Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-07-04
BREWSTER AS A WITNESS.
HOW THE STAR ROUTE COUNSEL
WE'RE ENGAGED DETAILED.

/ Col. Bliss Anxiety Laid Before the
Committee in the Shape Of Letter
The Attorney Generals Determination
not to Pay Exorbitant Fees in the
Civil Suits not well Received by ths
Legal Profession.
WASHINGTON, July 3.-Attorney Gen
eral Brewster was examined to-day by
| the Springer committee relative to the
trial of the star route cases. On taking
the stand he said that he preferred to take
the oath by the Uplifted hand, and swore,
II do swear by Almighty God that what
| say before this committee shall be the truth
| the whole truth and nothing but the truth
and shall answer for the same at the iudg-
ment day"
He testified:
''Prior TO my appointment as Attor-
ney General / became one of the star
| route counsel. on telegram from Mr. Nc
| When became Attorney General my connec-
nectlon as counsel ceased. For my services
| as counsel | received about 5000. sAVhen ]
became Attorney General Mr.. Cook was OF
the star route counsel, and Mr.. Gibson was
acting in the same capacity. / did not under
stand that he took part in the court. He
| seemed to have a good deal Of authority in
| the case. Col. Bhss took serious objection TO
Messrs. Cook and Gibson. and said that it was
not safe to have them in the case. He told me
many things which went TO their discredit.
1nCg boiB OnlpiaIuNu tHAb GOi. bliss naQ
treated them with want Of confidence. Mr..
Woodward also came and said that it was not
safe for them to stay, that it was necessary to
change the lock of the safe to protect the pa
pers of the case to which they had had access.
1t was determined to dispense with them, but
before they were so informed they both wrote
letters withdrawing from the case.
BREWsTER'S CONFIDENCE IN BLISS.
sol. Bliss confded in above all the men
IN the cases. As the Post Office Department
cOnhded in him, recognized him as the most
important person in the cases. He had the
most thorough acquaintance with the details
of the papers at that time. did not know
that Mr.. Woodward arranged the papers, and
that Col. Bliss was in consultation with him
afterwards. Col. Bliss wrote me and said
that he would leave the case ii Mr.. COrkhil
was not dismissed. lie said that he would be
the means of frustrating the work
he proposed to do. l consulted with
the President. lie said that he wanted
these people prosecuted to the utmost extent
of the law, and he would give me all the help
that he could. He has always stood by me-
asked him about Mir. Corlzhill, and regretted
that District Attorney was not in the cases.
Mr.. Corkhill had complained bitterly to me
that nc had been excluded in a way that hurt
his honor. The President said that if he ought
to be dismissed, to dismiss him. | replied
thatit would be an impoltic thing to put him
out as he had just been in the Guiteau case,
a case of national Importance.
EDMUNDS OPPOSES C0RKHILL'S GUST
ING.
81 went to George f Edmunds,o of The Senate
Judiciary Committee,o ,on the subject. He agreed
with me that it would be an impoltic and
harsh thing to put Mr.. Corkhil out. lie sag-
gested that Mr.. MerT.ick should be appointed
as an assistant. | acquieseed and thought
that it would be proper to select him so as to
take the case out of politics, he being a Demo-
crat. The prosecution was in the interest of
the public, and not of any party / wrote to
Col. Bliss about it, and he said that he
would be pleased to take MI. Mer-
rick. Mr.. Merrck consented to serve.
Col. Bliss then said that he was bothered by
the pleadings and that he did not have time
to look after them [ told him to select some
body. lie said that he had somebody in New
\ Ork, but afterward said that he would not
DO and asked me to select some one. / knew of
Mr.. ker, and of his character for respecta-
bility and integrity, and his ability to prepare
the indictments I concluded to take him,
and for another reason, because he
was Democrat, and | was deter
mined that there should be no com
plant from party stand point.
MIR. Ker came and went to work Col. Bliss
continued, in the cases until about the time
the Kellogg case was to be tried. / concluded
that Mr.. Merrick ought to leave, because of
The charge of. his prosecuting the case in una
licious way. | knew that that was so. lie
was very earnest, though, 10 have that case
tried. l did not think that the case would
ever go to trial. l thought that Mr.. Walsh
would stay away"
did Col. Bliss write to you to consult with
any one in regard to the prosecution of Mr..
Springer.
BLISS POLITICAL LEANINGs.
