New-York tribune., 1884-03-08
Srs. SPENCER ON STAR ROUTES
HIS EFFORTS TO ESCAPE PUBLICITY.
srBPENA p1sREGARDED on THE ADVICE on MR.
CONKIING.


eIwent from Nevada to NewYork on business .Snn
dsy while walking IN Broadway me; MI 's"oS, ~,
Postmaster and he asked me 70 accompany ni" ~ 80
office did so and at the onlee nv ' ~ -.
wanted 70 90 into Gar1elds Caoinet Ss 1v''" -.
sral and asked me TO aid him. SAID tna' "oNiN as
him and afterward dld render Whae anu ! 49, -, -
he had beeu appointed POstmaser-e-eneraL s"Au " nm
-. a. nd ar ornortunity that few men had In I1e-
,,ra 20 mako great reputation. He asked now ana
rarled that he could make the POST Omce Depdfr
t the first year and that the next year
he could reduce the postage TO two cents Cood 5o
asked BY breaking up the star Route ring, repeG. u
faok a pledge from him that what l said shOuiu pe
% Tved in tbe West aud we're almost neghbors Of mine,
and desired that my name should not 20 10 I9
snS receved pledge from him that what should say to
the General should be confidential lie gave
me the same assurance that Mr.. James had gven-that
ti0n then Mr. Woodward was selected 10 taAe cn
@TD the winter OF 1881 remained in New-York and
psed to meet Mr. Gibson. he told me what be knew anu
sfterward showed the table Of the rou1e
sbicb he had nrepared We met in Washington, ana
together went TO Mr. Wocdwards ROOM where ne Wsl9
acquainted with Mr.. GlbsOn's Information .eI,, .i
in washington about three months most or the uine
getting up evidence for the star Route a T.a' in
In June ex-senator Clayton, OF Afkalsas, noS
Washine eon and said that If this star Route invest @
was going earnest Rerdeu hsd sIoy 20 d ne did
said however that Rerdell was Dsd man; @ anu tne
not place much confidence ID HIM Inc seOIA; A1oa re-
would have made eonylcuoL ,,S o,nbtnston had
ferred all the routes that the DORSEY [ W sailed to
1rban no offered IT, Those 10 whom ne n"ie IL
,ahe made up my mlnu lhdt pcy"Hu '"'
Ing the two or three million oGcs nav nav
the investigation would be failure i'ecel' y ~ y
and in the latter part March, 1852, went to NevSd"
snd renamed until June.
ADVICE FROM MR.. CONKLING.
MT Spencer then gave account OF Ills return 20 Ne"
York: of his being subpGnaed TO appear I'D
NJ his coming here and remaining two weeks Of MS enors
80 d ,sttb Secretary Chandler secure an interview
with Mr. Bliss while sitting In TIE oar Oh oue VI
.be hotels with Secretary Chandler MI spencer sau;
Bliss came 10 the latter one day Iht5 VIM Wv, "i
times but Bliss said that he did not wan 70 se A ~
told Secretary Chandler that he desired nov 20 % tf
until / went the stand. ana II ulun "' -o,,.ineJ
he expected he would crosse Xamne me J
here until the court adjourned went TO He"aV'nb b1 s IL
showed senator COnklng my sUppthd' n T. Dd ,ffeud
was not in legal form and advised me 'o ~ 14' "'
20 my business, and followed MS advce, y, i arrest
Mr. spencer then gave IN detail an account on ~ ~ ar 50
IN Nevada in November last for contempt ana oa @ %
9G,tal IN Judge % @ wv %yIes Knew OF no material
fact would he admitted as evidence nd' @ ,td
70 convict Through Secretary Chandler THIS was S'd"
10 Mr.. Bliss"
CoNTRADICTING Mr.. JAMEs's TESTIMONY,
The witness referred 10 the testimony on Wednesday OF
~ Postmaster General James. IN which he SAID accoI
tng 10 Mr. spencers that MI Dorsey had gone
,o senator spencers room and said "see how do Ous
ness" whereupon he placed $4,000 or $4,000 IN an ell
1eIope mt il on table, and Brady came in took the
envelope and money and LEFT. dld nOt say tudI IL
seen Brady and Dorsey in room tosethef never never
Dorsey pay Brady any money ~. J.ll9 . d lt -,
taken We have talked much on these star fOl'Vc m
made such statement must have been drunk ana am
NOT In the habit of getting drunk. On NUntiY III uO
Of 1851 was sitting in my room IN NeW-loik mdloI
Park was with me. There was rap at my door ana
Dorsey came in. He SAID, Major he knew the MAJOR
Il spencer alone, and wish you "ou9 20 Iu,
The Major left. Dorsey excited and stld ne haG
heard thar RerGe had gone back on MIN he remained
tl about Is in the evening. SAID If knew anything
about Rerdels action was so situated Ind co0 Ho'
Then v9n understand asked Nj Stewart, member
Of the committee that the statement OF MI James con-
cerning the payment OF money by Dorsey to Brady was
10 p11f of lDie T. ID
Il certainly never heard Of the payment Of money.
