New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-05-27
MIR. KER ON GEORGE BLISS.
AN ALLEGED SCHEME TO SAVE DORSEY.


THE PHILADELPHIA LAWYER SAYS THE oiA"
nrprxpANTs SHOULD HAVE BEEN CoNNiO""
w.su,SGroN. May 26.-W. W.Ker OF coun-
a., tho nrosecuon OF the star Roaie cases. was oA'H
"a nv Mr. sprnger's committee to-day. lie Salu "o "o
mn,oved January 81, 1882. by the Attorney
-. Indictments 81 told che Auorney-Geher"
soid Mr. Ker that a Democrat Inc ATTORNEY
on,,oa that II was not a question of politics, but
% ,he administration Of Justice, and he asNeu n'o
undertake the work. About two days aier re'o''
my commission Imet Colonel Bliss. lie tolo NC 'u''
mnst not converse with Mr. Cook and that mus. ho o.
Low him to see the indictments lie also SAID tna' l
should not converse with Mr.. Gibson nor win NJ YIN
h,u Colonel Bliss gave me the abstracts OF papers pre-
,,ared nv Mr. Woodward and said the indictments must
I've ,rerared before March 4th the parties Wouiu e.
cape" ,.. =,
Reerrinc 70 the udictng OF two OF the deienhhs 10y
her initials the witness said -" wanted the Tu names
# Rerdel and sanderson Colonel Bliss said ne o'u ho'
tnos what they were and that 1t was impossloe
20 Ger them Mr. Woodward could not give them
nor could other Post Office inspectors tolo oooho'
Bliss that there might be trouble ABOUT H. nc loPo
that the Christian names could not be {cuhu oh 'Ho
books in the Post Office Department the initials alone a
pealed and those were taken. When the indictments
came M in court they were quashed for this reason
There were also indictments for perjury against one
Charles H. Dickson, who Ia now holding eonhueh""
position in the Department of the Interior lie S"ore
IA sely as to value OF property The indictments of
perjury are still standing"
Could those against whom indictments nave oeen
fled be convicted2" asked Representative Stewart.
"They ought 10 be- and they undoubtedly wouiu DC on
fair trial All OF these indictments were prepared py
March L."
"why were no other cases than those OF Dorsey ana
BRADY taken to trial 2" asked member of the commit
tee. ,
couldn't tell without drawing on my Imagination
Mr. Ker entered into the history Of the trial OF the
sases He said the told him 10 20 iio
The trial that it would month or six weeks lie
continued: The Attorney General wanted me 10 eA
anime witnesses privately and prepare brief oil their
testimony 70 be given Colonel Bliss. went to Colonel
Bliss and told him what the Acknowledgement had SAID
He replied never mind that he would look after them
1t is his nature shoulder more than he can carry
had nothing To do then with the witnesses. After the
Court quashcd the indictments against Vaee Rerde ana
ssnderson, because the Christian name OF
vaile was wrong and because We did not nave
the Christian of ReTdei and sandeson we deter
,iped tsnake new indictments Colonel Bliss said sander
sons name uht to be dropped out The matter was e'
with me- sandesou had previously said to Colonel Blss
that he did not care much about the indictments as ne
dtd about bciue mixed up With such a crowd as that
left his name out the evidence was insnHeh
de had only been connected with one route linnS II Is
right thot his name should have been leit out ~ ~
charged that paid money 10 have his name on'''eu'
NOT one cent was paid About this time Walsh and Moore
wore spoken Of as witnesses Colonel Bliss tod me that
Walsh was a man OF bad character and not worth while
h,y, aIy ling TO do with He also said the same thing
~ Moore Nrrrck who had previously been appointed
ope Of the counsel afterward found out that both OF the
men were valuable witnesses and was very angry In''
neither hal been subDenaed
BIIss WANTED DORSEY TO ESCAPE
Ono dav about the middle OF the first ral, the other
counsel and myself nj the Post Ohlce Department
Twas waiting outside Of one for Merick BE came
and "a we walked toward the door, said III an eEclted
manner what do you suppose Bliss wantsf he wants
Ills 10 let Dorsey go Suggested that he might nave
thrown that out as an expeient 'Ob, no. he replied.
.be meant it, he let Dorsey He also wanted
me 10 20 to the Attorney and that three law
ver er. too many in the case and advise the Attor
nevGeueral 10 dismiss you and let himself and
man told him to 90 and tell the Attorney Oehrra
That was anxious get out OF the cases MeilcA re
he to stay ana help Tatch Bliss The Atorney-o
era told OF this interview until tod am myself
N hen did ten him lie got walked the nOOr, ana
accused me dcrelicOn Ia closing the hr4t tfnl Tue
Attorney general made sp argument There had pten
desperate effort 20 save D0sey 10y sho~ins ta ne was
moi I'M as deem as the The Attorney General showed
Thai Dor eys name appeared ninely-sM ZINES IA We re
CgseS Tie beginning OF the second tral was IO 70
,ake charge of tho witnesses and examine them before
ihey appeafed on the stand. Bliss acqulsced LOOK
,bom and found ha. Bliss the first trial, had not
r,;t out half that they knew. Then we had new wit
ues~ The testimony Of all vas so strong dgalhet D0i-
scy that there was no doubt OF cohvlciioh. D, ,.,
Is strength not appear IN The Result HteIPoSeu
Ssys nothing 10 do with the result The first Jury
would have convicted IL IL had not been Tor me foreman
on the second Jury there who could NOT ftn o.
write. In the hTst trla we had - Witnesses %"p4
papers. $3.50 pages OF printed testimony ~ w 90 10
trial we had so witnesses 276l papers ana 4iel pd-e
No wonder the Jury don't convict" said NJ stewart
There was no disagreement among the counsel IN -
Second trja" the witness continued Bliss made up hf
mind 20 80 Dorsey ami he dd - iof hm as Vigorously
and YclOusiy az any OF Us