The Portland daily press., 1884-03-06
STARTLING STATEMENTS.
Ex-Postmaster General James Be-
fore Mr.. Springers Committee.
Story of Bis Connection with the Star
Route PrO-ecufious-He Qu ties w. A.
Cook as Prop,rsying Garfieid's Assassin
afion Week i'm Advance.

were examined before Mr. Springer's com
mittee relative to expenditures OF the Depart
ment OF Justice in the prosecution OF Sta
Route cases.
Mr.. james, after detailing his early view
on the Star route frauds, said: That enter
tanned such views was well known, and tht
publicity given to them added to the fact tina
while postmaster at New York, when asked
By Stephen W, Dorsey to certify in my oficia
capacity to a large number of papers connect
ed with the contract Office of the Post-oticl
Department, refused to do so, may account
for the bitter opposition to my appointment to
Cabinet position which developed in certain
quarters. He then narrated his visit to Gen
Garfield in company with Whitelaw Reid or
the business of his appointment to the Post
master Generaship. Conversation turned to
| the work of the Post-ofice Department. Gen.
| Garfield said that he was afraid that there
was something very wrong in the department
itislf; that II SO, he expected me TO find 1t out
and then put the plow into the beam and after
that to subsoil it. Dorsey was not present at
| this interview. nor did James see him, and
| James having been appointed, the President
sent for him and said he was satisfied that
4 turEo udu D6ob Wlliui WHSbo Oh pubic money
| and gross corruption, that while he did not
| wish to have mail facilities necessary to the
| welfare OF any community urailed, all un-
| necessary and ext tiavagant service must be
| reenilessy cut of, aid that II an inquiry
should disclose the fact that any person or per-
| sous had been guilty of corruption or fraud.
| that person or persons must be handed over 10
the Department OF Justice. After recitiDg
the circumstances connected with the appoint
nent OF A. M. Gibson as special attorney and
I'M n inn hi a.
James Continued: "Ail sources of informa-
ton at ommand we're made available and the
investigation was pushed every way. The
state OF affairs thus revealed was truly appall-
ing. Inspectors designed by law to jsalously
guard the interests of every branch of the
service and advise the Postmaster Geperal of
any abuses or irregularities which might at
any time or in any place fall under their
notice, were peremptoriiy forbidden to re-
trench upon "Stsr Route" domain by q pewer
which appeared TO be greater than that OF the
head OF the department, and whore unspoken
word was obeSed as law. This vast and inn
portans service, stretching for thousands OF
miles East, West, North ard South, in regions
OF country invested by bands of hostile In
dams or desperate outlaws, and often accessible
only by blackboard" or on horseback. was
rsiegated to the care OF one man. borne upon
the rolls OF the department as Assistant Super
intendent OF the Railway Mai Service, and
who occupied desk in the office of the Sec
ond Assistant Postmaster General. This man
was Ray p. Eaton. who WAS afterwards rs-
moved and is now collector of customs in
Maine."
Mir. James continued. In the early part of
April, fortified with facts and figures labori-
ously and carefully collected, Bir. Woodward
and myself called on the President aud exhib-
tied u comparative statement Of the most COR
ruptly manipulated routes. He displayed =
great surprise and wished 10 know if the fig
ures had been verified by the records. He also
added that he had been providentialy stved
from falling Into trap which had evidently
been set for him and seemed to be contem-
plating some peril which he had escaped. He
asked whether the papers had been shown to
the Attorney General. replied no, when he
requested me to call with that official and Mr.
Woodward the next day. We called the next
afternoon and lengthy consultation ensned.
