Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-05-10
KELLOGG IN MORE LUCK.
SPRINGER'S COMMITTEE NOT TO
INVESTIGATE HIS CASE.

The True Relation of the Governments
Officers to the Trial to be Looked Into,
| HOwever-Brewster Makes a State
ment which kellogg Promptly Brands
as False.
/ WASHINGTON, May 9.-The House Com
mittee on Expenditures in the Depart
/ ment of Justice decided to-day to make
no investigation of ex-senator KelIogg's
case, except so far smay be necessary
to prove the good faith of government
officials in securing his Indictment.
/ Banker Walsh, who. was subpenaed
last week to appear as a witness, was dis
| charged. The committee determined to
subpoena the foreman Of the third grand
! jury in the star route cases to testify to-
morrow relative to any attempt that
might have been made to shield Mr. Kel-
| lOgg from Indictment.
Representative Springer received a tele-
gram from New Mexico to-day stating
that ex-senator Dorsey had been to Texas
and would be absent two or three weeks.
Col. IngersOll has informed Mr.. Springer
that he advised Mr.. Dorsey not to appear
as a witness before the committee investi-
eating the star route cases.
John I. Mitchell, foreman of the second
grand jury which considered the star
route cases and which found indictments
| against Messrs. Dorsey aud Brady. was
examined by Mr.. Springer's committee
to-day. After good deal of time spent
in an endeaYOr to overcome Mr.. MitchelPs
| scruples against revealing jury room Sc
| crets the committee proceeded to question
the witness.
''Did Mr.. Bliss call your attention to
the case OF the United States against
Kellogg or of the United States against
Price and Brady?" asked Mr.. Springer, it
having been agreed that Mr.. Mitchell
should testify.
''ThOse were incidental questions the
witness replied.
SQUEEZED TOO HARD.
''Was there any evidence submitted
against Mr.. Kellogg by Mr.. Bliss as goY-
ernment cOunsel?v
Chairman, l think you are going too
far. | decline to answer that question"
"How long was the grand jury in ses-
sion?"
about three months. 1t seemed to me
about forty years."
Mr.. Mitchell read from Mr.. Bliss testi-
mony those portions in which the Attor-
ney said, referring to the Salisbury case,
that the papers in the Post Office Depart
ment relative to Mr.. Salisburv's routes
had been MIXED, that he Bliss did not
| have all the testimony of the witnesses in
the Salisbury case that he expected
Il do this" said Mr.. Mitchell, ''to show
| that the act of the grand jury in not find
ing an Indictment against Mr.. Salisbury
was justified BY Mr.. Bliss own statement.
Mr.. Bliss, in his testimony. makes impli-
cations against the grand jury in the
Salisbury cases. He never lett paper in
the possession Of the grand jury for one
minute. Every morning he would bring
to the room an immense basket of papers
and take them away with him in the af-
ternOOn. 1t would have been impossible
for any grand juryman to read those
papers. The impression on my mind was
| very positive that in several cases the
oral testimony did not bear out dOcumen-
tary evidence that Mr.. Bliss submitted"
"Was there any documentary or oral
evidence submitted to the grand jury i'm
the case of the United States against
William p. Kellogg" asked Mr.. Springer.
"Incidental matters were brought
| there" the witness replied.
BANKER WALSH WAS THERE.
"Were any witnesses examined orally?"
Eyes, sir, Mr.. Walsh7
''Any other witness? 2"
''NOne that 1 recOllect?"
''HOw long was Mr.. Walsh IN the pres
ence Of the jury?7
''Twenty minutes l should think was
the limit. l may be mistaken"
''Did he present any documents in con-
nectiOn with his oral evidence?"
''He had some papers with him. Some
of these were read to the jury, but not all
were read"
SsWhy?"
Il do not know
''Was he interrogated bg Mr.. Bliss as to
all of these Papers?'
Il do not remember. Mr.. Walsh kept
| possession of his own papers,"
''Did Mr.. Bliss make any statements to
the jury in regard to Mr.. Walsh,s testi-
m0ny, or in what way it should be con-
sidered?''
''As you gentlemen probably know, Mr..
Bliss is great talker. He was always
talking as regards something. What his
particular line Of thought was at that
time, l can't remember
Did Mr.. Bliss, in word or substance,
state to the grand jury that twas a seri-
Gus matter to indict United States Sena-
tOr?''
''Personally, 1 have no recollection of
ever having heard Mr.. Bliss make such a
remark. l inquired of two other members
of the grand jury this morning, and they
did not remember such a statement"
KELLOGG NOT PRESENTED.
"Was there any testimony brought be-
fore the grand jury other than that
brought by Mr.. BllsS!'
Il have no recollection that any pre-
sentiment was made against MIR. Kellogg
| before the grand Jury. MIR. Kellogg was
not accused, except so far as it came out
incidentally before the jury. Mr.. Walsh
was testitying in the Dorsey-Brady case.
The jury's attention was not called to the
kellogg-Brady or Kellogg-Pr1ee cases.
Mr.. Bliss seemed to be satisfied with our
action"
''He was not sick there?v
''He got sick afterwards. After the
vote had been taken by the grand jury
Mr.. Bliss, who was in an adjoining room.
came in. l read over the indictments
that had been found and he thanked us
very cOurteOusly. He said that there
was one other case in which he would
like to have had an indictment, but he
supposed his evidence was not sufficient.
He did not give the name of the case.''
WAS there any improper influence
brought to bear upon the grand Jury in
those cases" asked Representative
Stewart.
Il do not believe a single effort was
made to influence the jury; not more than
five members of the jury would have
known Dorsey, Brady, Price, or kellogg,
if they had met them on the street. The
jury was composed of as good men as
could be picked anywhere"
''Was there any effort on the part of the
representatives of the government to sup
press any evidence that would affect these
parties :"
Il think not"
BREWSTER DENIES AIDING KELLOGG.
The EUeniHg Star publishes a long in
terview with Attorney General Brewster
concerning the Kellogg case, in which
Mr.. Brewster, in referring to the recently
published charges that the Department of
Justice cOnnived at the dismissal of that
! case, expresses himself as follows: ''NOw,
that is unjust and untrue, and l shall be
glad when the facts in the matter are
| brought to light, which will prove the
falsity of such charges. l have dOEe nv
whole duty in this case, from the day that
Mr.. Kellogg came into my office wringing
his hands, crying like a child, and claim
ing that his prosecution was infamous.
| and that Mr.. Merrick was hound
ing him through personal enmity.
l did not know then that there
were any proceedings against him but ! as
sured him that he should not be prose-
cuted on any personal grounds. l subse-
| quently saw Mr.. Bliss about the matter
| upon his representation that he Bliss)
was the active one and that Mr.. Merrick
had nothing to. do with it. l gave direc-
! tiOns that Mr.. Kellogg should be prose-
cuted the same as anybody else, without
| fear or favor and without any element of
| personal prosecution. Now see what fol-
| lowed. l have been told, and / now be-
| lieve, that there was undue haste in pre-
| pairing and presenting the case against
| Mr.. Kellogg, and that it was presented in
| such shape as to be entirely rejected
| by the grand jury in the first instance.
| and in consequence of which the second