The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1884-10-02
ftlc meIHbcfs OF ITIt UOIHIIIIIVt.
IL details Mt length the history of
the sTAR-ROUrE FRAUDS

cial position in the government wore
either criminally cogni%gnt of the
frauds or guilty as participants therein.
II declares That the amount out or
which the government was dclrauded In
the star route mail service during
Hayes administration exceeds $1,000
900. At one time, the government was
paying $i50,000 per year for carrying
mails TO offices that yielded less than
$4,000 revenue
The story of the att0mpt to arhltrate
tho Salisbury d Parker eases Is told at
some length, and the report has tho fol-
lowing TO say concerning these combi-
nations:
II appears from the evidence that two
OF the most
POWERFUL COMBINATIONS
of post route contracts were known MS
Salisbury & Parker contracts. All
~ tefforts at procuring indictment against
these parties failed. Amaterial witness
against Salisbury was n ThoS. ~.
Dewitt, contractor for the principals,
who held a large amount of the .oXpe-
dlted service. 1t seems that 'McDoVitt
had been indicted in Philadelphia for
fraudulent bidding on certain routes in
rieXas-a matter quite distant from those
in which his evidence was chiefly sought.
Woodward was directed by Attorney
General McVeigh and Postmaster-Gen-
.eral James to procure an affidavit from
UltlJtklll uS w his hilbfl pNSS va AAN
frauds in the Salisbury cases. McDevitt
male q full statement of all the facts
within his knowledge and was given by
Woodward an implied
PROMISE OF IMMUNITY
in consideration of his making the full
disclosure. The binding force OF this
. implied promise WAS recognized by
\, James and MacVeigh. McDevitt added
A that he would freely communicate any
further information within his knowl-
edge, whenever called upon by the
' Government. Notwithstanding this
full disclosure on the part of McDevitt,
and tho implied promise of immunity
which he had received from Woodward,
the Philadelphia indictment was pressed
to trial. and McDevitt was convicted
and sent to the penitentiary for one
year. Woodward protested to The
President and to the Attorney-General,
that in the trial and conviction Of Me-
Dewitt the solemn pledge of the Gov
ernment had been broken, and urged
executive clemency in his behalf, which
AIas not granted. Woodward testified
that McDevitt vas the witness he
should have relied upon to break into
Z the Salisbury combination and to show
the methods OF doing business. And
that ne was the only witness accessible
TO maIye proof against the
1PowERFUL COMBINATION,
bat thAtthe government took that wit
ness and sent him to the penitentiary.
Thy5 report continues: "The manner
Z OF procuring expedition was reduced 10
J a science. The affidavit constructors
I ayI others were needed as a foundation
I utSn which expedition and increased
ser vice were allowed. The brazen ef-
/ frontery and perjury of these affidavit
makers is without q parallel in the his-
tory of criminal prosecutions;
The %aiiidavits were signed signed
'N were kept on hand blythe contractors
Fjust as they laid up suppliesof grain for
. their horses. These affidayits were the
sole measure of the cost Of the expedi-
ton, and no other evidence wasrequired
by the department Ior granting in
which cost the Govern nent hundreds OF
thousands of dollars. "A stock of these
blank afidavits was kept on hand and
the blanks were filed when occasion
was required to use therb, and these pa
pers filed with'the department were the
basis of securing large and valuable adj
,ditions to his contract.
THUS PERJURY
was made a basis of all the frauds per-
petrated." N-%
"A considerable portion of the report is
devoted to the subjectOf the employ
lnent and compensation OF attorneys.
The amount paid for this purpose as tar
as ascertaIned, was $144,S46, of Which
George Bliss received $57, 1882. A review
of Merrick's testimony in explanation
of the failure of the government to So
cure conviction in the Star Route trials
is given, but the report says:
The committee had not time to pursue
the investigation.
In reference to the attempt to bride
Jurors, and in reference to contractors
not indicted, the report says:
"From the. tabular statement from
the office of the Second Assistant Post
master-General, the amount, which it
salisbury and Parker, is estimated at
1855, 443. While the record of evidence in
the Postoifice Department at the Begin
ming of the investigation was meagre
against
SALISBURY AND PARKER,
vet evidence subsequently procured
through special agents sent out for the
purpose showed that the operations of
lthese parties as contractors were glar-
iingly fraudulent, aud that they should
have been indicted n convicted and
prosecuted in civil suits for the recovery
Ut large sums, Illegally obtained from
The government, so that mysterious and
echl Influences must have operated
secure their immunity"
The next subject considered Is reIative
to the failure to indict ex-Goy. Kel-
logg, and the report says:
LITURGY bliss soouicu oRpOSo ChOieo
looking toward such Indictment" and
upon this point the report continues as
follows: "There is q wide issue Of vara-
Esityfbetween
BLISS AND THE MEMOIRS
The grand jury as to the efforts made
by Bliss to secure indictment against
Kellogg. The foreman of the grand
Jury, Mr. Mitchell, and Messrs. Will
lard, EdmonsoH, Stewart and Truesdell
appeared before the committee and
bach ~scorroborated the other. They
stated substantially hat Bliss, after the
evidence of Walsh hat been concluded
before the Grand Jury, stated that
James b. Price was expected to arrive
IN the city the following day a would
appear before the Jury as q witness for
the government in that case, and thus
secured an adjournment over n day
on that account This WAS on Friday
and the promise was that on Saturday
Price wOuld appear as q witness, init
mating that Prices testimony was nec-
essary TO make out the governments
ease. On Saturday, when the Jury met,
Bliss announced the failure of Price TO
appear and that he was compelled to
Rnait the case on the Evidence already
The jury then voted not to pro
Iii Indictment. Bliss stated thai he
DID NOT IRoMIsE
5fice's attendance, bue might have said
q the jury thai the case would be
Stronger when tried before The petit
ury. for then they expected to have
Price as a witness for the Government,
tut each of the grand jurors q men-
toned was positive this. WAS not what
Bliss said.
II fs16her appears from the evidence
~