The Portland daily press., 1883-03-15
A General Denial of any Corrupt Con-
duct.

stephen w. Dorsey. The witness said that
| after the division of routes in 1879 Rerdell
and Vale would meet in the department
| without speaking. Rerdell had nothing to do
with Miners routes after that date, and Miner
had no control over routes managed by Rer-
| dell
A paper connected with the Rawl:ns- White
River route was presented to the witness. He
| said that an alteration ian erasure of 'eighty
| hours" and an insertion of "forty-five hours'')
had been made by himself to save the trouble
OF making up new case. Petitions were new
| er altered while in the department.
| Wilson referred to the evidence concerning
! Samuel Jones.''
| The Court asked how "Jones'' had been con-
| nected with the witness.
| Ingersoll called attention to the testimony of
Rerdell and MacVeagh, wherein they said
Samuel Jones" was an alias for Turner
The witness had previously been asked if he
ever received money, mining stocks or other
| consideration from any of the defendants to
| influence his action in connection With the
| routes.
The prosecution objected because the witness
was not now party to the Indictment
The witness appealed TO the court to allow
MN 10 answer the question, but theIjudge bade
him remain silent until the question had been
passed upon.
Ingersoll explained that the testimony was
to show the falsty of Rerdell's statements as
to the pencil memorandum, which was not
genuine, and the question was had not Rerdel
liberty?
The Court did not concede this. 1t would
not prove that Rerdell had not carried out
DorseYS directions in making the entries.
True the witness never might have received
cent yet Dorsey might have directed Rerdell
to make the entry. If the witnesses statements
were true, then Dorsey might h ave had anoth.
er object.
Ingersoll inquired if the Court would allow
Dorsey to swear that he never made that
memorandum and had never paid money to
Turner.
The Court answered Certainly
lngersoll said that of course he could
strengthen Dorsey's testimony by Turner who
would swear that he never got the money!
Davidge remarked that Dorsey was under
no compulsion to go upon the stand.
Mr lDgersoll said the defence should not be
compelled to meet the whole case at once.
They should be allowed to dsprove one point
after another Where John Ell. Mitchell had
Deen charged with receiving money Ghey could
snow that 1t was untrue. Where Turner stood
charged he might disprove it, and so one step
at time.
Tho court said that it could not admit sec
ondary esidence upon pledge TO show hereafter
that there was no primary evidence.
MIR. Merrick contested the position taxed by
Mr. lngersoll He asked why the defence did
not put Brady on the stand to swear that he
did not get the money.
Messrs. Carpenter and Wilson appealed to
the court to arrest Mr.. Merrick's remarks. Mr..
ments regarding defendant taking the stand
as unprotessional and illegal.
The court did not see wherein it was illegal.
MIR. Wilson entered a formal objection and
charged Merrick with ulteror motives in max
ing use OF the remarks, which Merrick denied.
The court reserved its decision until after re-
cess.
After recess the court decided the evidence
not competent. Defense noted exceptions and
the examination was resumed. Wilson offer
ed to prove that Brady refused to grant the re-
quest of number of petitions for second and
further expedition upon the Judding- -Alturas
route The prosecution objected but the court
decided to allow the inquiry aud the witness
said after the route had been expedited a
number of petitions had been received request
ing further expedition which revuest had been
refused by Brady. The witness on cross ex-
animation said he did not attempt to influence
French's testimony and did not tell him if he
would refrain from injuring defence more than
he could help he would receive certain con-
sideration. Witness had been removed from
his position in the department. as a consequence
of Rerdell's statement to MacVeagh and
James. After a sholt consultation with other
counsel Davidge rose and said in view of the
courts decision in regard TO Rerdel's state
ments to MacVeagh and James he would
move to strike out all that testimony from the
record. The motion was granted.
General Thomas j. Brady was then called.
He testified that during the fall eff 1876 he was
at the office only about half the time. He first
met Walsh at New Orleans in 1876. The
witness was there in official capacity as su-
pervising inspector of internal revenue. He
next met Walsh in 1877. He never had any
conversation with Walsh such as was sworn to
by him at anytime or place in the world, or
anything resembling it. Witness never held
any promissory notes or carried them away as
described by Walsh Walsh statement is a
lie made out of whole cloth, said witness, with
scarcely word of truth in it from beginning
to end. He never told Walsh anything about
fines or deductions or anything from which it
could be deduced He had had conversation
with James such as testified to by that witness
in relation to the Rawlins-White River route
but the date was month later than that given
by James. James had never given him any
order to revoke one of his orders. His first
recollection of Rerdell was very indistinct
He very seldom came into witness Office His
| whole statement about the books was a lie
made Of whole cloth. Rerdell never told him
OF any books to be shown to the COM
mittae, nor did witness know of the ex-
istence of such books Wilson referred
to RerdelPs statement of the meeting at Cham
beriains. Witness said the conversation there
was entirely on political subjects and star
routes and mail matters were not mentioned.
| Witness had no knowledge of the tabulated
| statement spoken of by Rerdell with I. j. b.,
| SO per cent. column. Witness said the adver-
| tisement of November 1877 had been prepared
| by route book clerks. Witness was SO new in
Had known Vale for years. He was one of
the Oldest contractors in the service of the de-
partment. Met Minor at letting in 1876.
Never saw John Dorsey before the first trial
began. Had known Stephen Dorsey some
| years When he heard Vale had come into the
| Miner combination he granted further time,
because he knew Vaile's trustworthiness, and
| felt sure he would put on the service Had no
| personal conference with Vale on the subject
| and did not remember how he was first made
aware of the fact that Vale had assumed the
| services
| Witness knew nothing of the manner of pre-
| pairing the affidavits filed in the office; never
heard of any changes being made in them or
OF their being filed out in blank until the first
| trial. Petitions were considered mainly be-
| cause they were endorsed by members of Con
| gress who he believed represented popular
| sentiment. Therefore he attached to them
| agents and inspectors. He Ecould not have
known OF any changes ill the petitions after
| their pr r~paratiou. Witness described the
method pursued by him in calculating the al
lowance for expedition. He saw no better
! rule then and knew of no better rule now.
| Colorado was booming and wanted all the
| service it could get and deserved more than it
| got. The representatives weLe there every
| day. He generally had matinee every day
| in his office, said witness, members of Con
| gress and others coming around to urge an in
crease and expedition. Teller and Belford
| were especially persistent. 1--WE thought we
were doing good thing for the country" said
| Gen. Brady. "We thooght so then and think
so now." Witness vigorously denied he had
ever received any compensation for increasing
| the service. He had tried to counteract what
was known as the "Jewellian policy of
spending all of the money appropriated for in
land transportation on railroad trains which
| gave money to vast monopolies. He be-
| lieved the Star route service was entitled TO
| share. Witness has conversation with POST
master General Key on the subject of expedi-
| tion and increase.
Witness was not allowed to give the Post
master Generals reasons for directing this in
| crease, for the court said it might then become
question of the correctness of reasoning At
| the request of Wilson witness described the
method pursued in the department in making
| fines and deductions. He said that ordinarily
it was matter of form with the second assist
ant Postmaster General, for the entire work
was done by the inspection division and he
would not be likely to know of a particular
case unless his attention was called to it.
! Speaking of the remission he said that as
rule they took exactly the same routine, and
ne knew nothing of them until they were pre-
ofa oftVra N.t--a -