Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-03-08
STAR ROUTE SECRETS.
MI. A. NJ. Gibson q Witness.

| THE STORY OF HIS CONNECTION WITH THE CASE
his STATEMENT SHOWING THAT MORE THAN
SS,NU.UO OVER CONTRACT PRICES WAS PAID TO
CONTRACTORS EXHIBITED TO GEN. GARFIELD
WHILE THE LATTER WAS IN CONGRESS-
Mr A. NJ. Gibson gave his testimony before the
Springer committee to-day IN reference to the star
route matter. He began by explaining the tabu-
lated statement he prepared, showing the increase
and expedition on ninety-three star routes This
table showed that the increase and expedition on
those routes aggregated about g. 100000 over and
above the contract prices This table. said MI.
Gibson caused some commotion, as it made re-
markable showing. 1t was taken by Messrs
James and MacVeagh to President Garfield. AS
witness was not present, he did not know what
the resident said except from what had been said
rather remarkable that it should have caused the
PRESIDENT any surprise, as witness had shown 1t to
him In 1880 about January or February OF that
year, While the House inquiry into star route mat
tiers was going on
GIBSON EMPLOYED IN THE PROSECUTION.
Witness was asked to take some active part in
the investigation, but he didn't propose to be in
volved in it without the approval Of the President
While In New York he received telegram sum-
moning him to Washington; he came and met
Messrs. James, Woodward and MacVeagh at the
latters house; that was the first time he had
met James The conference at MacVeagh'S lasted
some time. Several days later witness called on
MacVeagh and accompanied him to the Capitol and
81
Supreme Court. Then witness was employed to
assist in the preparation and direction OF the cases
He had two interviews with the prosecution before
being regularly employed. He had, while Garfield
was member OF the House, shown him the table,
exhibiting the nnetythree routes and the Increase
and expedition.
STAR ROUTE BOOKKEEPING.
| From the books it could not be told by every
body who was interested in the contracts. A con-
| tractor may, and often does, have others bid for
him, and the contract is In the name OF the ac-
cepted bidder; SO that unless person is informed
he could not tell who were the real contractors.
After being regularly employed he went to the Post
Office department and organized the work OF pre-
pairing evidence. He selected routes and advised
that inspectors be sent out to over them, aScer
tain the character OF the contracts number OF peo-
pie on the line, how the service performed. the
| number OF men and horses employed. and such
other details as were important Reliable men
We're sent on this duty. They first called here
ana witness drew up SPECIFIC instructions for each
one They went out and over the routes.
D0RSEY's STATEMENT AND THE IMPRESSION 1T MADE.
In the meantime the Attorney General said Dor
| sey had made written statement of his connec-
| t1on with the contracts, and had shown 1t to the
President ard to Secretary WtndOmthat that state
and would have to be answered. Witness was
| given documents and was directed by the Attorney
General to prepare
AN ANSWER TO DORSEY's STATEMENT,
which was ably prepared and very ingenious. At
this point the witness referred to the Boone con-
| covered from an examination OF the books in the
| contract Office that the b0ndsnen and these con-
| tracts were uniformly the same He had q state
| ment prepared, showing the routes on which the
same bondsmen appeared That required consider
able time and labor, and together with the other
duties entailed upon him, Including the preparation
of reply to Dorsey, his work ran along until the
President was shot. By that time considerable
progress had been made with the reply to Dorsey.
thought presented
THE STRONGEST EVIDENCE OF FRAUD,
and was collecting the facts concerning them. All
these labOrs were completed about the first OF No
vember. In September witness was telegraphed to
meet the Attorney General Postmaster General.
Col Cook and others Of the prosecution at Elberon
for q consultation. He took along papers in the
Corpus Christi route and one or two others The
prosecution had
A CONSULTATION AT ELBERoN,
and determined to proceed in the Corpus Christi
route case by laying it before the grand jury. Col
Cook came at once to washington to present the
case, but found that the grand jury had been ad-
journed 1t was then decided to proceed by infor-
nation which was done. Meantime witness report
on the star route case generally was concluded.
About that time Attorney General MacVeagh had
announced nIS his determination to retire. and wit
Macveagh said he was about to formally turn over
the department to his successor Witness offered to
submit his report to Macveagh but the latter sug-
gested that 1t 60 to the Postmaster General Sub
sequenuly Mr. Bliss requested that that be changed
and proof slips submitted to the Solicitor General,
then acting Attorney General. The Slips were sent
m ana witness went to New York that afternoon,
but was called back by telegraph, and found here
TEMPEST IN A TEAPOT.
There was row over his report 1t twas originated
by woodward, and consisted Of objections to its
being regularly received, on the ground that wit
Justice.
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE EMPLOYEES ON THE SIDE
ACCUSED.
The officers Of that department were arrayed on
the sideof the accused.
When asked II he meant to make that charge.
witness replied that what he meant was that the
opposition to the admission and publication OF his
repOrEtended to create the impression on the public
side Ofthe accused 1t was then claimed that he
was not q legal oficer OF the department.
e... LEr1xRs FROM MACvEAH.
Her0JMr Gibson read letter from Wayne Mac
Veagn, written at the time of the controversy over
his report, from Philadelphia, praising his (G1b-
son's report in the very highest terms as showing
conclusively the fraud. The letter denounced the
accused thieves, and said the report showed the
fool, could not err in the conclusion of guilt
Mr. Gibson then read another letter from Mr..
MacVeagh to Solicitor General Phillips, giving an
account Of his (Gibson's) appointment declaring it
was legal and binding, even though formalites had
not been Observed that it was made at the earnest
recommendation of Woodward and Mr.. James.
These letters were written at the time that
THE LEGALITY OF GIBsoN's APPOINTMENT
was questioned. Continuing, the witness said these
letters were satisfactory to Mr.. Phillips, and he re-
ceived the report. Witness explained that the
trouble arose from the fact that he was not given
regular commission or letter Of appointment
With relation to the request to change his report
Mr.. Gibson said that the change requested was In
the dress OF the report, and not in the substance
He said that his investigations into the bids
in the Post Office department in 1872 were for his
paper, and he had given that information to the
government, and his pay from the department was
for his services while in the actual employment of
the department only. He was employed from
April 22d until November, working night and day,
and received S., 600 for his services.
GIBSON OvERRULRD BY Mr. BLISS
Witness was asked II the Dorsey-Brady case was
forced upon the government because Mr. Dorsey
demanded that he be tried after all that had been
made public.
He said he thought not He had urged the prose-
cution OF these men, and he succeeded in having
the statements filed. He had urged that the evi-
but In that he was Overruled.
Mr. SteWart-By Wh0m7
AnSwer.-By Mr.. Bliss.
Mr. Stewart-Was not the evidence presented to
the grand d1ury7
Mr. Stewart.-The grand jury brought In an In
dictment, did they not?
AnSwer.-That was In a collateral case.
Witness said that the evidence in the cases con-
cerning the San AntOnia- Corpus Christi route Inn
plicated w. p. Kellogg, then In the Senate. He
said that
KELL0GG'S NAME WAS DESIGNATED By "BLNDn
Mr.. Bliss asked who that was, and witness wrote
on slip Of paper the name of Kellogg This was
the first time he had Indicated to Mr.. Bliss that
Mr. Kellogg was implicated in the case.
Mr. Sprnger.-Did you explain to Mr.. Bliss the