Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-06-20
MIR. KER AGAINST MIR. BLISS.
Some Lively Passages i'm the Springer
Investt9atiOn To-day Mr. ker ON
@sCabinet Secrets, - ker and Bliss
Flatly Contradict Each Other.


''Cabinet Secrets'' - ker and Bliss
Flatly Contradict Each Other.
In accordance with previous arrangement Mr.
Ker to-day appeared before the Springer committee
to make his reply to the testimony OF Col Bliss.
At the instance Of Mr. Ker, who said he and Mr..
Bliss were not on speaking terms, a member Of the
committee requested Mr. Bliss to remain and he
did so.
MI Bliss put In some papers which he wanted to
appear In the record, and requested the committee
to send for the BoSler books which, he said are at
Carlisle, Pa. Mr.. Bliss examined one Of these books
and found 1t to contain entries OF political assess
ments. but he was not asked to tell what they WERE
Mr. ker, at the beginning, denied that he had In
his former testimony made any attack upon Mr..
Bliss He gave Bliss credit for being BRIGHT sharp
lawyer OF great ability and untirtng perseverance,
whose familiarity with all the papers In the cases
was almost phenomenal
THE BILL OF FARE FOR THE DORSEY DINNER.
Mr. ker said Col. Bliss had denied that he gave
the bill Of fare OF the Dorsey dinner to McSweeney
OF Dorseys counsel, and had implied that he (Ker)
furnished 1t. Mr.. Ker said he found McSweeney to
De genial gentleman, that they agreed politically
ana their personal relations were pleasant and he
sWore positively that McSweeney told him (Ker)
That COL Bliss gave him that bin OF fare. Mr.. ker
hoped that McSweeney would be called upon for
the truth In giving his Testimony on this point
Mr.. ker manifested some feeling. He said he had
been charged by Mr. Bliss with manufacturing the
He tker} had told where he got the information
81 submit" continued Mr.. Ker, .that have shown
any answer 10 that let him make it" said MIR. Ker
bis voice rising In infection, and turning dramatic
ally TO Mr. Bliss, who sat just behind him q sofa
MI. Bliss entered general denial, but did not
want TO take up the time or the committee then
Mr. KER CoNTRADIcTs Mr.. BLISS IN DETAIL.
Mr.. Ker appealed to the record OF the trial to
show that he was right in saying that the Bliss in
terview about Dorsey was before the jury, and Mr..
hod ol.ar
point Mr.. ker next maintained that Bliss did fur
nlSh him with the name Of NJ. c. Rerdell for the
first Indictment, and that he lker used the name
furnished him. Hence, that Bliss was responsible
for the man being indicted by his initials Mr.. Ker
said Mr.. Bliss had testified that Rerdels full name
was in the directory. "Yet," he continued, ''see
the position ne my superior, put me In In not giving
me the name"
Mr.. Bliss interposed excitedly: 81 did not know
Mr.. Fyan-"I object Mr.. Bliss himself objected
10 interpretations, and say let one man testify at
The chairman said Mr.. Bliss remark was that he
did not know at the time that Rerdelrs full name
was In the directory.
Mr. Ker.-"Then he only introduced it to stab
me-"
Mr.. Ker swore positively that Bliss did tell him
that Walsh was man OF bad character and not to
De Delleved, notwithstanding Bliss denial
Mr. ker said that Bliss Quarreled with every
important witness the government had, and 1t kept
T Msrck 6 busy proPlIiatng the witnesses whom
Bliss with failure or negligence to bring all the
testimony. but Bliss himself had brought up the
happier man If he had not forced that subject
before the committee. He said Bliss did not elicit
all the evidence that the witnesses were able to
give. To prove this MI. Ker read from the testt-
mOny OF Mcclellan. He said Bliss examined McLel-
Ian In both trtals that the second Mcclellan
testifed that t. out west, while he and others were
with John w. Dorsey building stations along q
route that was then weekly service at s. 600
year Dorsey, to satisfy the men they would get
their pay, told them the route would be increased
and expedited to tri-weekly and daily service and
to sl5OOOO pay. "And," Mr.. Ker added:
SIT ALL CANE OUT JUST AS JOHN ". DORSEY
PROPHEsIED"
According to McLellan's testimony John Dorsey
said the increase would be procured through s W.
