Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-03-21

<oooV ~ Mn "" A. CoOk PARTNER-Ak SAhl
). FILpENS INTEREST IN THR INVESTIGATION BE-
foRE he LOST THE NOMINATION.
Mr.. Bliss, continuing his statement before the
springer committee to-day, read several letters TO
the Assistant Postmaster General and Attorney
General with relation to the proposed arbitration
IN the SALISBURY cases. Among these was letter
from himself 10 the Attorney General. commencing
The salisbury arbitration. and expressing the
opinion that the Saulsburys could not be convicted.
In this letter Col. Bliss wrote that he hadn't the
time TO attend to this matter OF arbitration unless
ne charged the government very heavily. He then
went on TO answer Mr.. Springer's question as to
what he Bliss did in the cases. He said that after
the nrst Indictment against Dorsey was filed 1t APP
peared that Rerdell and Sanderson had been In
d1cted only by initials and the indictments Were
altered on that ground. The indictments were not
sustained. Then the question was whether II
would De better to procure new indictments OF
not, ana finally that was decided upon The Wit
neSseS before the grand jury had been subpPnaed
peiore tne grand Jury. and new Indictment was
OBTAINED, with SanderSOnS 8 name omitted. AS that
omission had been made
THE BASIS OF DIRTY 1NsINUATIoNs,
witness said he would explain 1t. His explanation
was. In brief, that Sanderson could not be con.
nected with the conspiracy, as he was not inter.
ested In any routes with the other defendants Fol
Ihls reason, and not with any consideration foi
Sanderson. 1t was concluded to omit him; but
though witness was not altogether responsible fol
1t, yet he was willing to assume the responsibility
MI. her Sitting behind Mr. Bliss: ~ want TO say
that left sanderson out. and am responsible fol
the omission"
Mr.. Bliss.-"On, all right; 1 thought left him
out"
Mr.. Bliss said he wanted to reply once for all tc
"dlrty lnslnuationS" that had been made against
MIN before the committee. He declared emphati
cally that In no case or any part OF the had
any of1er OF emoument OF any kind to persuade him
from MS duty been made. Nothing In that shape
NOT EVEN A FREE PASS,
had been offered him, and he wanted to make this
denial as clear, as broad, and as explicit as posi-
BILE, and settle the matter for all time to come
Resuming, he said that when the Dorsey case was
about ready for indictment he went TO the Attorney
General and said he did not propose to become q
criminal draughtsman. He did not feel himself
competent, and he advised the employment OF some
lawyer TO draw the indictments Mr.. Brewster EN-.
ployeu MI ker,who. he said, was an able man. who
mad had great experience. II turned out that keI
was ali that was described, as his indictment
STOOD THE TEST OF ALL THE "RACKET"
raised against It, He had more knowledge than
the gentleman CIV. A. COOk) who described him a
supposed expert was competent TO pass upon.
MIR. BLISS HEAVY LABoRS.
MI. Bliss next described the daily routine OF his
labors. He said he labored hard all OF every day
and usually did not get to bed before a. m. OF
each day, as after his daily work IN court he exam
ined, at his rooms. the witnesses OF the next day
The heavy labor fell upon him. as he was most
familiar with 1t. Ii the committee thought the
that Judge Wylie be called to testify that point
The witness admitted that the cases were prolonged
far beyond what the prosecution expected and be-
yond the time they ought TO have occupied. Judge
Nyl1e was disposed TO give the defendants every
opportunity, and they brought up questions one
day that had been argued the day BEFORE and thus
consumed great deal of time. The verdict in the
first case, he said, was an absurdty. soecism, as
the little men found guilty could not have been
guilty unless the big ones were also.
The first verdict was set aside at the instance OF
the government, and a new one ordered. The laborS
of witness In the second trial were much less ex.
acting He was able to throw much OF the burden
on other counsel He found among the papers OF
the case memorandum going To show that Spen
Ger could testify as TO
The PAYMENT OF MONEY By DORSEY AND BRADY
and relating to Rerdelrs betrayal OF Dorsey and his
reclamation by Dorsey. Witness went to James and
Van Wormer, and they said Spencer had made sub
stantially the same statements to them. Van WOr
mer was then and Is now personal friend OF Spen.
