The Evening critic., 1883-03-02
THE sTAR-RouTE TRIAL,



After the CRITICS report Of tho star.Route
trial closed yesterday, Mr.. James w. Donnelly
was examined. He testified to an acquaint
ance with S. W. Dorsey and NJ. g. Rerdell, and
at one time was intimate with tho former, He
copied books for Rerdcll lute In the spring OF
1850. He first saw them I'm the summer of 1870,
when Rerdell called him In to examine aud
etraightcn them out There was n journal
and ledger; they related to mail business and
seemed TO be of a firm. There were the namo5
of w. Dorsey. Rerdoll,."mail account" tex
pense account" "pront and loss account" and
william Smith account" Tho witness kept
the books from early in the fall of 1870 to tho
spring Of 1880, when copy was made
Rerdell. He left the account Of
William Smith out-about $50, ,000--and trans.
fefred it to profit and loss. The books were
balanced on tho copy. Ho worked two days
and three nights, as Rerdell wanted them at
certain time. When the books were finished
both sets were turned over to Rerdell. The
setswere near alike In size and color.
The witness made out balance.sheets before
be took hold of the books. Rerdell told him
that he had them In bad condition. He was
paid S25 for keeping the books.
On crossexaminatlOn the witness said that
Rerdell paid him for keeping the books. Sena.
tor Dorsey never employed or paid him. HIS
memory had been refreshed since tho trial be-
gan by conversation with Rerdell. The wit
ness asked who was William Smith, and Rer-
dell answered, "ono of the men," There was
no account against James u. Belford, James
Tyner, A. b. Gibson, Lille, or McGrew, or 81.
Is, b.
the greater portion OF the book. He did not
remember any entry of over 81, 900 or $1,000,
nor any single item of $4,000 or s6,500 or
$7,5O0; did not think he ever charged any
body in the books with cash or checks for any
OF these amounts.
Tho witness received slips from Rerdell
to charge so and SO. He never had checks
or stub OF checks; did not remember any
account OF ''Sam. Jones" in the books. II
"John Smith" had been there the witness
thought he would have remembered 1t. Rer.
witness understand
paid him out of his own pocket for keeping
the books. He never had conversation
with Senator Dorsey about the books until
after this prosecution commenced, and
then Mr.. Dorsey asked him about them.
The accounts We're all open when witness
took the books. There was never any charge
made in them by Mr.. Dorsey's direction, and
not with his knowledge that the witness knew
OF. Mr.. Kellogg was the bookkeeper Of $. W.
Dorsey. When Rerdell brought tho books TO
him he told the witness that he was keeping
the books SO as TO know how he was conducting
tho business. He said he had made some mis-.
takes and wished to have them corrected.
Charles L. Gibbs testified that between
Christmas, 1870 and March, 1850, he had
been employed in writing letters for Rerdell
and indexing the letterbook, and Mrs. Gibbs
had copied for Rerdell journal with brown
back, containingan account of expenditures
and receipts for star.Routes. Among the &C.
counts were "Mr. Smith" and ''AIr. Jones'"
He could not recolect the amount OF the Smith
account. Rerdell told him that he wanted to
get the copy to send to s. W. Dorsey in New
York.
Cross. examined by Mr.. Ingersoll-He never
wrote or did anything for S. W. Dorsey. Rer-
| dell came to the witness during the trial and
asked him If he remembered the names of
Smith and Jones In the book. The witness told
| him that he did not remember them, and
| neither did he. He had read Rerdells tosti-
| mony, and the recollection of the names being
IN the book came to him after that-a few
nights since, while walking along the streets.
To Mr.. Merrick-Since the witness had re-
freshed his memory he did not doubt the
names were in the book. He had thought
| recollection, and 1t finally struck him that
| Smith and Jones were peculiar names. 1t
was about a week since, while walking home
| one night, that this popularity struck him,
and he then remembered having seen the
| names In the book. He had seen Rerdell a
| few days before that. He had read Rerdell s
testimony, and saw there the names of Smith
| and Jones.
| A few warrants on the different routes were
i then nut In. after which the court ad lnurnel.