The Evening critic., 1884-01-21
How the Government Was Robbed
by nreMster's Methods.


Even the Vile and venal New YORK TINS
condemns the detective methods employed By
Brewster, Attorney-General, I'm the Star-Route
cage. Anything bad that tho V. and V. cannot
swallow must be atrociously vile.
Here is what 1t permits Its correspondent TO
aWAsHINGToY, Jan. I6-The Government
paid for the services OF detectives during this
two Star.Route trials ST,250.2S. or this
amount SO, T90.2S was paid to Allan Pinkorton
Tor the per diem and expenses OF his operi-
tore. venture TO say that the attorneys who
represented tho Government 10 these prosecu'
uons did not receive scintilla of Information
from these detectives that was of tho slightest
nso In promoting the cause OF Justice.
The Government wa1 most tngloriousiy
no satisfactory explanation OF Its defeat. OF
what service, then, was tho detectives.
"rhe itemized expenses OF Plnkertons msu
show that they were about Washington dur
ing both OF the long-drawn-Out trials that
they were continually riding In street'clrs,
hanging about saloons, always spending
money for drinks, visiting drug atDros, calling
on doctors, going to places OF amusement, an
every place they wont TO cost the Government
money. All sorts OF people were watched, fol-
lowed and ehadowed, to what end? Every
member OF the two 1uries appears to have
been watched, followed and Swallowed, but no
adequate resultwas achieved by this expensive
system OF espionage. The idle curiosity OF the
Government counsel was doubtless gratliied
by the reports these spies made daily. All
sorts OF stories were undoubtedly retailed by
give them the basis for their daily amount OF
gossip, their imaginattons could supply what
kewas lacking. They ad to earn their per
diems and run up bill OF expenses"
And here IS what It says, editorinily, In Sat-
urday's issue:
dIt has so long since become tho established
belief among intelligent men that, as rule,
detectives do not detect, one need not wonder
at the elaborate futility OF the detective scr.
Vice In the Star-Routo cases. II the counsel
| for the Government were anxious to incur
| large expenses by way OF magnitying their
| own labors, their course would 90 more readily
| understood. The detectives nominally on duty
| not only did nothing, but the detailed state
| ment OF their expenses raises the suspicion
| that they could not have expected TO accom-
plish anything. They were necessarily trav
| cling about Washington, making costs AMI ap
| parently bent on making showing on paper
| OF course, real detectives would have been
obliged TO circulate among the public places
| OF the city II they were at work. But 1t IL n
notorious fact that these men did not discover
anything, and their bills provo that they wore
spending the Governments money In u man
ner which can hardly be called anything
| better than petty swindling. One gang rode
about in the street-cars, and tho Government
paid their fares. Another gang loared around
the inns and drinking.plnces; and tho Gov
| eminent paid their liquor bills.
"For example, during the months OF June
and July eight detectives made Cor swore
they mado) 1,5i0 trips in the street cars OF
Washington, for which they brought In bill
OF ST. Another lot OF detectives consumed
| liquors TO the amount OF Sl06.6O, the theory
| being, probably, that they treated suspected
persons for the purpose OF extracting secrets
from them by these artful means. How many
| OF these charges are Constructive there 10 no
means OF ascertaining but we know very we'll
that the statements are those OF men some Of
whom would not ecruple to swear falsely &c
| the correctness OF their charges. washing
ton correspondent OF the Times points to the
fact that the detectives charge the Govern
| ment five cents for each carfare, although the
rate TO purchasers OF tickets is less than that
The so.called detectives watched and followed
the Jurors, various parties involved In tbs
suit, and n great variety OF othcr persons
Whether they were set as spies, in the Japan
csc fashion, over each other does not appear
Possibly little OF this interchangeable es
pionage would have furnished them with nc
| live employment"