Dorsey at one time bitter on Mr.. Brady, ana wac
for his removal a. Second Assistant POSTMASTER
The witness then testified concerning the star Route
rrosecufions u always felt" he said. that Gov
tr1ment took the most compicated felt if it
was asquersding before the public and could not see
why complicated case should be taKen' "hen
there were some that were not 50 compii
Gated don't think that anybody was ever prosecuted
except the Dorsey combination that held about fifteen
per Of the expedited routesln my recoecuOn he
smallest per cent" In answer TO inquiries MG spencer
gave the name, and far an he remembered inc per
cent of the expedited routes IheTe We're DC -aI fne
Dorsey combination, consisting OF D. W dorsey Niiie
Peck Miner and Boswell with about nteen per cent or
the routes Salisbury combination consisting or two
sasburys and j. T. GlmeT WIN ADout tIIS-lve per
cent Of the the Parker combination consisting OF
two brothers with about Ttyhve per cent OF the routes
aud the sanderOn combination. "sanderson was orig
nay indicted the witness said, " but ms name was
dropped out was told, because Of his Initials. There
was scandal gossip connected with the talk OF why
second indictment not found but as 90 not KNOW
ANYTHING fact do not like 70 repeat IT, Then there
sort Of preacher, j. P Cogroye' IL Ncw-Mexlco'
who had routes
THE PROPOSED ARBIIRAT1ON.
"were there any efforts made TO compromise these
cases 7" Mr.. Springer inquired.
Il think Mt Elmer told that agreement had been
made 10 compromise. think he said It from the
larger contractors and combinations They asked for
arbitration and said that they willing 10 pay back
the money II Government proved that It had been
taken illegally. The arbitration board was 10 consist or
one man representing the Government one man repre-
sentng the these two 10 select third Mr.
Elmer said he had been selected the part Of the
and Mr. IngersO on the part OF the defen
dants."
Had the third man been seectedP asked Mr.. Spring
Not that remember distinctly"
Wasn't II Mr.. Bhss Z"
Il think IL was. understood that the board never
net such action being entirely Illegal
creased ~
Three or four years ago contractors and sUbcOutTac
ors talked about Star Route matters publicly Since my
connection with investigation they would not talk 10
ne II wac an open secret they mad pay 33 l3
per cent the expedng and increasing Of the service
40 one told that shape could u, but
/ never had any doubt but what d tact IL
supposed TO 20 the Second Assistant PostmaserGeu
eraL but wasn't in the secret, aud do not know GER
tainy.
Nj Spencer said that he anxious 10 break up the
Star Route ring vindlcate Mr. Kinds. formerly con-
tractor now a resident Of Decatur, Ala He had been
prosecuted while contractor, the witness asserted and
the anxious 10 see the prosecutors come 10
grief