidavit.
Witness presumed that the Congressional in
vestigation of 1880 had been brought on by his
request for deficiency appropriation of $2-
000,e00.
He was asked If he did notsay that he had
spent ", 500. 900 of the total appropriation of
100000 for 1879 before the first of January
1879.
His answer was that he did not remember
vi fcourse the official papers would show. He
did, not know how many orders for expedi.
tion he made while Second Assistant Post
master General. There were a number of
them, over hundred bat the Po stmaSter
General made some Probably in number the
witness made most, but the Postmaster Gem
eral made orders for larger amounts
Bliss-Don't you know that you made ten
times the number of orders made by your pre-
decessors-Routt and Tyner?
Answer-Oh, presume did. | thought
myself ten times better as an Assistant Post
master General than they were together
U1aughter) Tyner and Jewell did little in
expedition. 1t was not part of the Jewellian
policy to increase star route or steamboat SER
vice
Question--You spoke of Congress approving
your acts. Where do you find that?
Answer-I regarded the granting of the de-
ficiency appropriation as an approval.
Question-Was as that the only basis?
Answer (Sharply.) That was enough
Question-Did they give you all that you
asked?
Answer-No but they gave me enough.
Question-Then you asked for more than
you needed?
Answer Yes, for more than enough to
make up the deficiency The witness did not
take any official notice of sub-contractors as a
rule.
Odd you not say to William Lilley in
August, 1880 thai if a sub-contract on Mineral
Park route was given to certain persons
named you would cut the service down to one
trip per week.
r Tobs, AZ
The Court-Yes, that must be done.
Bliss-One Jennings.
lngersoll-I object again.
Merrick argued that the witness must an
swer every question and cited a mass of cases
as authority.
the stand he was protected in the same degree
as other witnesses and the same thing was
true at the cross-examination. But the ques-
tion might be asked, 1t depended altogether
upon the nature OF the answer whether or not
it could be rebutted..
The question was again put and witness an
swered that he did not remember having had
any such conversation. He had felt like saw
ing such things about Jennings because he
rendered such miserable service. He remem-
bered the San Antonio Corpus Christi route
and contractor, James P. Price.
Bliss produced one of the drafts and asked
if witness bad ever had tho paper in his pos
session.
Wilson objected. Meanwhile witness close
ly examined the paper.
Merrick expressed his intention Of showing
that these two drafts for $3.50 each and $2500
in money had been placed upon Brady's desk
while he was acting as second assistant post
master general by the contractor on this route
for corrupt purpose. He proposed to show
that another bill for $500 from Daniel Murphy
of st. Louis payable to Murphy's order, had
been sent to Brady for similar corrupt pur-
pose. They expected to show they had a di.
rect relation to expedition and putting on the
service on certaid routes. He argued that it
was competent matter for either direct or
cross examination. The government expected
to show to the jury corrnpt motives on Brady IS
part, said Mr.. Merrick, and he cited a1thori-
ties to show that it was proper to investigate
these motives.s Here was similar transaction
same corruption, same manipulation as those
srecited in the Indictment. Here was proof
OF the corrupt motives Of this man. Gould it
not be fully inferred that he had done the same
with regard to routes set out in the indict-
ment.
The court inquired if Merrick believed that
it made no difference if conspiracy was eharg-
ed IN relation to certain designated routes The
gentleman promptly replied that it made no
difference. They would show that he dragged
his white robes of Office in the gutter at the
bidding and for pay ofother men in reference
to other routes, and that too at the same time