Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-02-16
THE STAR ROUTEBOlIBSHELL
INTEREST IN THE TRIAL REVIVED.
RERDELL's REMARKABLE STORY
PAPERS STOLEN FROM HIS APARTMENT
s.W. DORSEY HADA KEY TO THE ROOM
DAMAGING DOCUMENTS IN COURT

! DAMAGING DOCU MENTS IN COURT
THOMAS ]. BRADY, ALIAS "WM. SMITH.
The courtroom, where Judge Wylie is holdins
court, was crowded to its full capacity this morn
Ing. Soon after court convened NJ c. Rerdell re
sumed the stand, and Mr.. Merrick continued hi
examination The witness identified petition oI
| the Mineral Park and Pioche route. He said ht
saw the paper in November, 1878. Niuer and wit
| ness were then living In the same house
| ALTERING A PETITION.
Witness went 60 Miners room one evening and
Miner asked witness to write the words schedule
so lours in the petition. Witness did as requested
and also altered the petition by and inter
polatlons, so as to make it apply to the Mineral
Park and Pioche route. the petition having origi-
nally applied to some other route.
| Mr.. Merrick handed the witness a petition for
| expedition on the Mineral Park and Erniburg,
which the witness said he could not remember
having seen before.
| NOT J. W. DoRsEY's SIGNATURE.
| Witness was shown an affidavit purporting to
be made by John W. Dorsey, in November, 1873,
| as to the number of men and animals on the Min
eral Park and Pioche route, and testified that the
| signature was not that OF j. w. Dorsey though he
| either In Dakota or Montana while the affldavit
| purported to1have been executed.
LETTERS FROM JOHN W. DORSEY
The witness Identified as genuine letter from
John W. Dorsey to S. w. Dorsey, and one from J..
| w. Dorsey to the witness The letters met with
objections from the defense on the ground of date
| and irrelevancy.
Mr.. Merrick said he offered the first as an admis-
sion OF j. w. DorseyS, and also to fix the where
| abouts Of j. W. Dorsey November &c, 1878, when
an affidavit was'made here in his name The letter
| was dated December 25th 1873.
1 "y-1tC
printed record.
"If the court please" said Mr. Ingersoll, 81 OBJ
| terday."
The witness stated to the court that he desired
u 10 look over the testimony with the view OF max
1t was finally decided that the witness should
LOOK over all his testimony at the end OF his direct
Judge Wylie having admitted the letters re-
| IerTea 10, the witness read the letters.
me nrSt letter TO S. W. Dorsey was dated at Bis.
marSk, I, D: T.. December 25 1878, and enclosed
blank drafts as per Instructions The writer said
that he supposed S. w. Dorsey would send Miner;
gave an account OF his travels for the ten days
previous, and said:-"I have no doubt that this
| route bismarck and Tongue river) will pay him
Naliel or some one 100000 clear for the contract
The other letter to Rerdell, dated Sept q, 1878.
complained that the men were clamorous for
money, and that Rerdell had not Written him as to
| tne prospects OF increase
| BLANK ApFIDAyITs.
S. W. Dorsey, In the spring OF 1879, directed the
| Witness to make out a number Of blank affdavits
| and send some to j. ". Dorsey, in Vermont, and
some to j. NJ Peck, in New Mexico He identified
| an affidavit on route 4l1l9 in which Miner wrote
the original blank and the witness filled in the fig
| ures by direction OF S. w. Dorsey. The affidavit
| purported to be made by John NJ. Peck Dorsey
gave witness the percentage OF increase to be OBJ
served IN making the figures In the case OF the
Toquerville and Adaryille route it was $50 or $50
per cent
| STAR ROUTE "RULE OF THREE"
Witness explained how he took the number OF
men and animals on the then schedule and made
those on the required schedule I'LL the require
ments OF proportion that would produce the re-
qulred per cent. OF increase. Witness had no in
| formation as to the number of men and animals
| used He nlled In such figures as would bring
ber of these blank affidavits which Dorsey had
USED whenever increase was anticipated
Rerdell's Papers Stolen.
Wv. DORSEY HAD A KEY TO THE ROOM
The witness said he kept some of these blanks,
| but did not have them now.
"Were any Of these papers taken from your
Office" asked Mr.. Merrick.
| eyes, SIR" said the witness. 81 missed them
| from my Office Immediately after the verdict of
the last trial large lot Of them were torn up
| and scattered over the floor"
"Where had you been for several days?"
..hd I'm the sI District jai,' said the witness.
| to your officer"
key" Wv ''''A n'N ="
IS. ". DORSEY"
answered the witness
| "Were there any other papers missing?"
"Yes, SIR" said the witness. NEARLY all OF the
correspondence between s. w. Dorsey and myself.
The letters written by s. W. Dorsey to me- as well
as the correspondence had with J. W. Bosler can
not enumerats all the papers that were missing. ~
"Ihat was nat burglary" said the witness.
| RERDELL's SUIT.
Mr. Merrick offered in evidence the papers In a
suit brought by Rerdell against Miner and vaile
for pay for his services, for the purpose of show
After some discussion all objection to putting the
papers IN evidence was withdrawn. The declara-
ton toni filed May ssth. 1879. claimed from vae &
| for balance OF salary and money expended. The
plea filed by the defendants repudated the indebt-
edness. claimed that Rerdell was Indebted to them
! in the sum Of $500; that they had never engaged
Kerdells services, though at one time the defend
some work, for which he had been naid. h r This T
statement was sworn to by Vale and Miner.
| vaile's Letter to 8. W. Dorsey.
URGING CONSPIRACY WITH RERDELL TO AVOID
| EXPOSURE.
The witness identified q letter handed him as
being in the handwriting of. and signed by, H. NJ.
Vaile. The letter, which was dated here May 20,
1879, was addressed to 8. ". Dorsey. It notified
/ "
speaking OF the ase:-" II it goes on it will expose
to an extent our private matters, in which you
| are interested. 1t will draw forth who the real
parties of Vaile, Miner & Co are. 1t cannot be
helped In view Of the facts in the case, he can
not recover anything, and is drawing himself into
serious difficulties. 1t seems to me you had
better advise him to withdraw his action
at once, as we must answer in twenty days. 1 do
not suggest this fearing that he might get 1udg-
ment, for he cannot, but to save the poor fellow
himself from trouble. He was in the employ of
the District government at the time he claims to
be In our employ, and this may get him into
one and the same time He has wronged one He
claims pay for four months $3.50 So Your own
Judgment will suggest many embarrassments
evidently not occurring to him, / have deemed It
my duty to notify you OF his action, before answer
| Ing the complaint, and unless 1t Is dismissed I
must answer inside Of 20 days" postscript said,
II win delay answering as long as can"
AC0MPR0MIsE WITH RERDELL
| Rerdell said the action was compromised by
Vale and Miner paying him $2O0 He said In May,
1879. ]. w. Dorsey was sent to California to look
1 toS< b,,e}n q