The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-03-22
STAR ROUTES.
Attorney Bliss Before she Springer Com
mittee.

was heard Dy the Springer committee yester-
day. 'At the Long Branch conference" he
said, 'it was represented to me that John A.
Walsh was able to testify to payments Of
money to Brady. I could not help regarding
Walsh as co-consnirstor, and stated that I
was unwilling to go on unless Walsh was made
one of the parties to be indicted. I did not
want to put the merits OF the case at the mercy
of one witness, rho was evidently guilty of
conspiracy and liable to slip away at any
time.''
Walsh called upon witness in this city soon
after the conference. A settlement was cad
to him, drawn up by Gibson, which was IN
tended to be the basis of Walsh's testimony
Walsh said he could not so swear Witness
told Walsh that he (Walsh) should be indicted
with the others. This was on the Prescott
Santa Fe route, involving General Brady. The
failure to succeed with the preiminaries in
the police coCrt witness attributed to Cook,
the local counsel.
Witness reiterated what he had said often
before, that he considered the Brady case a
very weak one, and the D lrsey case an excep-
tionally strong one "Gibson," witness sa d,
"was not legally entitled to any pay. He was
not an attorney, although abont twenty years
ago he vas admitted to tho bar" Witness did
not regard Colonel Cook as entitled to pay, as
the indictments he drew were faulty and
worthless. Mr.. Bliss intimated that the re-
cent publication rejecting against Mr.. Ellis
reached the New York Sun through Gibson,
who had procured The story by other means
than as attorney in the cases.
Witness was shocked at the claimed infu-
ence of Cook anon jurors. He had never heard
before of man having the influence to
swarve jurors as was wished.
The ideas of ATTORNEY General MacVeagh
and Postmaster General James as to the
proper conduct OF the Star route cases did not
always agree with his own; that they broke
fha hor of for
On some of the cases he (Bliss) believed files in
the Post-otfiee Department were tampered
with; that is, import snt evidence in some of
the cases wss "milksd' out of the files, while
IN other Cases points were plebtifally supplied;
that the statements of Gibson, on which some
of the cases we're prepared, proved to be mere
inference, and that Cook should lever have
been allowed TO go before the jury.
His examination was continued to-day. The
witness read letter relative to tie settlement
of the tar route cases, which he had written
TO Attorney General Brewster. In it he said
that he true policy was to proceed with arOi-
tration, and that the failure on the part of the
government to do 30 would be fatal to the case.
Mr. Bliss gave explanation OF the omis-
sion, in the second indictment, of the name of
Sapdtrson. He said that the route was in
Colorado and it had been let TO Miner. After
this Ssnderson got hold of it, The witness
thought that 1t was fraudulent. That was the
only roufe with which Sandelson was eou-
i d
the defendants bad conspired together as to ali
of the routes included in chs indictment
There was risk of invalidating indictments
by iuclading Sauderson Out of consideration
for the value of our indictments against other
defendants omitted him. Mr.. Ker, who
was present, iBterposed:
"His name was left ont at my suggestion, 1
take he responsibility.
81 want 70 say right here" continued Mr.
Bliss, Gin answer to all dirty insinustions from
n
human being suggested any emoument TO me
arising ont OF these cases I said to Mr..
Brewster that was not criminal drauehIs-
mau and wanted to be excused from drawing
up the Indictment, and that besides had sutfi-
cient work OF another character to occupy my
time. MIR. Brewster selected Ker."
This supposed expert had some knowledge
of his business. said Mr.. Stewart.
"He had no more know edge than the gentle
man who said he was supposed expert was
competent to judge off,
''As to the trial of the cases in court the
first case was prolonged far beyond anything l
ex xpecfed-beyoud, 1 think, what it ought to
have been. Judge Wylie was disposed to give
the defendants every possible chance TO present
on their side their objections, and the result
was that many questions arose, the considera-
tion OF which prolonged the case. Subse-
quently we got aronnd TO the second trial. It
was much less laborious, SO far as was con-
cerned. We had the testimony of many wit
unnecessary.
