The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-03-28
THE STAR-ROUTE INQUIRY
concluded from First Page.

Corpus Christi to San Antonio, Tex In 1879,
oelns desirous OF having the number of trips
said route, to the end that his
annual pay might be increased and the
route thereby rendered profitable. afiant
caused TO be circulated petitions for Signatures
OF cit zens living along the line of the road re.
questing that the Postmaster-gene increase
the number of trips and reduce the running
time. These petitions having been numerously
signed by influential citizens and officials. were
handed by affiant to a friend in Washington for
presentation to the Postoffice Department for its
action. This effort met with no success.
Athant then applied in person to Senator KEEL
iogg, whom he had known for many years, say
ing TO him, of you succeed in increasing my pay
OF this route and that on the one from Shreye-
Kellogg said he would see Second AS
sistant Postmaster-general Brady, ana
learn OF him what could be done. ,
$4,000 each for the hereinafter named quarters
on the route from Corpus Christi TO San Antonio.
These drafts we're drawn on the 10th of july,
1879 and before the order was issued grantif>
af11ant increase of pay on this route A sho..
while afterward, Senator Kellogg reporting TO
handed to said Kellogg $4,000 of postal drafts
drawn against his tatfiantsl pay for the follow
!, June so, September 30, and December 81,
1880, and March 81, 1881. In addition
to the above, atiiant gave said Kellogg
his promssorY note for $4,000, payable
in four months. with collateral attached
thereto, to secure payment of the same.
This collateral consisted Of Shakespeare mining
stock and a note drawn by Mail Contractor Hugh
White, and indnrsed by Mail Contractor Monroe
salisbury. All of this paper was paid at matu-
rity. Senator Kellogg told affa2t that the note
and drafts had been given to John A. Walsh, u
banker in Washington, for collection.
Mr. Walsh testified on his examination, that
he received from Senator Kellogg the paper
mentioned in Prices affidavit, but that one-half
of the $4,000 referred to was for account of
Kellogg, and one-half was to be credited to
Brady in his account with Walsh in the latters
pacty of banker The Monroe Salisbury referred
to in Prices affidavit as indorser of Whites note
q contractor whose
the subject of arbtrationl
Af1ant further AYERS that he approached,
during the tendency of the congressional inves-
tigation of 1879 and 1880, or after it, by one A.
81. Brown, mail contractor, and formerly
Po5tofice clerk, who requested affiant to con-
tribute his (affiants) share to fund raised by
contractors to pay expenses alleged to be Incl
dental to the passage of the starroute deficiency
appropriation bill OF 1879 and 1880. Mr.. Brown
represented himself the treasurer of the
fund, and told affiant that his (affantsl shaHs
was S5 900, at the same time showing him
list of contractors, with the amount paid
by each Atfisnt replied to this request
that, owing to Indian depredations, loss of ami
mails thereby, ETC., etc., he was in no condition
to respond, although he (atfant) satisfied him
self that the contractors had paid.
Owing to curtailmeht of his mail service, by
reason of railway extension and other causes,
affiant was left, about this time with number
of horses, mail wagons and other "plant" neces-
sary to the conduct of mail transportation
things which were almost valueless unless he
had work for them. Afiant thereupon applied
to Brady for a temporary oontraet-i. e., a con-
tract without any competition from other bid
ders, from socorro to Silver City, N. NJ This
request met with negative response from
Brady, but afterwards atfiant determined to
call upon Brady again and suggested to him that
If he (Bradyl would give atfiant the aforemen-
toned contract, viz: SOeorro to Silver City, af-
faint would pay the "Brown assessment" AT.
fant did this, with the result that a few days
afterward Brady gave him the temporary con-
tract asked for at the rate OF Sal, 1872 per an
mum.
PAYING THE MONEY.
1t was then that afliant put into an envelope
$500 ON in eur currency and two postal drafts
on hls mail route No. 81 ,120-Indianola
to Corpus s Christi D. Tex-for ,o the
and after addressing the envelope to A. H.
Brown, and marking it valuable" placed the
same on the desk of Second Assistant Postmas-
ter-general Brady, asking the latter to
see that Brown got the same, to which BrSdy
"grunted an assent after his usual manner5
a iiant did this knowing that Brown meant
Brady IN this case.
Walsh, In his examination. during the first
star-route trial, testified that Chase Andrews,
mail contractor, asked him TO contribute the sum
of SIS, 900 TO the fund which is mentioned ins
Prices affidavit, and that Brady insisted on
charging him with this $4,000 in settling his
tBrady'sl Indebtedness for moneys borrowed.
Walsh also testified that the two drafts for ST.
$50 each, which Price alleges he placed in an
envelope on Brady's desk, were the same drafts
which were given to HIM (Walsh) by Brady on
account of the latter's Indebtedness to him.
Afiant further alleges that. having been given
a river contract ION the Osage) for carrying Uni
ted States mails, he directed the secretary OF his
Daniel Murphy, of st. Louis, Mo-, to buy $500 OF
New York exchange, to indorse it In blank, and
TO mail it to Brady. All of which, afiant says,
Murphy told him he did.
Affiant further says that when investigation of
star route matters was agitated. Senator kellogg
became very nervous Inanifesting therein, how /,
ever, more concern for himself than for any
else. The filing of the suit of John A. Walsh,
banker. against Brady. about this time, greatly
alarmed atfiant, but Kellogg fastened to assure
him that everything would be all right;
that he had simply to keep quiet, and that he
(KeloggJ would see that no harm befel him. In
May, 1881, some very alarming indications pre-
sented themselves, resulting in Senator Kel-
logg's sending, on May 16, 1881, special mes
senger to affiiant, who was then stopping at th
Fifth-avenue Hotel, New York, This messenger
came from Washington, where Senator Kellogg
then was. The burden OF the message was cal
culated and intended to assure affiant
and allay any fears he might have touching
the star-route investigation. then in its incpent
stages. Kellogg repeatedly told atfiant that no
harm would come to him, and all that he had to
do was to remain quiet, and that this "whole
matter OF star route investigation would end In
smoke"
Affiant then refers to a certain occasion, when
Kellogg telegraphed to him at Philadelphia
(affant being then in that city,, saying that he ,
(KelIogg) was going on to Washington from New
York, and would stop over and see him; this he
did, being accompanied by Judge Jeremiah Will
son. On this occasion Kellogg again sought to
encourage and reassure affiant, and babe him
have no fear as to the outcome of the investiga-
ton.
AS to the disposition made of the proceeds of
the Corpus Christi and San Antonio drafts, to-
gether with the note Of IS 900, aggregating in
all $4,000, affiant SAYS that Kellogg some
times told him that he (Kellogg) had given all to
Brady deriving no benefit therefrom personally;
at other times he said that he had derived but
So, 600 therefrOm
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