National Republican., 1883-01-16
MORE STAR ROUTE WIT.
BndinNgo I'm Court-RcndIng OF the In
dictments by MIR. MCrriclS.


In the star route trial yesterday morning,
the court suggested to Mr.. Mcrrick that he
read to tho jury those portions of the indct-
ment relating to each route before putting in
testimony connected with It, In that way
the jury could intclligcntly apply tho evil
deuce as it was laid before them.
Mr.. Merricl expressed his willingness TO
adopt the suggestion. Picking up copy of
the indictment, he explained to the jury that
he would read that part relating to the route
from Garland TO Parrott City in connection
with which the defendants stood charged with
conspiracy
MIR. Wilson. "Do you mean to say there
were nineteen conspracics?"
Mr. Mcrrick. | mean to say there arc nine
teen routes set out in this indictment, upon
any one of which there is sufficient evidence
to make out conspiracy. The appropriate
section Of the indictment was then read.
Mr. Ingersoll objected because q defendant
named Turner was mentioned in the indict-
mcnt. At the suggestion of Mr.. Davdgc,
however, he Immediately Withdrew the obicc-
ton, remarkug, al will say no more at pres
cnt The point is too good in law mt this stage
of the game" A number of letters and petit
tons were then read despite tho objection of
the defense.
A declaration from Mr.. Merricl that the
was only put in at this time to mako out the
conspiracy and not as proof of the overt acts,
led Mr. lngersoil to eXclaim, This case is
Ike n kangaroo; its strength is i'll its hind
legs" lLaughterl
| am glad L read that petition said Mr.,
Mcrrick later on, referring to petition
signed by Jesus Hernandez
"Ycs the same man signed petition for
expedition" said Mr.. Carpenter
For inster time; not for fifty hours re'
torted Mr.. MerriClJ
Mr.. Wilson proposed to allow the jury to
look at the postollicc maps of the country
traverscd by the route, but the proposition
was rejected by Mr.. Mcrrck.
Mr.. Wilson. Then, in about five or six
weeks from now the jury will begin to find
out something about the case,
Mr.. Merrck. ! think they are finding ii
out pretty fast now. In five or SIX weeks
they will be considering the evidence.
Ny. Ingcrsoll III five or six months they
may.
! Anthony Joseph, postmaster at Oiocalientc,
n. NJ, was then placed upon the witness
stand, and identified II number Of letters re-
ceived by him from S. w. Dorsey and others
When Mr.. Merrick read ono of these let
tors with marked emphasis Mr.. Carpenter
ironically congratulated him upon the inl-
provemcnt pcrceptiblc in his reading. "Why,'
said he, "when you read the petitions before
recess nau as llel Jho town Crlet fcad my
| lines"
The witness, Joseph, had been n subcon-
tractor on the route from Garland TO Parrott
City, and tho letters showed that he had been
so heavily fined for failures of service that in
some quarters his compensation had been i'll
sufficient to meet them.
He testified that the failures were unavoid-
able. The streams We're frequently swollen,
aud the carriers were forced TO 20 up into the
mountains TO get through. At one place they
crossed II mountain 5000 feet higher above
tho sea than 0jocalientc. II was impossible
regularly to carry the mail there in less than
one hundred hours. Witness had seen S. w.
Dorsey in 1879. He informed witness that
they (the contractors) had Hcver received n
dollar from the department for the service on
his route, Dorsey paid 500 by check, and
never sent him any of the fines he had prom
ised to have rCmitted.
The court said it was matter of indiller-
ence to this case whether or not the witness
had been defrauded by his employees.
On cross-cXamination the defense put in a
letter from the witness TO the contractor re-
qucsting increase of service TO six trips per
week. Without completing the crosS-cxam-
ination The court adjourned until to-day.