In bis testimony before Spsinger's commit
tee today. Attorney Bliss, after detailing bis
disfrust OF Senator Spencer, continued as fol-
lows:
While hunting Spencer in Canada we came
upon most important discovery. A. NJ. Glib
son was found up there, in close communion
tion with him. Spencer went to europe, and
remained there until he learned the case was
so nearly out of court that he would not be
called"
Witness referred to the 8rrest of Spencer
last Novern ser, in Nevada, for CONTEMPT, and
of the dismissal of the Case by Judge Wylie
81 can say" Bliss continued, THAT Spen-
GERS interest in the star route cases passed
from the government side to the other side as
early as December, 1881. While looking into
papers of the department, we struck a route
known as the Block Canon, the original con-
tract OF which was $500, and it had been expe-
dited until the contrac ors got $23,000 in De-
cember, 1881 When we had gotten through
with the Dorsey papers, Woodbury. brought
report to me, in which it was stated the Black
Canon route ought not to be interfered with
This report Vas signed by VIM. Gibson, special
counsel for the government. From that time
| ceased giving fson credit for honest iuten-
tinns. We thought ought to protect our
selves, and charged the combination of the
safe. Wood ward, Gibson, myself and Others
had the combination prior to tnat. When it
was changed it was arranged that Woodward
dluu0 bpOul nave IL. Atbor Tie CHauSo IN Tue
combination, no paper ever got out that we did
not desire to get, and both G bson aud Cook
had in their possession our evidence aud part
of thai evidence was given to defendants.
Your belief ls that Cook and Gibson were
selling you out? asked TrVon.
81 do at second trial. | subpOeuaed j. W.
Bosler. Boser came 70 me ard asked if 1 was
going to indict him. L said no, but you have
distributed stolen money l think, he replied,
that that was little sharp. / wanted to get
hold of BUser's books and sent for him. 1t
was finally agreed that should examine the
books in the presence of his clerk. / found
an entry OF $500 charged to Star ronte COD.
tracts that had been Paid TO A. M. Gibson. 1
asked what the money had been paid for 'You
know he replied. don't know, said, and
asked agalu; You know l paid it for infor-
nation. This was after Gibson had left the
cases. In some account there was an item of
S4 900 paid TO Cole, Cooks partner. Whats
that tor asked, Bosler did not know except
what Drrsey has told HIM. When Bosler had
asked, Dorsey replied; mo matter paid it
for the beaefit of the interest. Gibson is en-
titled to the credit Of having early arrived at
the knowledge of the Star route frauds. De
wrote considerable for the New YORK San at
some time or ether and Tilden became 20 far
interested that he furnished money t. be quiet
ly used in the investigation at certain stage
of the matter Tlden sent q. +. McLane to
Washington and he was known as the adopt
ed son of Tilden. He is gentleman aud a
laws ef, II these things can be combined.
II this IS hearsay interposed Representative
rryoD, Democrat, we do not want it, "I'm
not going to affect Mr. Tilden. Bliss continued.
McLane came TO Washington and went back
and said thiogs were properly managed. He
was law partner with H. r. Knox. Knox
was chum OF james A. Garfield. Tilden OBJ
tlined this information ana if he bad been
nominated by the Democratic party he would
have made the campaign on Star route frauds
as be dio in NJ W York on canal frauds. II he
had there wouldn't have bseD any need for an
electoral commission, but Tllden did .ot run
and he did not give his information to Han
C ck. My personal relation with Dorsey we're
pleasant / attended the famous Dorsey din
Der. He wanted man in the cabinet and
wanted some man in this same position"
"What was that gentleman's name," asked
Mr.. Springer. Charles j. Folger. We wanted
him for secretary of the treasury, but he was
not put In arfelds cabinet.
Further examination of the witness was
postponed until Tuesday next.
The funeral of Madame Anna Bishop
Schultz took place yesterday in Nep York.
Ksy Mr. Flagg, of Grace church, oficiatedi
The passenger station at Hollis, n. b., on
the worcester q Nashua railroad, was broken
open yesterday Afternoon, and all the tickets
stolen. There was no money in the drawer.
No clue to the thieves.