The Evening critic., 1883-03-22
BREWSTER,S BLUNDER
In His Speech at the First STAR
Route Trial Told as Merrick Re.

A great deal has been said about this trial,
as the readers OF the NelCS may have observed
There Is one story about the former trial,
however, that has never appeared In print,
which illustrates the utter imbecllity of so
much Of the prosecution as was represented
in the person of Attorney.General Brewster.
In his speech In the former case he alluded
repeatedly TO the large sums of money that
had been stolen by defendants under the pre-
tense OF expeditipg the routes. Judge Wylle
finally suggested that 1t would be better to
specify the particular cases In which fraud
had been committed as shown by the evidence.
Brewster was not prepared to do this, although
ber of cases which the Government alleged
were fraudulent. Merrick saw Brewster's
confusion, and taking up copy of
the evidence, hastily wrote upon the
margin ''such and such a case, 4S3, case so
and SO, 575," naming the routes and intend
ing to Indicate the number of the page by the
dozen or more were thus enumerated.
Brewster eagerly grasped the book, and
mlstaking the figures expressing the number
OF the page for the amounts alleged to be
stolen, he said with ring of triumph In his
voice: "The Court very properly asks me to
enumerate the cases In which the defendants
species Of public thieving called eXpediting
Star-Routes. 1t is not necessary that should
do more than refer to some OF the more ag-
gravated instances In which these plunderers
OF the Treasury succeeded in their nefarlous
schemes" Adjusting his spectacles on his
phenomenally picturesque nose, and clear.
luB lib tuIOdt, u6 pIUCtoucu III Ills ulOSJ
impressive manner 81 find that in such
and such case these men filched from
the Government the sum OF 1888, in case
so and SO, the sum Of s575, In case =" Here
Merrick succeeded in getting hold of Brewster
and whispering in his ear: "Damn 1t, man,
those figures represent the pages on which the
cases are to be found, not the amounts" and
Brewster, thus promptly corrected, managed
to get out OF his dilemma without letting the
counsel for the defense into the cause of his
blunder, and the story was kept very closely
until the other day, when Merrick let 1t out In
this way. 1t has been remarked with some
surprise that Brewster rarely ever appears in
the courtroom while the present trial is going
on, and has taken no part In 1t. A Western
Senator, meeting Merrick the other day,
asked him why II was that Brewster behaved
so. Merrick hesitated a minute.
"Oh, you needn't tell me II there is any
State secret about It," said the Senator.
"There is nothing of that kind" quickly re.
sponded Merrick, Shut the truth Is Brewster's
official duties were such as to seriously I'M
pair his services tn the former trial, and he
came very near making blunder shat would
have afforded Ingersoll's inimitable gift of
satire and ridicule chance to laugh US out of
court. In fact he did commit the blunder, but
succeeded in stopping him and covering up
his ludicrous mistake before the lawyers on
the other side discovered it," and then Mer-
rick told the story have tried to relate,
laughing heartily at the Joke 1t would be on
"a great Philadelphia lawyer" II 1t should
ever get out.-IIdsh. Cor. Cincinnati Ne,cs.