Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-06-19
BLISS BEFORE SPRINGER.
MIR. kER'S DATES AND FACTS
CALLED INACCURATE.

/ CALLED INACCURATE.
The Witness Warns Up when He
Reaches the Charge That He Was Not
Sincere In the Prosecution of Dorsey,
and Denies the Soft Impeachment.
WASHINGTON, June Is.-George Bliss,
Of New York, was before the Springer
Committee to-day to answer testimony
recently given by witnesses relative to
the investigation of the star route trials.
Mr.. ker was present. Referring to Mr..
! keT's testimony before the committee, Col.
/ Bliss said that it seemed to be impossible for
that gentleman to be accurate in dates and
| figures. Col. Bliss continued: Mr.. Ker
gives the idea that he brought new witnesses
and drew additional information from old
| ones an the second trial. He says that there
were seventy seven witnesses in the
first tral. The record shows that
| there were ninety-eight. Thirty OF
theSe were not examined. On the
! second trial there were thirty-three more
than on the first. Mr.. Rerdell was examined
| at the second trial. Twenty seven new wit
nesses were made possible by his eXamina-
tion. furnished list of the old witnesses
| Tor MI. her and gave the names of others.
| lhefe was but one new witness produced by
! Mr. her on the second trial. He is entitled to
| bringing here n witness named Cable | con-
sidered that Il was a mistake TO bring that
witness, and Judge Wylie decided that il
! was mistake. Mr.. Ker said that the oral
stronger than on the first trial. 1t was. but
| had Rerdell."
DoRsEY's BILL OF FARE.
Col; Bliss then referred to the statement of
Mr., Her, III which the former was credited
1 win giving TO an attorney of the defense dur
| ing the trial a bin of fare of q Dorsey dinner
! which was used by the attorney in court The
| testimony OF Mr. kerwa apparently designed
| t. show that Col. Rliss was blinded to Dorsey
| Col. Bliss said: mir McSweeny said that he
| was going Tor ne because | was at the Dorsey
| dinner. / concluded that I'd cover, and
brought the bin of fare here and
| showed IT in the court room. After
| wards, while / was absent, the bin Of
| fore came into the possession of Mr.. Nc
Sweeny. think that there is no ground for
| lnsnuating that gave il 10 him. 1t is more
! probable that Mr.. ker gave it, but l will not
say so. He was more friendly with Mr. Nc
SWeeny. L was at the Dorsey dinner and
did not pay anything for it. There were
great many people at that dinner VITO now
don't care to own up to it,"
Col. Bliss, referring again to the witness
Sald that he advanced $50 to a family of one.
he was not engaged in seeking money
but" said he, ''in seeking Justice Which I'm
afraid I'll not get.''
NO REFLECTION ON THE COMMITTEE.
what do you mean? Do you cast refiec-
ton on this committee" said Mr.. Crisp.
Il don't reflect on this committee" an
swered the witness.
Col. Bliss continued 'sThe allegation ia
made all through Mr.. Ker's testimony that
was not sincere in the prosecution of Mr..
Dorsey"
The witness in answer read from the record
OF tn" FIRST Dorsey trial and from his argu-
menI 10 the jury, in which he spoke of Mr.
Dorsey, and characterized him as being 'the
ehleI coGsplrator of the conspiracy" He said
that the counsel for the prosecution was
greatly embarrassed by the Attorney General
insisting on closing the case.
II never proposed or desired that Mr. Dor
sey should escape. Until after The close of
the election when Garfield was elected Mr.
Dorsey was almost a stranger to me. L was
anxious that Secretary Folger should be made
Secretary of the Treasury, and found that Mr.
Dorsey was of the same opinion. Soon after
| saw a letter from Mr.. Dorsey IN which he
SAID that didn't amount to much politically.
From that, we couldn't have been very friend
". | guess the President never entertained
any desire TO protect MIR. Dorsey.