Dorsey, then In the Senate. Mr. Ker asserted that
Bliss ought to have brought out these facts on the
1rst trial Once more turning towards Bliss, Mr..
ker wanted TO know what answer he could make
10 that. MI. Bliss Immediately arose, and ad-
vancing to the table, reptile that in the statement
furnished him of what Mcclellan knew, there was
that, in short, he knew nothing about that matter
being within McLellan's knowledge
Mr. KER DENIED
that he had charged Bliss with wanting to let
Dorsey escape. He had merely repeated what
Merrick told him. "why didn't Col Bliss attack
him?" suggested Mr Ker. MI. Ker r. referred ref I'd
to Bliss charge that he (Ker) had charged him
bliss, with iayoring Dorsey's escape, '.under the
that Brewster Cameron or any other person ever
inspired him or sought to inspire or suggest any
thing he should testify to.
BREWSTER CAMERON AND FOREMAN DICKSON
Here Mr. Ker again went over the story OF Cam
eron's visit to Merrlck, and of Merrick advising
Cameron to go to see Dickson. Cameron hesitated.
Mer1ck, with some feeling, ordered him to 60 say
ing Dickson was high-toned, honorable gentle
man, and If he had sent for Cameron he had done
so with upright motives Mr.. Ker thought that
Cameron went direct to see Dickson, but afterwards
learned that he did not, but that he went to the
Speaking to Dickson. "fhere her sits & MIR. Dickson.s
said MIR. Ker, pointing to that gentleman, ''and 1
know v heon he VIII be .a.e man enough h to y So"
but, as he had not been sworn. his testimony was
not admissible
Mr. Ker said he could not conceive why Mr.. Bliss
had attacked Brewster Cameron, who was out
west, unless 1t was because OF another matter
which he would tell Of He said that after Paul
StrObach
A MAN OF UNsAvoRY CHARACTER,
had been nominated for u 8. marshal In Alabama
one Friday he and Bliss rode over to Phila-
delphia on the same train. Bliss told Ker he wanted
to talk to him. and, sitting down beside witness,
Bliss said: "Your friend, Brewster Cameron, is get
ting himself into a good deal OF trouble" Ker
asked how, and Bliss replied about the Strobach
case; Witness didn't see how. and added that If
Strobach was guilty he ought to be prosecuted and
Cameron was only doing his duty. Mr.. Bliss said
the President had nominated Strobath and after
that the latter was attacked by the Department OF
Justice. Mr.. Ker said Bliss became excited and
said the department had no right to attack a
man after he had been nominated by the President
and Mr. Bliss continued: 'It amounts to this that
unless IL stops Brewster Cameron Will have to quit
the department."
sscABMEr SECRETS
Mr.. Ker replied that the Attorney General con.
sidered that Cameron was doing his duty and
would stand by him, whereupon Bliss considerably
excited, said: swell, then, II the Attorney Gen.
eral is SO loyal to Cameron 1t will Just amount to
short time until this is brought about unless this
thing stops" Mr. Ker. resuming, said: 81 had not
been in the habit OF getting Cabinet secrets laugh-
teri, but defended Cameron. Maybe Col Bliss
will want to deny all this"
Mr.. Bliss jumped up and exclaimed: "No, don't
want to deny 1t at all" He said there was cor
respOndence between himself and the Department
of Justice on this subject, and he would have ft
sent TO the committee. Mr.. Bliss added that twice
after the President had sent nominations to the
Senate Brewster Cameron had attacked the nomi-
upon grounds that existed prior to their NOM
ination; that he maintained that attacks OF this
sort should be made before the nomination; that
nominations for the respective departments were
known to the head OF each department before being
sent to the Senate, and that the Department OF
Justice ought not to delay its assaults untn after
the President had selected the men for office.
Mr.. Van Alstyne inquired II nominations were
submitted to the Cabinet before being sent to the
Senate.
MT. Bliss replied that the custom Is to submit
them to the head OF the department for which they
are to serve; that the Attorney General would
have known OF the Strobach nomination before it
was made, and must even have approved 1t, and
that he Bliss protested against the course OF as
sailing men after the nomination, saying It caused
scandal and that no administration could 90 on In
that way; that II Brewster Cameron kept 1t up he
would have to go, and II the Attorney General was
SO loyal to Cameron as to stand by him. why then
the AttOrnpy General himself woa,lh hav IN on