National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-03-22
some STRONG STATEMENTS.
Col. Bliss Continues His Testimony as to the
Star Route Cases.
Why He Became DstrustfuI Of Messrs
Cook and Gibson.
They Abstraced Official Papers and Sold Information
10 the Defendants.
The Part Mr.. TiIden Took in Investi-
eating the Subject.

1no examination OF teOrRe bliss ny MI
Springer's committee was continued yester-
day. Witness road letter relative to the
settlement of the star route cases which he
had written to Attorney General Brewster
In 1t no said tho true policy was to proceed
with arbitration, and that failure on the
part of the government to do so would be fatal
to the cases.
Mr.. Bliss gave his explanation Of the omis.
sion, in the second indictment, of the name
of Sanderson. He said: "Tho route was in
Colorado, and it had been lot to Miner.
Afterward, Sanderson got hold Of it.
thought that IL was fraudulent. That was
the only route with which Sandorson was
connected. We had to prove that all Of the
defendants had conspired together as to all Of
the routes included in the indictment We
ran the risk of invalidating the indictments
by including Sanderson. Out of considera-
tion for the value of our indictments against
other defendants we omitted him"
Mr. Ker, who was present, interposed
"His name was left out at my suggestion.
take the responsibility"
II want to say right here" continued Mr.
Bliss, Sin answer to all dirty ipsinuations
from parties once connected with the case,
that no human being suggested any emolu-
ment to me arising out of these cases. l said
u bTBWsIeE LHdL L WAS u
draughtsman, and wanted to be excused from
drawing up the indictments and that be-
sides had sufficient work of another char
scter to occupy my time. Dir. Brewster Sc
lected Mr.. Ker."
This supposed expert had some knowl-
edge of his business" said Mr.. Stewart.
ale had more knowledge thap the gentle
man who said he was supposed expert was
competent to judge Of"
Mr.. Bliss continued: Finally we rot to
trial. The trial lasted down to September.
We were under strain all the time.
stayed in the court room till p. M. Then
1t was my practice to 90 to tho postoilice
department and stay till &. Then would
90 to dinner, and after that examine wit
nesses to be examined the next day. l
scarcely ever got to bed before o'clock in
the morning. The bulk of the work came
upon me. As to the trial of the cases in
court-the first case was prolonged far be-
yond anything Xpected-beyond, think,
what it ought to have been. Judge Wylie
was disposed to give the defendants every
p ssible opportunity to present on their side
their objections. The result was that many
questions arose, the consideration of which
prolonged the case. The long time resulted
undoubtedly injuriously to the case. 1t re-
suited, as you know, in finding some of the
little fellows guilty and the big ones inno-
cent. 1t was logical impossibility to find one
guilty without the other. The verdict was a
solecism and an absurdity. Subsequently we
got around to the second trial. 1t was much
less laborious, so far as l was concerned. We
had the testimony of many witnesses in print
aud REORGANIZATION became unnecessary.
Returning TO the first trial, Mr.. Bliss said
/ learned that George Il. Spencer, an OK
senator from Alabama, could give testimony
of an important nature of the payment of
money by Dorsey to Brady. have no ques-
tion but that Spencer made such a statement.
10 do IN In Wnrrnnr n q
sonal friend Of James,, and to a man named
Boynton, of New York, friend of Garfield.
did dot feel certain that Spencer was not
doing little blowing. But if | did not put
Spencer on the stand | would have been met
and ought to have been met, with the state.
ment that l had n witness to give evidence
and failed to call him. He came here. He
complained that l did not consult him. l
avoided him. | made up my mind not to
have conference with Spencer before he went
upon the stand and did not Chandler-I
call him Chandler because we were school,
mates together-Came to me and said Spencer
was complaining because | would not talk to
him. / said that if | did talk to him |
would have to tell him that | did not believe
him. Chandler urged me to change my mind
Then he said to me: Spencer is that kind OF
man who has such devotion for his friends
that he will say no if you were to ask him il
he knows anything. | don't believe you will
get anything out of him on the stand"
Mr.. Bliss related in detail the efforts to gel
Mr.. Spencer to testify, and the search fol
him. He said: "Whlle hunting Spencer in
Canada we came upon most important
discovery. A. ~ Gibson was found up there
in communication with him. Spencer went
to Europe and remained there until hC
learned the case was 80 nearly out of court
that he would not be called"
The witness referred TO the arrest of Mr.
Spencer last November in Nevada for con
tempt, and of the dismissal of the case by
Judge Wylie. II can say" Mr.. Bliss con
tinued, that Mr.. Spencers interest in the
star route cases passed from the government
side to the side as early us December, 1881
Let me say right here: SO far as | know
aside from A. VI. Gibson's report cuogzinl
himself, ap not aware that he did any ser
vco for the government"
Mr.. Bliss testified concerning the San An
tonic and Corpus Christi route He said
price was tho contractor. | always fell
that he WAS the best man to get information
from. My theory was that the officials wert
the guilty ones, and | was always in favor o
granting immunity when could get evidenc,
against officers of the government. l though
Price was q valuable man to catch, and sen
special man to find him. He was fount
and indicted, but there was no evidence o
the payment of money by him to Brady.
year subsequent to this Price indicated
Willingness to give evidence in favor of the
government.
while looking into the papers of the de
partment for the purpose of iudicting other
contractors we struck route known as
Black Canyon, the original contract of which
was $500. 1t had been expedited until the
contractors got $4,000. The aflidavits Oh
which the route was expedited showed thai
the carrier of the mails would have to have
been employed twenty-iour hours day fol
eight days in week to get over the route
The nragent nOStOtliCp upOartmpnt has StOnnpd
the payment OF $4,000 Oh that route. This
route disclosed bad state affairs In Decem'
Der, 1881, when we had gotten through the
Dorsey papers, Woodward brought report
to me, in which IL was stated that the Black
Canyon route ought not to be interlered with
This report was signed by A. NJ. Gibson,
special counsel for the government. From
that time ceased giving Gibson credit for
honest intention. We thought thatwo ought
TO protect ourselves and changed the com
bnaton of the safe, Woodward, Gibson
nyself and Others had the combination prior
to that After il was changed II was ar
ranged that Woodward alone should have it,
who did you want TO preclude" asked
Representative Fyan.
Il wanted to preclude everybody that
ought not to get in the saie-l wanted Ia
preclude Mr.. Gibson from getting into the
safe, IL you want to know. After the change
III the combination, / will say, no paper even
got out that we did not desire to get out
Both Gibson and Cook had in their posses
sion our evidence, and part of that evidence
was given to the defendants"