The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-03-30
While the Witness Believes a Good Many
Things, He Is Not Positively Certain
Concerning Anything.
He Is Too Blind to Read, but Man
ages to Play Billiards.
The President Will Take No Immediate Ac-
tion in the Matter of the Cabinet
Vacancy-Notes and Gossip.
DORSEY's TESTIMONY.
The Direct Examination Completed, and the
Cross-Examination Begun.

The Direct Examination Completed, and the
Cross-Examination Begun.
WASHINGTON, March 29.-Dorsey resumed
the stand in the star-route trial, to-day.
Witness denied, generally, that he had ever
filled up or authorized anyone to fill up an
affidavit in regard TO the number of men and
been sworn to or filed.
Mr. Ingersoll asked permission of the
court to inquire of the witness if he had
ever given check to James B. Belford
The court asked if there was any objection.
Mr.. Merrick answered that he had no OBJ
lection, providing counsel would reciprocate
by allowing him to examine witness upon
the subject.
The question was put, and witness said
that he never told Rerdell that he had given
check for 50, 900 to Belford, nor to charge
check for that or any other amount to
]. B. B. upon the books.
Mr.. Ingersoll-Did you ever give check
for any amount to Belford?
Answer-Not a dollar. 1 never had
transaction to the extent of one cent, with
the exception of what you stated to the
court, the other day-the presentation of
rife. l would like to see that check to j. B.
B., anyway.
Witness also denied that he had ever told
Rerdell that Boone was to be frozen out be-
cause of Brady's hostility to him. Had never
seen the letter produced by Rerdell, pur-
porting to be from Vaile to witness, request
ing him to dissuade Rerdell from continuing
his suit against Miner and Vaile.
Mr.. Ingersoll then went into the routes, tax
ing up first the route from Pueblo to Rosita.
He undertook to prove that dereliction OF
duty on the part of the postmaster at Pueblo
had negatived the effect of the expedition
upon that route. Objection was made, and a
long argument followed, the court finally re-
fusing to allow the inquiry.
The route from Trinidad to Madison and
from Garland to Parrott City were taken up.
The witness described the character of the
country, and said that his action in regard to
the latter route had resulted in the discon-
tinuance OF over one hundred miles of SER
vice.
The witness was present at a conversation
between Rerdell and Bosler about June 10,
20 or q, at his house on street. The pencil
memorandum was the subject of conversa-
ton. Rerdell was telling Bosler that he had
shown to MacVeagh a memorandum in imi-
tation of the witnesses handwriting. Rer-
dell went to the waste basket, picked out the
pieces and laid them on the table. The
writing resembled witness's handwriting so
closely that he was unable to distinguish be-
tween them but the witness never wrote
the memorandum.
With a few further unimportant questions
the direct examination closed, and Mr.. Mer-
rick began the cross-examination.
The witness said he first went to Arkansas
in 1S70 met Peck in Washington in 1874; did
not know whether or not Peck was here in
1877 or during the session of the long Con-
gress beginning in December, 1878. Witness
was in this city during most of that time;
could not say in what month of 1877 he
received letter from Peck or John Dorsey
that led him to call upon Boone, but it
might have been after the session began. He
next saw Peck at his (witness's) ranch in
July, 1878. Never saw him in Washington
after that time
Witness was required to describe his move
ments for several years with great partcu-
larity. Speaking Of certain date, Mr. Mer-
rick asked, You were then occupied in In
diana?'
II was then preparing to occupy Indiana"
answered the witness.
WITNESS CAN SEE WELL ENOUGH TO PLAY Bill
LIZARDS
Mr.. Merrick produced copy of the New
York Herald. of Dec. g 1882, containing a
statement from Dorsey sent by the Associa-
ted Press. The witness said he could not see
to read; had not read a line for six mon this,
and for three of those months he had been
shut up in dark room.
Queston-Can you see to play billiards?
Answer-Oh, yes.
Mr.. Merrick proceeded to read the article,
sentence by sentence. The witness acknowl-
edged that he was the author of the state
ment. but corrected several errors of date
He believed it was true, as stated, that Peck
had been a large mail contractor in 1873
During that year Peck was at witness's ranch
to transact business for Peck
Mr.. Merrick produced proposal for tenn
porary service, dated Dec. II, 1877.
Mr.. Ingersoll called the witness into the
witness room and read the paper to him.
Some discussion ensued as to the propriety
of the witness leaving the stand in this way,
but before it ended the witness returned, and
said he believed he had not signed the paper
for Peck; the same was true of the contract
He might have signed them, however and for
gotten the circumstance. Boone's statement
that the papers had been signed with Peck's
name, by Dorsey, was referred to- and the
witness said Boone was mistaken. He did not
believe he had signed the papers,
Q.-Don't you know il?
Al don't know anything; l believe
good many things, but am not absolutely
certain about anything.
Q.-You are not certain that you did not
conspire to defraud the government, are
you?
A derisive smile was the only answer
Mr.. Carpenter-He wants an answer; give
it to him.
Mr.. Merrick-Certainly want an answer
to all my questions.
The Witness-My recollection has been
pretty thoroughly refreshed on that subject,