National Republican., 1883-02-24
A RAID ON RERDELL.
Col. IngersOll Puts Him Through a Fairly
Vigorous Cross Examination.
He Tells How Dorsey Threatened Hin
at WiIlards Hotel,
Intimating that He Had Him in His Grasp and Pro
posed 10 Keep Him There.
Comments OF Counsel on the Belrort
Check story.

! HlOInlnR,
Rerdcll again took the stand. He de-
sired to make several corrections in the test-
mony already given. The only one of signif-
cance related TO the stubs of the check books
upon which witness made entries ny Dorscy's
direction. The defense objected to his cor
recting this statement after reading his tcs-
timony, SO rs to reconcile IL with other
evidence. According to the record he had said
check booL.
The court decided TO allow the correction
without prejudice 10 the defense.
Rcrdcll said IL should have been check books
Mr.. lngersoll then resumed the crOss-cXami-
nation. Referring to the interview with
Dorsey at Willard's hotel on July ~, 1882
the witness said he left the court room with
Dorsey at his request and went TO the hotel.
They proceeded TO Dorscy's room, when
Dorsey locked the door aud commenced the
conversation very abruptly. He referred to
Rcrdclfs going over to the government and
said: But you reckon without your host (;
| have got you in my grasp, and propose to
hold you there. ! can send you TO the pcni-
tentiary for perjury. | have got those letters
and propose to publish them. Now, / have
written out what / want | want you to go
and copy it. Take 1t to q notary public and
swear to It. j can have you arrested before
night, If want" Witness did not recollect
anything not even n sentence, of what he
sulu III GtplNs lnt fOuNtGsillOu WAS III bl
one side. Witness was completely crushed
Mr. Ingersoll. Didn't it occur to you when
you got out with that pencil affidavit in the
handwriting of S. w. Dorsey that you had au
advantage?
A. 1t did not
Q. You felt equally in his power then9
A. did.
Witness then supposed he could be prose-
cuted for perjury in making the first affidavit.
Did not think of demonstrating with Dorsey
for his devilish threats and of reminding him
of the affecting circumstances under which
that paper had been given. After making
the affidavit on the day following witness
| went TO Dorsey's room at the hotel; Boslcr
was there with Dorsey. Didn't say any thing
to Boslcr abont his being imprisoned in that
room ON the day before; nor did he tell him
how he came to make the affidavit. Dorsey
read the paper and directed witness to write
in the word statement" which he did Dor
sey then wrote in the words "and others. y
Striking match, Dorsey burned the pencil
draft Of the affidavit.
Mr., ngersol asked the witness what point
Dorsey wanted covered in the affidavit of
July 10, 1882, that had been omitted in the
affidavit of June %, 1881, and what reason
Dorsey gave.
Witness did not remember that hb gave any
reason aud it may have been only an infer
ence of his why he Dorsey wanted the last
affidavit.
q. DO you remember saying to him, "You
| are now threatening to prosecute me for
perjury in making one affidavit; how do
know that you will not have me indicted fol
making anothcrp
A. do not remember saying that. Moth
ing of that kind occurred to me.
The witness referred TO the hotel affidavit
and said that after the words "as an act OF
justice" there had been added at tho hotel
the words, to S, W, Dorsey, J, w. Bosler,
and other persons alluded to-" The addition
had been made before the paper was sworn to
Mr.. 1ngersoll sharply asked him If he had
not made this statement after noticing that
the passage had been written in ink darker
than the remainder of the affidavit. Witness
said that fact had refreshed his recollecton
, had conversation with Inspector Woodward
before making his affidavit to Attorney Gen
eral MacVeagh
@. Did you tell him in an interview at
the Arlington hotel in June, 1873, the post
master general being present, that the per.
sons comprising the firm interests in the bid.
of 1873 were j. w. Dorsey, Peck, Miner, and
A. f. Boone.
Mr. Merrick objected, but the question wal
allowed.
The witness answered that he certainly
told them who were the contractors, but as t
who composed the firm he did not think hi
did did not remember then stating thai
Dorsey had loaned money to the firm; would
not say that he did not make such a state
ment: did not remember telling Woodward
that Dorsey gave w. ii. Turner 500 or 2,00t
shares Of mining stock to influence his ofiicia
actions; did show them memorandum t
that effect.
Q. Did you tell Woodward that Dorsey
gave James n. Tyner 1000 shares of thu
, same mining stock that he had given Il
Turner to influence in some way his ofiicia
actions?
A. do not remember telling him that
remember showing memorandum.
q. In whose handwriting was that memo
randum?
A. In the handwriting of s. w. Dorsey.
q, Did you explain it to them2
A, don't think did; l thought it ex
planned itself.
Q. What did you do with that memoran
DUN?
, A. 1t was in my office when last saw it
! That was before / went to jail. l have moi
seen II since,
Q. Where did you get that memorandum
A. s. w. Dorsey gave ii to me at his house
on Fifth avenue, New York, in the latter part
of March, 1850.
Mr.. Merrick objected to going into the sub
ect of that memorandum.
Mr.. IngeTsoll said he desired to call the at.
tention of the court to the fact that it had
been alleged that Rerdell initiates Dorsey'f
handwriting. He referred TO the statement
made by the witness on Wednesday, affecting
Mr.. BelfOrd, member of congress from Col.
orado, whom he believed to be a perfectly hon
est man. The witness had stated that check
for $1,000 had been given to Mr.. Belford and
the amount charged to email" Now, the
fact was that Dorsey had in his possession q
peculiar kind of rifle BelfoTd saw 10 and
wanted one Dorsey procured one for him
and in payment drew a check for 500. Thai
check was for the rifle, and it was charged
against 81. b. b." That was the only
transaction between them. OF cours,
Belford did not know anything o.
that check, for it was not given t.
him, but to the person from whom the riff,
was purchased. The condition of the public
mind was such that it was absolutely fam
ished for reasonable lie, and for that reason
he hated to have mans name mentioned
1t was for that reason he wanted to go int
this memorandum to show that il was mad,
, entirelyby the witness that he used pencil
because 1t was easier thus to initiate hand
writing, and to show that no payments sucl
as had been sworn to by the witness had ever
been made to Mr.. Belford or to Mr.. Tyner OF
TO Mr.. Turner. He wanted 10 show that they
could moi have been made by Dorsey. Thes,
stateniSNts Of the witness had been put In tn,
associated press dispatches and read by mil
/ lions of people. He thought it only fair thai
he be allowed to probe the matter TO tho bot
tom aud to put witnesses on the stand TO tel
J the truth.
Mr.. Memick said that If they attempted /,
stop the proceedings to go into side question:
of this kind the trial would never end Turn
ing TO the defense, he declared emphatioall,
that If they wished to vindicats these gentle
-