National Republican., 1883-05-24
REQUIESCAT RERDELL.
Col, Ingesoll MetaphoriCally Nails Him in His
Coffin and Writes His Epitaph,
And Prays Gabriel Not to Blow When
He Passes Over His Grave.
He Then Proceeds to Review the Arguments Of Coun-
sci for the Prosecution.
An Effort 10 show That Rerdell Was
Promised Immunity.

Long before the criminal court was opened
a crowd Of persons had assembled at the en-
trance awaiting admission to hear the con-
tiuution Of Mr.. Ingersolls argument to the
jury in tho star route case.
lie recalled TO the jury the circumstances
surrounding the withdrawal of Rerdell of his
plea Of not guilty. He asked if it was not
wonderful that the man could not do that
without telling q falsehood. Rerdell said
that he took that action without consultation
with his counsel. Mr.. Wiltshire. When on the
stand he sworo that he talked the matter over
with his counsel, and with him went to Mr..
Morrick's house. The statement ho made to
the court was absolutely false Rerdell ad-
mitted that after he had arranged to try to
swear away the liberty OF $. w. Dorsey he at
tempted to borrow 5000 from Dor
soy just one month alter making the
affidavit on July thirteenth last, Rerdell
went 10 his attorney, Lillcy, and offered 10 go
on the stand aud robut Vale to produce some
letters injurious TO Vale. lie did not offer
60 swear against Dorsey; did not say anything
about tho pencil memorandum, the Chico let.
ter, and other papers. He only wanted to sell
some OF Naile's letters. Why2 Because IL
was all ho had. Lilcy promised TO get him
"Out Of H." Did not that mean n pardon
Yet he swore that no immunity was held out
20 him. Turning 10 judge Wylie, Mr. lngcr.
soil said that he desired 20 make the point that
whenever an accomplice, an informer, turns
states evidence, and is permitted by tho court
10 go upon the stand, there was, on the part Of
the government, an implied promise that If
he told tho truth ho should not be punished.
lie read from the whisky cases decided
opinion In favor of his point.
Judge Wylic asked what pout Mr. 1nger-
soil desired TO mako to the court.
Mr. Ingersol,. Just this point: Il appears from
the evidence that Mr. Wiltshire Rerdell's attorney,
told him when he was thinking Of going over 70
the government. OF the whisky cases. That the
usage was immomornl That when Mr.. Merrick
told him TO look TO the mercy OF the government
aud court the law gave him perfect immunity,
providing he went on the stand and told the
truth.
you are able that he Is not elling the truth.
Mr.. Ingensoll. lie is not he Is not; and II the
government acts fairly toward him, he Will not
get immunity.
Continuing Mr.. Ingersoll declared that Rer-
dell understood that the more he swore
against the defendants the better was his
chance for immunity. He knew that the
government would not complain of his lies, SO
he swore against the defendants.
Mr.. Bliss had said that the government did
not need Rerdell's evidence; that they had
enough without IL. The law forbade the en-
ployment of accomplices unless their testi-
mony was absolutely necessary TO prevent the
entire failure of justice. On this point Mr..
lngersol read decision in the Iowa reports.
The court said that it was aquestion for the
prosecuting attorney, and IL he regarded the
testimony as essential the court would not
into! icre. 1t could not accept the Iowa case
as II precedent for the guidance Of this court.
In the case of an informing accomplice he ex-
peCted that he would not be prosecuted fur
ther, and the jury must consider that.
Mr.. Ingersoll want 1t considered that when
he (RerdelD went over to the government l.J un.
uerstOOd that he WAS to get immunity.
The court OF course he did.
MIR. Ingersoll That is all / want.
"Now," said Mr.. Ingersoll, AZ will not
dwell longer upon this man. testimony. Let
us put him out of sight. Put him in his
coffin and nail it down. Let the first nail
be the affidavit of june 1881. Let the
second nail be his letter of July 5, 1882, say
ing that that affidavit was made through the
persuasion of Bosler Striking the table
violently. Drive it down. Let the third
nail be the affidavit of July 13, 1882, where
he swears that they are all perfectly limo.
cent. And tho fourth nail is the pencil
memorandum, Down with that. The fifth
is the tabular statement giving 33t per
cent. to Brady, and the sixth is the
pretended letter TO Bosler. The seventh nail
Is the pretended letter from Dorsey TO Bosler
on May 10, 1879, and the copies made by Miss
White. Drive that in. Wind his corpse up
in the balance sheets of the red books made
by Donelly. We want plate for this coffin.
Paste on there the Chico letter OF April g.
1873. Now fer the gravestone Let us take
the red books, put one at his head and one at
his feet, and let him sleep; and my prayer is
10 Gabriel when he passes over that grave
don't blow. lLaughter.l There is nat, never
was, and never will be twelve honest men
who will deprive a citizen Of liberty on the
evidence of man like Rerdell, 1t never has
happened; il never will happen"
Mr.. Ingersoll then turned his attention to
the addresses made by DIessrs. Ker and Bliss
and proceeded 10 answer them point by point
In answer to Mr. Bliss's charge that Brady
endeavorcd to secure the support of congress
in making the deficiency appropriation by
doubling the star service In the southern and
middle states, Mr. Ingersoll showed that that
service was not increased until after Brady
received the appropriation, and he declared
that congress by making that appropriation
Endorsed the policy of Postmaster General
Key OF having daily mail to every county
seat in the country. OF the alleged fraudu-
lent petitions, he said that the government
did not call to the stand man whose sigma
ture was declared to be not genuine. He took
up the double atlidavits showed the result
TO be the same in either case, and asked how
the government lost money from that cause.
Referring to Miners letter to Carey direct
ing him to silence Abbott (who had been COM
planning of the service to the Department.
with money, if necessary, Mr. Ingersoll asked
what better proof there was of the absence of
a conspiracy Why should they pay the man
ii they were in II conspiracy with Brady-
pay him not TO complain to Bradyp Mr. ker
had made a great point out of the fact that
Vaile lived at Independence, Mo-, tho home
of the James boys, where they stole horses.
Suppose he should say that Mr.. Ker came
from Philadelphia, where Phipps lived-the
man who stole the roof of the poor house.
[Laughter,l That was just as good an argu-
ment.
Ont of such things the government sought
to mako a conspiracy. When you were sus-
pcious you could extract poison from the
iairest and sweetest flowers. After all of his
misstatements Mr. Ker had closed with an
appeal to the jury to decide against the de-
PENDANTS if they were in any doubt as to the
application. He had told them that If they
made any mistake in doing so the court
would set aside their verdict. lie asked them
to turn over the defendants to the mercy of
the court
The jury was the supreme arbiter Of this
case-they alone--yet Mr. Ker had told them
to shirk their responsibility; to violate their
Oaths. That was not the law. The jury
must be bound by their oaths. Mr.. Kers
doctrine was monstrous; IL was deformed,
Such verdict would be the spawn Of coward
ice and perjury. The jury could not render
such verdict and retain their manhood. He
had never heard of SO prepOsterous and cruel
doctrine in court of justice. The jury
had been asked 10 turn over the defendants
to the mercy of the court If they were in
doubt Then what was the use of jury If
they were thus to shirk from their RESPONSE