Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-09-30
NEWS OF THE WORLD
COMMITTEES Report on the Star
Route Cases.
sLIss IN a BAD rLIsHT
The Revision Of the Bible CoIn-
pleted-Mrs. Hayes's Husband
Comes to the Surface-A
Fatal Railroad Collision.
Especial to,Ise Herald By A ssociated Prsssl


[Specialto,tbe Herald By A ssociated Pressl
WASHINGTON, Sept. 29--The Com
mittee on Expenditures in the Depart
ment of Justice which, during the last
session Of Congress, investigated the
Star Rsnte prosecutions, has completed
it, report for submission to the House
on reassembling. The report is signed
by Messrs. Springer, Chairman, Van
alstyne, Hemphill, FyAn and
Criso, the Democratic members of
the Committee. 1t details at
length the history Of the Star Route
frauds from Hayes administration down
to the time Of the commencement Of the
auits, and declares that frauds upon the
service could not have been committed
without ths knowledge, corporation
and assistance Of Thomas J. Brady and
that not only the contractors but many
other persons in high official position in
the government were either criminally
cognizant of the frauds or guilty
participants therein. 1t declares
that the amount out Of which
the government was defrauded
in the Star Route mail service
during Hayes administration exceeds
four million Of dollars. At one time
the Government was paying $3.50. 900
per year for carrying msils to offices
that yielded less than 81, 200 revenue.
The story Of the attempt to arbitrate
the Salisbury and Parker cases is told
1t some length, and the report has the
following to say concerning these COM
binations: ut appears from evidence
that the two most powerful comblna-
tions Of the post route contractors were
known a. the Salisbury and Parker COM
binations. All efforts at procuring in
dictments against these parties failed.
A material witness against Salisbury
was one Thomas A. AcDevitt, nomi-
nal contractor who held large amount
Of expedited service. 1t seems that Mo.
Dewitt had been indicted at Philadel-
phia for fraudulent bidding on certain
routes in Texas. A matter quite dis.
tioet from those in which his evidence
was chiefly sought. Woodward was
directed by Attorney General MacV cVeagh
and Postmaster General James to pro-
cure an affidavit from McDevitt as TO his
kuowledQs of the fraud in the Salisbury
case. McDevitt mado o full statement
Of ali the facts within his knowledge
and was given by Woodward an i'm
piled promise Of immunity in consid-
Grafton of his making full dis
closures. The binding force Of this
implied promise was recognized BY James
and MacVoAgh. McDevitt added that
he would freely communicate any further
information within his knowledge when
ever called upon by the Government.
Notwithstanding this full disclosure on
the part Of McDevitt and the implied
proaissdimmunity which be had received
from Woodward, the Philadelphia in
dictment was pressed to trial and Me-
Dewitt wss convicted and sentenced to
the penitentiary for one year. Woodward
protested to the President and the Attor-
nsy'G General that in the trial and
the conviction Of McDevitt the
solemn pledges Of the government
had been broken. and urged executive
clensucy Ia his behalf, which was not
granted. Woodward testifies also that
NcDevitt was witness that he should
have set upon 10 break into the Salis-
bury combination and show their meth
ods Of doing business. and that he was
the only witness accessible to make
proof accessible against this powerful
combination, bat the government took
that witness and sent him to the Peni-
tentiary."
The report continues: 1.-THE manuer
Of procuring expedition was reduced to
science. The afidavits Of con.
tractors and others we're used
as foundation upon which expedition
and increased services were allowed.
The bnEen effrontery and perjury Of
thsse afiidavits makes it without q par
Aiisi in the history Of criminal prosecu-
fions. AtlidAvits signed and sworn to
IN blank were kept on hand by contract
orr Just ~ they laid up supplies Of grain
for their horses. These afidavits were
the sole measure Of cost OF expedition
and no other evidence was required by
the Department for granting increases
II the service and increases Of speed,
which cost the Government hundreds Of
thousaads of dollars. A stock Of these
blank aGidavits was kept on hand
end blanks were filed out when occasion
required the uss OF them and the papers
6lsd with the Department were the ba.
sis Of securing large aud valuable addi-
tions to the contract Thus perjury
~ss made the basis of all frauds perps.
trated.
A considerable portion Of the report
was devoted to the subject of the EN-.
ployment aud compensation Of attorneys.
The amount paid for this purpose, SO far
- ascsrtained, was Sl44, SAG, Of which
George Bliss received $57,732. A re
view of Merrick's testimony in expl. - =,
tion Of the failure Of the governmthe :,
SECURE conviction in two of Il le;ng
Route trials 10 given. The rehon the
that the Committee had not tiF e whom
sue the investigation in refer =" o;rcnms
attempts at bribery of jurorso- The Cb,
In reference to contractso.o ro,nm
dicted the report says; "Frc % bs;na
lar statement from the ofiie "
Second Assistant PosT
eral, the amount g., ,,,,u.
il claimed could be MOI W'hce'
Salisbury's and Parker's
1854, ,4OS, while the record Recori.l
tlas Poatofiice Department, at in Maine
ming of the investigation by thetacts!'
ment vas meagre against Saline. Ii
and Pazker's. yet evidence subsM rega
procured through special ag4lressed
out for the parpose showedr. Thuru
operations Of these parties as hamilton
werc glaringly fraudulent andpd imagi
should have been indicted and awerl b
and prosecuted in civil suits Fisher
recovery of large sums illegally citing /,
from the government. Some my.ss -
and powerful Influence must have op
sted to secure their immunity"
The next subject copsidered is relativ,
to the failure to indict ex Governor X el
logg. and the report says that Georg,
bliss seemed to oppose efforts LOOKING
toward such indictment. and upon thii
point it continues as follows: "Tbere i
q vide issue of veracity between Bills!
aAd members of the Grand Jury as Il
ths efforts made by Bliss to secure al
indictment against Kellogg. The Fore
man OF the Grand Jury, Mr.. Mitchell,
and Msssrs. Willard, Edmonston. Stew
ard and Truesdell appeared before the
Committee, and each corroborating the
Other. stated substantially that Bliss,
after the evidence of Walsh had
been concluded before the Grand
Jury. stated that james b. Price was
expected to arrive ip the city on the fol-
lowing day, and would appear before
the Jury as witness for the Govern.
ment 10 this case, and secured an ad-
fournment over one day on that no.
sosnt. This was ON Friday, and the
pronioe was that ON Saturday Price
would appear as witness, intimatinQ
tAat Prices testimony was necessary to
make ont the Governments case. On
Saturday when the jury met, Bliss an-
nsnnced the failure Of Price to appear,
and gRs compelled to submit the ease
ON the evidence already taken. The jury
then voted rot to present an indiotme ut.
Bliss stated be did not promise Prices
attendance but might have said to the
Jury that the case would be stronger
wben tried before petit jury, for then
they expected TO have Price as witness
for tbs government. But each Of the
Grand Jurors mentioned was positive
that this was not what Bliss saw. II
further appears from the evidence of