In answer to my suggestion as to whether it
would not be wise to Institute civil suit for re-
covery of the money Obtained through dishon-
est &C ntracts rather than COMMENCE criminal
proceedings against the implicated parties, he
~ aoSsa jsaa ip... SEA,
torney General, "Consid sss.s ssio tne AZ
Postmaster General is not figlrs.sss..-.so'. ~. sAo
final decision remember that these proce~- :
iDgs may strike men in high places: that they
NAV result in changing the republican major
ity in the United States Senate into q demo-
cratic majority; that they may affect persons
who claim that you are under personal obliga-
tons to them for services rendered during the
who asserts that without his management you
could not have been elected; look these facts
squarely in the face before taking q final stand
Tor neither the Postmaster General nor myself
will know friend or foe IN this matter"
The President walked across the room, re-
hected moment and said; "No, have sworn
to execute the laws. Go ahead regardless OF
where or whom you hif. direct you both not
only 10 probe this ulcer to the bottom, but to
cut it out"
On the 18th of April. Mr. Wood ward and
myself called upon the President who at ouce
directed Brads's dismissal. / explained to
the President that mJ relations with the
secoDd assistant postmaster general officially
and otherwise had always been of friendly
character; that this was most painful duty
and that | hoped be would allow me 10 ask
for his resignation. He declined and directed
letter to be prepared which l signed, asking
the President for Brady's instant removal
Eaily next morning the President sent for me
and said that be had reflected on what had
urged, and, realizing my embarrassment, was
wiling should ask for Brady's resignation,
and Brady at 0nce resigned.
From the moment the table of the famous
93 Star routes was given through the medium
of the Associated Press, Dorsey began actively
to engage in the efforts TO shield himself, to
bring the investigation to nought, 10 disturb
the relations OF The President with his cabinet,
and 10 convince the countrg that "persscu-
ten was the primary motive of the depart.
ment and of The administration. Rerdsil,
secretary to Dorsey, of Kansas, while Dorsey
was senator. confessed that he prepared the
proposals; that they were sent in bnlk to the
West. AMI after being partially filed up we're
brought back 10 be executed; that after the
proposals we're accepted be attended to getting
up iuf1nence, petitions, ETC., for expedition,
and after the contracts were expedited he
managed the business of c3moinatiou which
consisted of .. w. Dorsey, John ". Dlrsey,
Miner, Peck and Boone, the asst named being
frozen out TO make room for Vale. Rerdel
showed transcript of books, and said that
during the Congressional investigation he
slammed sickness for fear OF being
summoned before the Congressional committee
Datiug the time OF the feigned sickness book
was copied fr rom the original with the excep-
ton that money charged in that to the fcti-
tious names oil Smith and Jones was there
entered under The head of profit ard loss.
Brady received 333 per cent. as bis share of
the expedition for one year ana 30 per cent. of
The remissions of fines aud deductions.
Ex-senator Spencer had told Mr.. James
that on Sunday, the IL of June, while he
was con versiug In his room at the Everett
House, New York city. with Hon. S. B. e.
kins of New Mexico stephen w Dorsey came
in unannounced; that he Dorsey was terri
bly, demorsliZed, smoked necessarily and
drank deeply; that he said his CLERK {Rerdel)
had "fquesleu" and betrayed him and had
shown his papers 10 the Postmaster General
and Attorney General and others; that he
begged them both TO help him aud made most
abisct apologies for the harsh things said of
them in the past. Spencer had also said that
on one occasion. when the two were in the
room together, Dorsey remarked, "See how I
do business" wLereupou he placed 5000 or
$4,000 in an envelope aud laid it on the table.
Presently Brady came in, put the envelope in
his pocket and went away.
On the last Wednesday in June Mr.. James
said that with Messrs. Cooke and Wood ward,
he called on the President at the White
House. As they entered the attendants said,
go right up stairs to the Cabinet room, ths
President is there" "Who Is with him?"
asked Mr.. james "Senator Dorsey aud
Colonel Iugersol." The three then went in-
to the red room and word was sent to
the President. When the latter entered he
was introduced to Mr.. Cooke.
"rhi'." said Mr.. james, ''was obviously
the fist time t ey I'd met Mr. Cooke ex-
planned what HAD been done by Mr.. Gibson
aud himself. The President suggested they
we're too slow, that they should be more earn
est IN their work, and that they should have
the guilty parties indicted aud tried. Mr..
Cooke promised Saat no time should be lost.
On rising to leave the room, he said, "Mr.
President, you know am q criminal lawyer
and that my associations are not always with
angels hear good deal about what is go-
ing on and J. feel that it is my duty to say
from know ledge which has come into my pos
Ga An has