National Republican., 1883-04-03
DORSEY'S LETTER BOOK.
II is So Torn and Mutilated That He HeSitateS
TO Produce It
Anyway, He Says It Don't Contain the
Letter Mr. Meuick Wants.
Rerdels Letters Of Recommendation-The Court
Scores Joke on Ingersoll.
The Witness Clearly Remembers That lie
Was Robbed OF $4,000.

route trial again yesterday toward the close
of the day. He has been sitting with the
counsel for the prosecution day after day as
the trial has been going slowly along, but
mainly unobserved. At the elbow of MIR.
Bliss he has been always ready to furnish
suggestions, and apparently act MS a guide to
the account books which have formed the
basis of the questions and cross-questions
put to Mr.. Dorsey, and when the witness
pumped out the remark that Rerdell stole
5000 from one of the routes in question
everybody took look. He was sitting not
two armlengths away from Dorsey and he
looked up with apparent interest He has
thin, somewhat wrinkled face, which shows
q shrewdness that would make him worth tho
$1,000 year that witness said he paid him.
This was about the only ripple on tho dead
level of the days monotony, and 1t lasted but
a few minutes. The questions through tho
entire day were calculated to bring out an
acknowledgment of joint knowledge of
transactions with view to proving the charge
of conspiracy. The witness maintained an
even tenor of good nature anda good degree
of aversion to pinning himself down to an
accurate recollection of anything. Mr.
MerriclS hold himself severe and exacting ;
Mr.. Bliss lost patience with the little raids
on Rerdell and the papers introduced,
and now and then called the
courts attention to the counsel for the de-
fense. Col. Ingersoll yawned and admitted
pretty much everything. The judge was In n
mood for repartee and permitted some purely
philosophical discussion" as he called IL, be-
tween Mr.. Merrick and Mr.. Dorsey. Mr..
Wilson watched all the applications for in
4 1.Nl.a
together with Mr.. Williams annoyed the
prosecution by taking these papers from the
table and handing them around. Mr.. Davidge
was ready for repartee, though not thoroughly
aroused even when told by Mr.. Merrick that
if "heaven only knows" (the answer to a
question putt, then Mr.. Davidge would never
find out. Neither prosecution nor defense,
so far as the lawyers were concerned, appeared
greatly exercised over anything that oc-
Cured.
The first star route trial lasted fifteen weeks.
The eighteenth week of the second trial was
begun yesterday morning, and the end still
appears to be long way OFF. MIR. Dorsey
took the stand and begun the second week of
his examination. In answer to MIR. Merrick
the witness said he had no recollection of a
conversation with Boone, when the latter had
been instructed to bid only upon certain
class of routes, and for certain number Of
trips per week. Mr.. Merrick referred to
Boone's testimony where he says that Dorsey
instructed him to destroy q number of bids
While the witness did not recollect giving
such directions, he said that number of the
bids had been held back for lack Of the neces-
sary certified checks.
Mr. Merrick demanded return to his notice
for the production of the letter press copy
books
Mr.. Ingersoll, in answer, said that they had
40 books containing letters of the date de-
scribed.
Mr. Bliss thought that the answer should be
made under oath, and a long argument fol-
lowed.
The court ruled that defendant was not
bound to produce any evidence to criminate
himself. If he ignored notice to produce a
paper, then secondary evidence would be adj
missible. Nor could he be required to pro-
duce secondary evidence against himself, so
Mt least the prosecution would be driven to
use their own secondary evidence. But no
such evidence was admissible until notice had
been served calling for the production of the
original paper. In the present case the no
tice was confined to strictly secondary evil
dence-letter press copies-and even if more
specific the other side could not be called
upon to produce it.
Mr.. Bliss dissented from the view that
defendant could not be compelled to produce
evidence against himself, and the court re-
piled that when a defendant took the stand
witness, and might be cross-examined to the
same extent
The examination was then resumed.
The witness said that he had had his letter
books examined; had not found letter to
John Dorsey under date of Dec. 8, but the
book was mutilated at that place and in other
places.
The same questions were put in regard to
the Bosler letter of May 10, 1870.
Objection was made by Mr.. lngersoll, who
availed himself of the opportunity to explain
his theory that Rerdell had gone through
the copy books, taken from them every letter
that could be Of any possible use to the de-
PENDANTS, and given them to the government
IN part consideration of its protection. Other
letters he had forged and manufactured Now
his client purposes standing upon his legal
right and accepting the consequences that
might befall him from any differences caused
by this conduct rather than bring the books
into the court and let inferences be drawn
that might touch other people political, theo-
logical, or otherwise. The counsel could rest
assured that they would see none of them, not
one, no matter If IL contained only poetry
about spring. The witness stated that an eX-
animation of the books revealed the fact that
600 pages had been torn out.
B. u. Keyser, receiver of the German
American National bank, brought into court
the books of that concern to prove that a
check had been drawn by the witness in
avor of p. G. Reynolds.
Mr.. Dorsey said that he paid Moore $3.50
upon Miners order. Miner was then in
Denver. Had not directed nor advised Miner
to employ Moore, nor did witness know
Moore before his employment in 1873 Did
not reeollect asking Boone to recommend a
man able to go west and make the subCon-
tracts, Certainly had not asked Boone to
recommend such a man to him (witness) be-
cause he had no interest in the business
Mr.. Merrick. l know you say so but whether
you had or not Is Just what am trying to tind
out
The witness stoutly denied any recollection
of having employed Moore. Had sent a
check TO Mrs. Moore at Boone's request, and
had seen the check since, II was changed to
Miner, Peck 4 Co. If witness had made a
contract with Moore he would certainly have
remembered it, All conversations described
by Moore were generally denied by the wit
ness
Mr.. Merrick inquired if the witness had
examined the index to ascertain if the letter
books had ever contained the letters de-
scribed.
Mr.. Ingersoll objected, but the question
was allowed and the witness answered that
he had not asked the question of Col, Love,
who had examined the books.
Mr., lngersoll positively refused to produce
the index, and the witness added that he was
not sure that ii existed
Mr.. Merrick did not see how it was poss-
BILE for the witness to transact an extensive
correspondence without an index
Personally the witness did not know that