ION December 20, 1882, he wrote me a letter
as follows:
'''As to the matter which l spoke of TO you
this morning, as to the using of Price as a
witness, why not consult with Secretary
Chandler on the political view of it? OF course
you would not consult any one in the legal
aspect but the matter may be productive of
great difficulties. Merrck may get ugly if
he does not have his own way, and
make trouble in the case on the trial.
At the same time we cannot, any of u.s. allow
Price, who is indicted and guilty, to escape
unless he gives us some one more guilty, and
does it certainly Without Walsh, Price is
of little or no use to US, and Walsh is not now
available to us. With Walsh, even, we do
not get clear case, through Price's assist
ance against any one except, perhaps Brady.
and. situated as we are now, we do not need
TO give up any one to get proof against
Brady in another case than that on trial.
Price cannot aid us in the one on
trial Merrick has become greatly interested
to attack Kellogg. / think politics affect him.
He may claim to have promised Price protec-
tiOn / think, in fact. he has done so c0ndi-
tionally. He certainly had no legal right to
do it without consulting you and getting au-
thortty from you. He had no moral right to
do it without consulting me. I think, in fact,
that he has not done it, but he may be willing
to have it supposed that he has, as being more
likely to get your approval of something he
has done than your consent to do the same
thing.
FACING THE POSSIBILITIES.
"'The matter may come to the shape where
you Will have to put your foot down, but /
think that the wise way is to atemporize, at
least until this trial is over. At the worst it
may become necessary to accept anything
Merrick has done in promising Price immu-
nifty, but that does not involve consenting to
prosecutions against others with Prices as
sistance, unless your judgment tellsyou that
such prosecutions ought to be instituted. /
am very anxious about the whole matter
96R / xva n
pleased with il. | made up my mind that
would not let anybody talk with me about the
polltIcai questions OF the case. l was placed
in difficult position. COL Bliss had charge
of the papers in the cases. / couldn't dis
pense with him, and thought that if he left it
it would shock the case"
Respecting the civil suits the witness said
that when he first went into office it was the
intention to prosecute civil suits and criminal
suits at the same time, but in conference it
was determined to postpone the civil suits.
Col. Bliss gave the witness to understand that
eX-Postmaster General James intended that
he Bliss should take charge of the civil
suits. The change in the Office of Postmaster
General took place and was followed by fur
ther consultation regarding the civil suits.
1t was concluded that the object of the gov
ernment was not to secure money, but to give
the people to understand that whoever did
wrong was to be pursued to the end.
CONSULTING BY LETTER.
Correspondence took place between the
Postmaster General and the Attorney General
about the civil suits, and about that time Col
Bliss began to write letters evincing strong
desire to take charge of them. The Postmas-
ter General and the witness agreed that Col.
Bliss ought not to have charge Of them. The
papers were then sent to Mr.. Simeonds of the
Court of Claims, and he, after keeping them
ment ths@ for him to undertake
the work of the Court of Claims
behind hand, and advising that some compe-
tent man be emDloyed to take charge of them
The witness had consultation with one man
who wanted $4,000 a year. The witness was
determined not to pay any more exorbitant
counsel fees, as he had been forced to do in the
last, and declined. A second and third emf
nent counsellor were consulted with like re-
suit, the latter demanding, after a full exami-
nation of the cases, 81, 800 month. The wit
ness had now determined to prosecute the
cases, giving immediate charge to one Of the
officers of the Department of Justice, super
vising the work himself, and securing such
assistance as was necessary from District At
torneys in their respective districts
Being asked about the alleged nomination of
Paul Strobach to be Marshal Of Alabama
when the charges against him were on file in
the Department of Justice, MIR. Brewster said
that the facts in the Strobach case were that
he WAS appointed March 2, 1888. On March
a telegram was received from Mr. Booth
saying tnat Strobach ought not to be appointed
until his accounts as Deputy Marshal
were examined. The telegram was not
received until after the appointment The
facts were unknown and unthought of
until after the appointment OF the special
agent, who was on the ground investigating
Strobach's predecessor, turned his attention
to StfObach's accounts, and the result was
that Strobach was indicted. The witness
described the reason for the failure of Stro-
bach's case and others. The witness paid a
high tribute to Judge Wylie for his conduct
OF the cases, and to Mr.. Merrick. The latter
had never manifested any personal feeling in
the Kellogg case. and had repeatedly said to