NOTHING DONE IN THE DARK.
when Dorsey went to see him one night
the President SAID that he would never see
m mhlm unless he came during the day time as
the public came. The only thing that the
President ever said to me was, BE careful OF
your own record. so that nobody will be able
to say that you've let anybody OUT 1 know
why ne sald 1t. asked Judge Wylie
the other day II he had ever seen any disposi-
ton ON my part to let up on Mr.. Dorsey. He
replied that the idea was perfect absurd
'.Mr. Merrick says that in your heart YOU
didn't wish Mr.. Dorsey convicted?" infer
posed Mr. Stewart.
"Mr: Merrick was so good Democrat that
he couldnot Imagine a Republican admins
tratlon prosecuting the Secretary of the Ma
tlonal Republican Committee. I'm not talk
ing for poppycock now. L never dreamed of
being accused OF trying to protect Mr. Dorsey
until Mr.. Kef in connection with Brewster
Cameron trotted it out"
There IS no truth in that" interposed Mr..
IA h =
thing than investigate Brewster Cameron in
the Jury bribery case"
THE JURY BRIBERY CASE.
The witness continued: s"Tbat's the only
case IN which only Democrats and Brewster
Cameron are involved. The charge was that
the Department of Justice and the prosecu-
tion were endeavoring tA bribe iuries, The
circumstances out of wliNh the charge arose
was brewster Camerons interview with Mr..
Dickson, foreman Of one of the jures.''
You convey the idea that the reason why
TINS committee did not investigate the jury
bribery ease was because only Brewster
Cameron and Democrats were involved"
said Mr.. Fyan.
THAT is probably one inference in nv
mind. have heard that Mr.. Ker advised
Mr.. Cameron to go to the jury: The services
II brewster Cameron for the committee
would probably influence the committee not
to touch things that lead up TO him."
III you know anything about bribery tell
IT., interposed several members of the COM
mittee.
"If this is the first time the committee has
heard of the alleged bribery it has not been
as wide awake as thought it was
''The committee has heard of attemDts on
both Sides" said Mr.. Springer.
THE NAMES MENTIONED.
81 don't know that any Democrats were
wrongly involved" Col. Bliss continued.
''The names mentioned were Brewster Cam
eron, ker, Dickson, and man named Falls,
some Kind OF lawyer here. / don't impli-
cate anybody. | have no reason to believe
that Mr.. her was connected with it,"
You know that my name was not men
toned with it, said Mr.. Ker warmly
The witness continued, 81 don't make
charges against the committee, but it is the
general understanding outside that you are
going for the Republicans, and not Democrats.
am not going to give names, but there are
persons who say that they are going for me
because am closely connected with the adj
mlnistration. II any body wants to sit on me,
let him do it. He'll find he Is sitting on burrs
AS to the removals from office OF certain
officials, Will say that wrote to the Presi-
dent concerning them without consulting any
body. Marshal Henry had been President
Garfed's pet. We felt that he was NOT a3fino
in the interest of the government. vet we
could not put our fingers on anything Mr.
Anger was postmaster here, and owned
paper in Michigan.
Anglers LETTER.
.'He wrote a letter after his removal. in
which he attacked the prosecution, Mr.
Spencer was another one. / wrote to the
President, asking for the removal OF these
men, and then sent copy to his private Sec
retary. To the latter | said that the letter
expressed my views and that / wanted the
President to see it and act. did not consult
with anyone before sending it, or send il az
coming from the counsel, because | thought
that the President would in that case con-
slider it as official and feel compelled to act
Ny letter he could consider as private or
official. Within twenty -four hours after its
receipt the President said that the parties
must be removed. and all others who hindered
the prosecution"
Ibid you receive advices or solicitation
that favor should be extended to any of the
defendants|' asked Mr.. Van Alstyne.
"No, SIR"
s'FrOm any one who had ever been con-
nected with President Garfield intimately or
socially?"
''No, SIR"
NOT APPROACHED BY BLAINE.
"Ask him squarely if he ever received any
from Mr.. Blaine" interposed Mr.. Millfken
mo, sir" Col. Bliss repeated, "and 1 will
say to you further that / have not cOnversed
with Mr.. Blaine since / went into the star
route cases. have not communicated with
him directly or indirectly, and neither he nor
anybody else ever approached me on that
subject. / think it IS just as well to ask
squarely about Mr.. Blaine, and a great deal