The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1884-04-11
MR.. woopwARp,s REVELATIONS
Continued Before the Springer In. |
I'M

Continued Before the Springer I'm
vestIgating Committee To-day.
Postoflice Inspector z. II. Woodward was
cross-examined this morning by tho
Springer committee. He said Colonel Cook
urged President Garfield to grant immunity
to Senator Dorsey because Of his great po-
litical services. The President listened at
tentively to Colonel Cook, but did not indi-
cate what he would do. Witness was very
much surprised to sec ]. L. Sanderson includ-
ed in the first indictments, as he was not
connected with the Dorsey combination.
Either Colonel Bliss or Mr.. Ker was re.
sponsiblo for it. Sanderson was guilty of
perjury, but tho false ailldavits which he
made were of such of character that they
could be used against him only to prove a
conspiracy.
woodward Admits He was RespOn.
sible for Something.
~ suppose / am responsible" said the
witness, " for the misnomer as to Vaile.
returned Vaile's Christian name to the
grand jury, and II proved an error. was
asked several times the Christian name Of
Rerdell, but did not know what IL was"
Witness was called in 1881 to this city
from Connecticut to settle controversy
that had arisen over accepting Price as q
witness for the Government. Witness took
statement from Price, embodying what
he price, would swear to- 1t was in regard
to payment of money to General Brady,
which led to the Indictment of Senator
Kellogg, as Price was accepted as a wit.
ness for the Government 1t was undor-
stood that when witness was accepted
AIe WINS Granted Immunity.
Colonel Bliss protested against. tho ac-
ceptance Of Price for the purpose of indict-
ing Kellogg He believed there was con-
elusive evidence against Price.
at took the evidence of both Price and
Walsh to make one complete witness" said
witness, land Merrick and Ker insisted
that Price should BIO accepted. Bliss got
into ill-humor at the acceptance of Price
and stayed out of court for three or four
days, during which time Merrick and Ker
conducted the prosecution"
Speaking Of the defendants having Sc
cured copies OF tho evidence prepared by
the prosecution, witness stated that he
knew that the defense secured copies of all
the evidence of the prosecution which fell
into tho hands of Colonel Cook, and did not
have copies of that which Colonel Cook did
| not have access to.
Witness was before the grand jury in
| February, 1882, four or five times a week
| for nearly three weeks. He explained the
| alleged frauds and told the jury what the
| witnesses would testify to. That
| jury returned an indictment against the
Dorsey combination. He was before
| The Mitchell Grand Jury
once. He remembered that very distinctly,
because one of the grand jurymen was very
captious. Bliss attended to the selection Of
witnesses to appear before the grand jury.
Ker was responsible for the preparation Of
the indictments, and Merrick for the con-
duct of the cases in court.
In the opinion of tho witness the grand
jury, of which Mr.Wilson was foreman, was
the most competent or most ready in COM
pretending the testimony presented.
| Witness entered at length into the man
ner in which routes were expedited. He
thought the Congressman and Senators
who signed the petitions for expodi-
tions did so without any investigation
into or thought of their character. The
route expedited upon the recommendation
of General Sherman on January 16, 1873
was secured by General Sherman for his
own benefit. At the trials his letter was
introduced and the date was changed ia
1870. In the opinion of witness truth-tell-
ing came near being capital offense with
the Star-Route men, aud men who rendered
true statements were summarily dismissed
The bulk of tho evidence of witness wa
explanatory of details in the testimony sub
mitted by the prosecution in the Star-Rout
trials and was for the purpose of showing
I A ...Al - L.. BOD