The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-03-09
TIT FOR TAT.
The NetorioHw Star E0uters Have d
Lively Tilt About the Bedford
Check. .asee

fishes statement by Rerdell, which ex-
plains the Belford check matter. The
substance of the statement published@is as
| follows;
In the latter part of August or the be-
ginning of September. 1S79. Rerdell was
| sent for nv a banker and went to the bank,
where he was shown check dated (he
thinks some day in July, 1879. The
check was for % 900. payable to j. B.
| B., " or james B. Bedford or Gas he thinks)
to the bearer, and signed IS. w Dorsey"
| The check had a number of endorsements.
| showing that ff had passed through some
banks. Tie writing and signature were SO
| irregular and bad that the bank had doubt
of its being genuine. and therefore desired
| Rerdell to give his opinion about it. Rer-
| dell examined the check and said it had
undoubtedly been written and signed by
S.-W. Dorsey but that he must have been
drunk when he wrote it. The check was
paid and ex Senator Dorsey returned to
Washington about the. 1st of October,
1879 when Rerdell informed him concern.
ing the banks doubts and what he (Rer
delie had told the bank. Dorsey replied,
No, was.not drunk. | wrote that check
in the cars on my way to Denver. and that
was why Il was 20 badly written" A few
days after Dorsey gave the check book to
The stub of the 81 900 check was then
marked 81 B. B., mail and Rerdell
charged that to the mail account as di
rected by Dorsey. Rerdell says the check
book will show that he is telling the truth
There is ne other way to verify the state
ment, because no bank records the name
of a payee check. The government could
not offer this testimony because you
cannot corroborate a witness on col
lateral matter, and besides the court sruled
out Rerdel's testimony relative to Belford
Whether the check was given to Bedford
or not was matter Rerdell had no inter
est in. Afterwards, from conversation be-
tween Dorsey and others overheard by
Rerdell. he came to understand that Dor
sey. Bedford and Ia crowd of friends were
on train going west when it was propos-
ed to play game with cards. Dorsey was
one of the players. Bedford was stake
holsaer and cashier for the erowds Dorsey
lostlaearly all the money be had and in
settlement gave the checks to him, who in
turn gave the check to the winner in
settlement Dorsey was shrewd and
charged his loss to the mail and thus he
generously permitted Boiler, Brady, Vale
q Co to share his loss.
The above statement of Rerdell has
thrown some light upon the translation
II
time among themselves.
Elk Senator Dorsey furnishes the follow
ing card To the associated press:
/ am informed that you sent to the
country the yillainous falsehood that ap-
peared in the Star tonight as a statement
of Rerdell's. The associated press being
supreme in its sphere, am forced to APP
peal to it and ask that what say be placed
beside what the perjury says I never saw
Belford on the cars. / never played a
game of cards with him, or in his presence. |
anywhere, or at any time. | never gave |
him check of any kind whatsoever in the |
world. | never met him in my life. |
except in Washington or IN |
Denver, and then only socially |
Rerdeil says | was here in October, |
1879, and that he spoke to me about the |
check was not here any day after the 18th |
of July, 1879, until about August, 1880. |
and in the mean time had not seen Rer- |
dell This story is one that flows from the |
mouth Of a selfadfnitted perjurer and |
thief. Rerdell never kept book for me. |
never wrote line in book for nae, never
made a charge for me, and never had a
check book of mine unless he stole it, |
No check, no stub of check no entry of |
any name or character ever existed upon |
which to base this infamous libel RerdeHs
sbdErtfICub II TIT H@SlTal OGtSfOAtn OF the
lsaal infamy OF transmitted power, and
fairly represents it.
S. w. DORSEY
Judge Belford, in q conversation to-
night. fully confirms all that Dorsey states
above concerning the check story.
The star says, to-day it has leaked out |
hat on Tuesday morning an attack was
made by Stephen w. Dorsey ON Judge |
Lilley, father of exDeputy Auditor Lii
ey at the residence of the former Lii
ley called at Dorsey's residence accom-
panied by a friend. They were admitted |
By Dorsey at once, who invited them into
MS parlor They began q conversation.
Turing which Dorsey accused Lilley of /
RerdeH as a government witness
Dorsey became excited and dealt LiIley a
blow in the face. The latter throwing
himself back TO avoid the blow, his chair
was upset, aud he feil to the floor, when, I
t is alleged, Dorsey kicked him in the
over abdomen. Lilley is now confined to
lis room from the injuries Dorsey's
friends admit the fact of the assault on
Judge Lilley. but assert that it took place |
lnder circumstances of great provocation,
tfter Dorsey had been grossly assaulted