The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1883-04-05
DORSEY'S DEAL
stnr Route Trial.

Star Route Trihi'
WASHINGTON, March 2S.-Crowds OF pee
ple were awaiting at the entrances OF the
'nal courtroom this morning before
10 - Of the proceedings in the star
route eoN der the stringent reg'1a-
tions impos,. 9s- 'rshal, few persons
WE'RE WE'RE, admitted be:. % q ,mbers of the bar
and others having business in the court
room.
After making a few unimportant correc.
tions in the record, Mr.. Dorsey continued
his testimony. His letter to postmaster
Clendennin, of Fort Smith, Arkansas, was
produced, stating he was not to allow Root,
Kearn and others TO kno" isOofsey's)
reouest for the approval Of bonds.
He explained that the persons referred 70
were prominent mail contractors, and 1t
was yery important that they should know
nothing of the proposed bids, or they
might knowingly underbid for the service.
Tho letter to Postmaster Haycock was also
read. and some explanation given in regard
to that. Counsel offered to prove that
the letter had been written at Boone's sug-
gestion, but the court overruleu tne oHeT'
Witness said the bonds sent TO thesc post,
m
conseouently never used; he had no inter-
est in The contracts, and his attempt to, Sc
cure the bond was friendly act; had
done the same thing for other persons,
notably MAYOR Adams, for whom he Sc
cured bonds for $640,000; that was also
only friendly act; referring 70 peneli
entries of figures in the route-pooK. ne sal9
that Miner brought the book 10 MIN, anu
he charged only two entries, could not re,
member routes or figures; had advanced
money (about $4,000 or $1,000 to John ".
Dorsey Il Co.: total of sums loaned to all
Peck. Miner and John Dorsey-was $l3,-
200. exclusive of $4,000 afterwards paid to
Peck andI$1O,O0O paid to John Dorsey; the the
last transaction was with Miner, III ot.
Louis, in July, 1878; witness gave Two notes
to Miner, who had them discounted at the
German-American bank; Miner deposited
$50 600 in postal drafts as security witness
ret,lrnd to Washington about December l,
1878. foupd that the bank had failed
and that Miner and Peck had taken ' Valle In
to partnership, to protect Vale, Miner act,
ing as agent for Dorsey and feck nau
transferred large number OF suD-contracls
to him; the effects OF that operauon was u
destroy the security deposited with the
hank. witness was not consulted about
taking Vaile into business; after some dlf-
ficulty he gave another note, and got Valle
to give a note for security Tor his original
notes. aud both of them were retained IN
the bank; up to the time OF witness leaving
the senate, the relations between Vaile and
| himself were strained, because Wltness
advances had not been repaid and Peck and
John Dorsey had been cut out OF business.
| after much consultation an arrangement
| was finally entered into, March, 1873, by
| which witness took one-third OF the routes,
about thirty in number, and paid Peck ana
John Dorsey $4,000 each; employed heer,
dell to attend to these routes, Some tiine III III
April, 1879, but he retained his position I'm IN
the district government until May, noaS.
Reerdell took general charge OF the routes;
he was not instructed to open any BOOKS;
there was no occasion for it; witness had
his owl, books; Reerdell did keep route
book. hut witness did not see it until year
afterwards. Witness described his move,
ments in detail during 1878, lS'o
1880, and subsequent 10 lhe
division of the routes; witness nlaue
an arrangement with James Bosler IN reia-
tion to routes could not say whether the
arrangement was made here or in New
| York: Reerdell remained in charge OF the
routes after that arrangement; witness
never had any connection with routes held
| by Miner and Vale after the, diVisloni
tnever realized any profits from. them, ana i
| dil not see Miner and Vale alter that uhtii
| tlie begiuning of this action; witness recoi-
| lection in regard to his thirty routes was
thatin some cases drafts were given to INN
Towering the entire contract period, ana
other ssnb-contracts were given; Reerdell
also held some sub-contracts; was III
| Washington on April 3, 1875
| date OF the Chico Springs letter.; never
| saw Andrsg W. Moore but once, and did
not know him; in July, 1878, Moore was at
witness house.
Inpersoll read from Moore's testimony
| his sIatemenrof his interview with Dorsey
about mail service:
Witness declared he never had conver-
sation of three words with Moore IN the
world; his statement was lie made out OF
whole cloth; witness gave checks to Miner
in April, 1873, but did rot know wnetner
| or not they were ever intended for Moore;
perhaps Miner had told him something oi
| That kind, but witness did not remember;
the So. 500 checks which Moore said had
been given him was given to Miner, Peck
& CO.. nearly all of Moore's statements
concerning witriess were denied IN the
broadest and most emphatic terms;
witness did not recollect that he had
ever been requested to help Miner pre-,
pare bids; Miner stopped at witness
house, as his guest, during December, 1881
and had use Of &c upper ofiicej " Reerdeil
| aid any work for witness at that time IL
consisted only of writing few letters,
when he called at the house during the
evening; witness had nothing to do with
the preparation of proposals on that mem
orable night, a. testified to by keerden; .he
only grain offruth in that story was the
circumstancel of bis sending Reerdell 10
| Boone's house for box of papers; witness
reason for taking such an active interest IN
the success OF the business and for sending
Reerdell out to help John Dorsey start the
| Tongue River route was 10 protect
friends who had become bondsmen on con,
| tracts from the disastrous consequences ol
| failure of any OF the routes in reference 10
Reerdells statements that he had been in
structed to establish a side post-otfice on
| the Tongue River route, witness SAID thai
| n was utterly untrue; his statement was a
| falsehood, nor was Il truA that be had IN
structed Reerdell to bu-ri = station on that
route, solely with the view to expedition
did give Reerdell some letters OF lntroduc-
htiop TO prominent persons, but did not ie-
member saying anything about petitions.
A. Il. Boone, =. l.. Carpenter and James
| l.. Callan appearei as witnesses before the
grand iury Today. Ii is understood that
charges have been preferred against J. X.
/ Colegrove and John l.. French, Brady's
/ chief clerk, while the latter was senond as
sistsnt postmaster-generaL IL y aileuseo sl
that Coiegrove under-bid other contractors
] for service on certain star-rOutes and then Tor
reconsideration threw mp service 30 that tem-
Dorarv contracts might be awarded by
] French At exorbitsnt ngures 10 other per-
( sons. IL is expected that presentmenis
will be made BY the grand jury.
Witness had no recollection OF ever ming
m the affadavits connected with routes.
Some Of these papers were presented 70
him by Ingersoll. he said; II can see,
I am sorrv 10 say" He also denied having
Insfructad Reerdell to Gil IN afIadayits
Otber conversations sworn 10 by Resrdcll
were denied in toto. The Smith and Jones
memorandum was produced. witness
aid positively. Il n yer gave
thef paper 20 Reerden At any
time or any place, OF for any purpose. 70
any human beingin the world ! am speak
irc III he peper as an entirety; gave items
In the first part Of the paper 20 Wilber p.
heiloes ~ - -, :. Tr-.,,.rv Is7an W5t-