The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1883-03-07
Washington News Notes.
THE sTAR-RouTE TRIAL,

THE sTAR-RouTE TRIAL.
WASHINGTON, March 6,--The witness
(Boone) was recalled in the star-route trial
to-day, and the Jones entries, which Reer-
dell swore had been made by Dorsey, were
submitted to witness. He hesitated, looked
carefully at the papers, and finally said; II
would not like to say positively who wrote,
that; my best judgment is that 1t was
written by s. W. Dorsey, or Reerdell;
would not like to say which one" The
Chico Springs letter from Dorsey to Reer.
dell, dated April Is, was next shown
the witness. lie declared positively he
thought Dorsey did not write that letter
thought Dorsey was at Washington at that
time, for he was in communication with
him that day. The court interposed and
asked If witness knew who wrote the letter.
lie answered, II would not like to saw
Witness was then turned over to the
defense for cross examination. Ingersoll
offered to prove it was in the usual course of
business for defendants to sign the names
of es, h other. The court refused the offer,
saying it would be proper when the defense
was done. Taking up the smith and
Jones' memorandum, Ingersol called the
witness attention to the entry, IN. q. r."
and asked his opinion. Witness asked if
he might be allowed to consider other cir
cumstances in making his answer. The
court responded in the negative. Witness
thought the limitation was unfair, but
finally said the memorandum down TO
profits and loss" favored Dorsey's hand
writing; the remainder, which included
Smith" and Jones' entries favored the
handwriting OF Reerdell; witness again
reverted TO the circumstances that sur.
rounded the signature of the papers. The
court abruptly had him to drop the cir.
oumstances. Witness explained when this
filling in and interlining was done the
parties purposely disguised their hand.
writing so that speaking from tho writing
alone, 1t would, In many cases, be lmpossi.
bile to say who did the writing. While await
ing witnesses from thepostotflce department
to show the revenue of the routes, some
argument took place on the advisabihty of
the evidence to show the practice of Brady's
successors in regard to expeditions. Bliss
said he who had preceded Brady made but
a dozen such orders for inconsiderablo
amounts, while Brady. beginning with
twenty orders for large amounts in his nrst
year, ran the number up TO seventy or
eighty in his second year. lie
therefore thought it proper to intro
duce evidence in proof OF the charge
OF improper expedition, lngersoll argued
that during Routes term the country was
suffering from panic, and that the gov
ernment had been compelled to retrench
equally with individuals. The court said
the matter had been disposed of during
the first trial. II was too large and vague
an inquiry to go into at this stage of the
proceedings. Alter recess Kerr proceeded
an
and auditors clerks to prove revenues and
productiyeness of the different routes. In
answer to an objection of Wilson, the court
said 1t did not understand the evidence was
presented to show tnat Brady knew how
small were the revenues from the route, but
the law required that expedition
be made with due regard to productiveness,
and II an officer made expedition with such
regard, then 1t was proper matter of in
quiry. The court refused to allow Wilson
to ask one of the clerks if he knew how
many star-routes paid expenses holding
that 1t was not n subject to touch in cross.
examination.
The defense having objected that evidence
of prouuctiveness did not come down to q
recent date, the court replied that if they
so iar-sighted as to see that expedited
routes would be productive within
have credit for that course e.
lngersoll declared that as matter of fact
there was not a star.route west of the Mis-.
sissippi river that was not operated at a
loss. He referred to the early days of the
overland route, where the government
carried, at cost OF So q letter, for which
they receive 3 cents now. He INQUIRED
where they drew the line. The court held
the evidence was competent when 1t EN-.
braoed a statement Of revenues for two
quarters before and after expedition orders,
The defense could show that there
power, and that orders had been
wisely made they should not be excluded
because government had not gone that far
BY mutual agreement counsel waived argu.
ment, and Merrick said: THAT Is the GOV.
ernment's case, your honor" As il wanted
only an hour OF the usual hour oil adjourn
ment, upon motion of lngersoll court ad.
jonrned. The defense are expected to begin
their case tomorrow.
NOTION A PLEASURE TOUR.
DR.. Matthew u Irving, of Berlin, who
ha. been commissioned by the government
OF Prussia to investigate and report upon
agricultural and transportation interests
aud methods Of the United States, has ar.
TlNtu III WIS Clty, anu WAS uO-uhy at the
office of Mr.. Nimmo, chief OF the
bureau of statistics, studying maps and re.
ports and preparing himself for the work
assigned him. He will visit the principal
cities Of the United States, and make The
acquaintance OF their boards of trade.
chambers of commerce and railroad man.
ayers.
FULL 0r ERRORS.
Mr.. Mcpherson, clerk OF the house. saws
there are many typographical and clerical
errors in the tariff bin as II appeared In the
Congressional Record, The tax on tobacco
is printed so instead of s cents.
and In the iron schedule there is clause
which was not printed at all. He Is of the
opinion that when the bill shall be acc,l.
rately printed In full, II will be found more
satisfactory than It now seems 10 be tc
representatives Of the iron interests.
WILL COMPROMISE.
The treasury department has accepted
the offer OF compromise in an aniline div,
case, which involved sett lement for $40, ,O6O
OF q suit brought by the government fo
undervaluation Of dye importation 10 III,
amount Of $4,000. Tho action of the de
partment was based upon the report iron
District Attorney Woodford, OF New York
hat there was great doubt Of recoverinI
The amount offered In the compron,is