Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-03-31
FROM WASHINGTON.
THE STAR ROUTE.
As Little Progress TODAY as Usual.
WASHINGTON. Mar 80.

bic TO ind q certain check required Dy Mer-
rick. He had over II 600 checks and they
were pretty well mixed up.
Merrick asked the witness to produce his
bank book on the German-American savings
bank, which he refused to do, and was sus-
tanned by the court,
Boone's testimony was then taken up. The
witness said il was accurate in all respects
save one, that the witness had promised him
a third interest in the business. What he
did tell Boone was, he thought, an arrange
ment that would be agreed TO by Peck and
job, Dorsey. and the witness believed Boone
had so testified in the former trial.
Question-Were you not creating cause
thar was to move him.
Postmaster Haycock and Peck were init
mate friends. The witness had not men,
toned Peck name in his letter TO Haycock,
because he did not wish other contractors 10
lem that Peck was a bidder. Al Miners
request had paid Moore $500, and sent Rer-
dell to fetch pigeon holes from Booue's house.
He did not reeollect directing the insertion
of clause providing for expedition in sub
contracts. He had no recollection of having
seen the sub-contracts up to February 1873,
OF OF changing a form prepared by Boone.
A searching examination was based upon the
sub-contract clause providing for expedition.
but the witness steadily denied all recollec-
ton on that point.
The witness said he saw the bid book only
once whel the bids were in preparation; he
believed that Miner. and not Boone, filed in
the figures, and the witness went over the
book with Miner. The witness made some
changes in the amounts proposed to be bid,
but did not change the bids themselves; re-
membered that he changed two sets of fig
ures in this way on the Bismarck. Tongue
D-1x H.
explained his reasons for suggesting reduc
tions on the two routes named, saying he
felt confident that the rapid growth and de-
velopment OF the country would make them
paving routes through the increased freight
and passenger business.
The witness had no expectation of getting
the Dallas Baker City route expedited when
he suggested reduction of the bid. He had
no know ledge of spoiled bids, spoken of by
Boone, ard said the gentleman would have to
ask Miner about that.
Merrck-Will have chance?
A.-You will.
The Court-You are laying out a good
deal of work for US.
Davidge-They called for the defendant
your Honor.
The witness in explain Wing his reasons for
taking an active part in the business of July,
y,
partners to the amount of S26. 900, which had
been used 20 secure certified checks for de-
posts in the postoffice department. If they
bad failed to put on the service the notes
would have come back upon him. The notes
were given to the Vermont bank of St.
Adams and the Second National Bank of
Santa Fe.
An apparently personal letter from John
Dorsey to the witness was acknowledged by
the latter to be genuine, 'but don't see how
it got into this case" said he.
lngersoll-Rerdell kept it as voucher
daughter
Merrick-There seems to have been a dis
tribution of papers between you and some
of them which should have been in the Gus
tody of the other. In the letter John Dorsey
says he is glad that Vale has bought out.
The witness said his recollection was that
he wrote his brother that Vale had
cut him out" and that John Dorsey had mis-
understood it. He could not have said
''bought out" because it was not so. When
witness returned to Washington in December
he found Vale had filed the subcontracts.
Q-Vaile was trying to swindle the whole
party, was he not!
Al dun't know that he was. | was an
noyed at the time, but afterwards | saw that
he could not have done otherwise than file
the sub contracts to cut off the drafts. Wit
ness had not seen it since he sent it to John
Dorsey.
He was pressed to procure the letter or
state its contents, but, moving his hand, he
exclaimed. II have no recollection of such
little rubbish as that.
Merrick-We have to look in rubbish to
find certain things.
Davidge-And you don't find them there.
Witness supposed the letter produced by
Merrick, from John Dorsey, had been stolen
in 1887, but declined to say who stole it.
sYou mean Rerdell don't your" inquired
Merrick,
"a contemptuous laugh was witness only
answer.
Merrick reiterated the question and wit
ness said Rerdell seemed to be well pleased
with the letter
He refused to return any more definite
answer. He said he regarded that letter as
perfectly innocent and attached no i'm port
ance to the question.
Merrick-You don't seem to attach any
Importance to any of my questions.
Witness-I don't know. l should think
nobody else would
The witness said he had examined his let
ter books. They were much mutilated;
someone tad gone through them and Quilted
gu, about six hundred pages. Had seen some
of Pages books since them in this trial. The
books were now at the witness house, but
had been offered under restrictions in evi.
dence in court, and rejected few days ago.
Merrick read in evidence q letter to l.. j
Brady, dated Marck "a, 1879, signed by the
witness for Peck and John Dorsey. Dorsey
says that, being duly empowered to act for
Peck and John Dorsey, he protests against
subcontracts on file in the name of H. NJ.
Vale, and demands that they be cancelled
after April lst. Witness thought he first
heard of the filing the sub-contracts in De-
cember 1873.
Merrick inquired why he had waited till
March before writing to Brady.
Witness-For this simple reason. don't
know what you are trying TO reach, John
Dorsey and Peck being absent, aud in the
Senate. | thought that it would be an i'm
prayer thing for me to do while l was in the
Senate.
the witness thought he had his authority
for writing the letter in the winter of 1889.
Did net assume control of the business
without authority. Had power of attorney
upon every route. but could not say whether
he had them before March 4th.
Merrick began an inquiry in relation to
letters of authorization. The witness did
not know where the letters were, and insinu-
ated that Rerdell was better informed.