Ger. Mr. BoyntOn mot Gen. Boynton) also said
Spencer had told him the same things. Witness
suspected
SPENCER HAD BEEN DOING SOME BLOWING,
but felt 1t to be his duty to put him on the stand
He took great deal OF pains to subpoena Spencer
The latter had complained that he Bliss had not
consulted with him. Witness did not consult witt,
him; he avoided him. He did not want to raise any
question OF veraclty with Spencer. Witness here
gave an account OF his conversation with Secretary
Chandler spoken OF I'm Spencer's testimony. He ad-
mltted telling Chandler that he did not want 70
talk with Spencer. He told Chandler that he had
determined to put Spencer on the stand anyhow,
whether he denied the knowledge imputed to him
or not. He said he did not want to talk with Spen-
Ger because he Bliss would be bound to tell Spen-
Ger he did not believe him II he denied what was
supposed he knew.
Chandler said to witness that from what he knew
OF Spencer and OF his devotion to friends he could
If put on the stand, deny what was imputed To
him. Witness replied that it did not make any diff
ference, he would put him On the stand and IL he
denied he would subject him to rigid cross-exam-
tnation. He described Spencers being subpPnaed
in Na,v Vorly apa said ba
(witneSS) had with spencer afterwards was when
Spencer complained bitterly OF being subppnaed
In New York and thus deprived OF his mileage. He
said he was surprised to learn that Spencer had
left here and gone west. He received letter from
Spencer, from the west. denying that he knew any
thing OF any value, and that he had made the
Bliss,
SPENCER USED SOME PROFANITY,
and said this was very bad government, and he
was very sorry he had ever fought for it.
Mr.. Bliss said he asked for an attachment, and
notified Chandler that 1t would not be served II
efforts of the prosecution to get Spencer. and said
the defense closed their case very suddenly, much
to the surprise OF the prosecution, and witness sub
Sequently ascertaned that the defense had learned
thai the government knew where Spencer was, and
that induced the former to suddenly close theiI
case, as they did not want Spencer to testify.
THE WILD HUNT FOR SPENCER.
In the second case, Bliss said the government
made every e1OTU 10 get spencer. He described the
various traces OF him and told how many officers
were sent after him. Spencer had said he attended
church conservation In New York and Bliss was
there. This the witness admitted, but Spencer
kept concealed and had his letters sent under the
assumed name OF clergyman. He mentioned the
different places to which Spencer went and de-
tailed the efforts to get him. He said that while
Spencer was at Watert0wn It was aScertatned that
the ''immaculate late counsel OF the government,
A. M. Gibson, was there and in consultation with
the abScOnding witness" He then referred tO
Spencer's trip to Europe and said he remained
there until the case was about closed.
Mr.. Bliss said he applied for subpoena for Spen.
cer ana he expressed the opinion that the subpoena
served was in the precise form OF all the others
else Judge Wyltes decision in the attachment case
he could not understand it exactly. Witness said
MIR. Spencer had
DENIED SAYING HE SAW DORSEY PAY BRADY MONEY
but II the committee wanted witnesses on tina,
point, as Mr.. James had testified to the fact, they
could summon Van Wormer and Boynton, both OF
whom are in New York. Witness said that when
he talked with Van WOrmer IL was evident that the
latter hestated to betray Spencer because OF the
personal friendship between them; but Van Wor.
mer told him that Spencer had said to him VaI
WOrmer) that he (Spencer) saw Dorsey pay Brady
money in package, etc.
Witness was satisfied Judge Wiley had expressed
the opinion that Spencer was deliberately evadins
course he pursued witness was satisfied that, how.
ever earnest Spencer might have been for the
government at first, that later and from about De
cember, 1881, his tSpencers whole interest and In
1uence We're transferred to the defense. Witness
further said that after he came to Washington
write his report eulOgiZng his (GibSOns) own work
and giving himself credit for work he had never