The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-04-10
THE sTAR-RoUTE TRIAL.
Miner, on the Witness-Stand, Contradicts
Rerdell's Testimony.

Miner, on the Witness-Stand, Contradicts
Rerdell's Testimony.
WASHINGTON, April 9.-In the star-route
trial John R. Miner, defendant, was called.
He testified that he had lived IN Ann Arbor,
Mich, last year. Previous to that he had
lived at Sandusky, O., where he had been as
sociated with S. w. Dorsey in business en-
terprises IN 1877. Witness met Peck, and
they concluded to "take fly" at the mail
contract business. Witness told how he met
Boone, John Dorsey, and other contractors,
and of the difficulties experienced in secur-
ing bondsmen, his statements agreeing with
the other evidence already given for the de-
fense. Witness said the Kansas, Ne
braska and Dakota routes were di-
vided between John Dorsey and Boone,
and the remainder were assigned to Miner
Peck d Co. The Oregon routes were sublet
to contractor who failed, and witness came
on to Washington and tried to get rid of the
contracts; tried to give them away as a holy
gilt to several persons, Vale among Others
Vale declined at first, but consented to see
Brady and tried to get an extension of time
allowed for putting on service. He succeeded
in getting an extension until Aug. 16 Wit
ness then started Moore for Oregon, and did
what he could to put on the service by the
appointed time, but it was q work of great
difficulty, and witness, through Vale, ap-
piled to Brady for another formal exten-
sion, but the request was refused. Vale
went home, leaving an offer for witness's
consideration to take up the service of Miner
Peck q Co., if they should be declared failing
contractors, thereby protecting them from
loss and securing an extension of sixty days
There was little fnessing in that, witness
admitted. The offer was accepted, and drafts
upon the routes were given Vale, who re-
turned to Washington in the fall of 1878.
Witness saw Brady twice before the indict-
ment was returned. Upon the first occasion
went to secure an extension of time for put
ting on service. He bluffed me pretty nearly
out of my boots" said witness, "and | did
not go near him until the spring of 1881
when l went to see him about theater box"
Witness denied in the most positive
terms that he or any of the defendants to his
knowledge had ever conspired to defraud the
government. Senator Dorsey was member
of the railroad committee, and in the course
of his inspection of the Northern Pacific
railroad had been impressed with a glowing
notion of the possibilities of Eastern Oregon
and he thought the bids upon routes in that
country had been worked too high. One of
them was reduced to $1,000 by his sugges-
tion, and the contractors lost more than that
sum from their reliance upon his Judgment
Witness had written in every figure in the
bidding book. Specific denals were made
of nearly everything of import
ance included in Rerdells tes-
timony affecting the witness. Rerdell
had not been promised that his route
white river-Rawlins) would be increased
Anything he did in connection with that
route was upon his own responsibility. Wit
ness said he and Rerdell had quarreled on
the avenue one day in the spring of 1879
and witness told Rerdell if he ever smoke TO