National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-03-14
STAR ROUTE INVESTIGATION.
Col. Cook Modiles Hts Statements ana
Then Talks Some More.

Then Talks Some More.
"while | remarked yesterday that Mr..
Bliss appointment Ms counsel in the star route
cases was a political one" said William A.
Cook at the beginning Of his examination
yesterday by Mr.. springer's committee u DO
not mean there was no reference 10 tne lacs
that he was lawyer. While he was law
yer, he never would have been selected but
for partisan reasons. In the consultation
concerning the selection Of special counsel
numes were mentioned, among them Gen.
Butler, Judge Fullerton, and MIR. Henderson,
of st. Louis. The objection TO MT. LENDER
son was that il would not be wise to select
him because no had been engaged in the
prosecution of the whisky ring cases, and he
would not bo acceptable to the incoming ad-
miuistration. Bliss never would have been
selected had Gen. Garfield lived"
Questions concerning the length of the
trial were asked by members OF the commit
tee. la answer MIR. Cook said: " If indict-
nlents had been drawn TO cover what l
REGARDED as necessary the trial might have
boon concluded in few weeks. My original
plan was to indiCt the officers OF the govern.
munt separately from the contractors. This
would have simplifcd the case, and might
have induced the contractors to come forward
and disclose what they might have known.
pcllcd the government to meet the combined
efforts OF officials and contractors The
statute was broad enough TO cover such IN
dictments. An indictment was found against
lilIcy and an indictment was found against
Brott for giving VIM. Lilley money TO IN
tluencc his acts rs deputy auditor. WINE lhe
indictments were filed Dec. 3, ISL they nave
never been taken up They might have been
disposed OF in four or five weeks"
" At the time oil the engagement OF special
counsel was anything said about per diem
was asked.
The compensation allowed Bliss was justi-
fed on the assumption that he was New
York lawyer. lie was to gct clear SlVo per
day. Ker was from lhiladClpha AS lees
in that place are not 80 high as IN New YORK,
his COMPENSATION should have been less.
herrick was from Washington, ana his COM
rensatiOn should have been less still, but
both were allowed the same as Bliss. Inc
employment OF Mcrnck was said to be
shiewd act of Mir. Brewster. 1t enabled him
to call into The star route cases a prominent
democrat, thereby preventing the democratic
marry in case Oi failure from making any
thing out of IT. The trial assumed the nature
OF II contest between attorneys Tor success.
Mr. Cook again referred to the action OF
the government, counsel toward District At
toruoy COrkhi!l.
Did CuIkhill know before the grand jury
secure an indictment" was asked.
ale certainly knew that"
Representative Fyan iuterrogated the wit
noes, desiring to know whether he refused
the offer of a representative OF the defend
ants OF a retainer Of $4,000?
81 had acquitted SO many parties prosecuted
by the government, that when the United
States elected me to become counsel l
thought it proper to comply"
at was not then question OF renumera-
tiOn, hut pRtriotismW
a. was a question of duty"
Did you claim more than $1,000 fee
from the government when the defendants
would have given you $4,000"
IL would have claimed more, but had IN
intimation that ] would not get it,"
How much would you have claimedW
81 thought, if | had devoted year to the
cases, that l would put III a bill of $4,000 or
$4,000. | did not suppose, for moment,
that my pay would be cut down to nominal
sum"
DO you call $500 nominal sum ?" asked
Mr.. Stewart.
81 do" replied the witness.
"If that is nominal, what would you call
the sum paid to Mr.. Bliss?'
"EXtraordinary."
In number of questions following, con-
corning the employment of the witness by
the defendants in the star route cases, Mr..
NOok sdlu lLStJ MS partner hdu uSiSuuou itSi ..
drll at one time, and had gotten Il fee of
: 500. Mr.. Cook said he received no part
Of il.
''Did you tell the president that any of the
lefcndunts tried to corrupt you 2"
Dor sey at one time, about the time of my
employment by the government, sent note
10 me- saying if convenient he would like to
see me. ! went to Dorsey home and he said
he would like to employ me in case which
lie anticipated would be made against him
He offered me at the same time roll Of
money. l declined to receive it, and said
that would take his proposition under adj
visemont.
Then you had not made up your mine
that having acquitted so many men, yoT
would try to convict ono" asked Mr.. Fyan
81 considered Dorsey's oler aud refused it.
The witness, in answer to inquiries, sale
Mr.. Gibson was a man of integrity. He wa:
questioned at length regarding the paymen
OF 81, 500 to his partner by Rerdell, and re
peated that he received no benefit from thu
money, either directly or indirectly.
Mr. Cook will be examined to-day on TIL
Ottman case.