The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-03-07
MACvEAGn'S TESTIMONY
Before the Committee In Regard TO the
.aaiEg. BiAr Route Trials.

Before the Committee In Regard to the
.a3i5a Star Route Trials. n
WARRINGTON, D. O., March 6.T-The House
Committee on Expenditures III the Depart.
ment Of Justice continued the examination
Of Ex, Attorney General MacYeagh to-day.
He was asked TO explain tie talk be had
with tho President on the political effect
the prosecutions of-the Star Route men
would have, which Mr.. James referred to
yesterday. Witness stated that he did have
conversation with President Garfield in
regard to the political bearing the inyes.
legations and prosecutions would have. He
warned the President that 1t would strike
some Of hlH political friends in high place.;
would affect some mon who were promi.
nent In his election, and who, It was re-
ported, held letters which the President
would not desire to be made public
Witness, explained the great gravity
there was politically in the step proposed,
as there was at that time division Of the
Republican party, and he thought itmight
hazard its future. He advised hesitancy in
beginning such prosecutions. Among those
who b I'd been prominent in political work
and b Id high positions before the country,
and whom witness referred to wore Senator
Dors ", General Brady and Senator Kel-
logg. Subsequently witness told the attor.
ney Of otSenator Doreey that papers had been
found in the Department which were un-
fortunate to the S,naor, and must be ex.
planned, although at that time there was
nothing found upon which an indictment
could bs framed. Hs told Dorsey, also,
that there must be be an investigation and
that it must DO by gtaad jury; that that
Conld notipj1'e him II hs were innocent.
The matter, he stated, was one OF great
distress to President Garfield and he con.
seuled to being inside aware by the officers
Of the department OF all the steps taken in
the einves!igations, tho issuance Of warrantp,
proposed arrests, etc. He spoke OF meet
ing Colonel 1ugersoll and Senator Darsey
in Postmaster General James room one day
and having scmn words with Senator Dor
sey, in which the latter stated that 1t was
not President Gariield's desire that the
matter be settled by a judicial inves.iga.
tion. The efforts OF Senator Dorsey to
have him turned out Of the Cabinet was
dwelt upon by witness, and the use OF the
affidavit OF Rerdtll referred to. :f5l
The grounds upon which he demanded
the removal Of witness were that be was
generally "a bad man. The witness then
entered into lengthy account Of the cir
cumatauces which led to bis departure
from the Cabinet, which was attributable
to the. Presidents apparent sympathy with
tho Star route men. Witness cited the in
innate relations Of Hugh uastinga, George
@. Gorham and other sympathlz,rs ,rs with
Star routers prior 10 the assaasination, and
the fact that they supported Mr..
Arthur before the assassination and
were cordially received afterwards.
Ho thought thess gentlemen must
have great influence with President
Arthur; that it would not be unnatural that
he should take them into his confidence,
as they had always supported him and his
aide Of politics; witness did not desire to
remain in the Cabinet. He understood,
however, that President Arthur desired
that the prosecutions be continued under
him as they were begun. Hs suggested to
the President that 1t would be better to
have another. Attorney Ganeral, as the cit.
izsns Of the District Of Columbia, where
the trials must take place, would believe
that il he remained, and the case proceed
as before, that it was merely administering
upon a dead mans estate. <