New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-03-21
GEORGE BLISS TESTIFlES.
aow ur ENTERED THE STAR ROUTE CASES.


NV, OPINION OF THE PROSECUTION AND so"h
GOVERNMENT CoUNsEL-fALsE sIhrs
WASHINGTON. March 2O.--George Bliss "oN !,
.rnent counsel In the star Route cases. was exameu
TO-DAY nv Mr. sprngers committee IN reference !" us
connection with the investigations He SAID Il was '
lied 10 60 be employed by James the last "eoA -
,rhen rather declined was applied 70 lar'ue,
.s.nten,her & 1881 and accepted the appointment
Mr. Bliss read the following ie''er u 4"i '""'
New.york August 90. 1881:
p.ferrine 10 our conversation about my becoming an
gagged the star Route cases ana OO,oI ,So,Sb think
probaSy personal interview with Won ana others VII, uS
necessary Ieaty appreciate me eS,np o me in this
.,onncct,on While should expect to be paid as Wen a.
to,n II lowi should not thnk OF going ntoit for the
mere pecunisry results TO myself and tnereIoe m
one or two questions answered oondentiay sncn a.
these Has the to employ me anything 10 90 WIN
Xrthnrs possible accession TO the PRESIDENCY i9r ~
ns now 10 90 into for it will be considered tat
with his consent not ,Ss 9Cns
every guilty man, still to STR up as nv
Route at the O"i ia to have Sne"wonid
add TO his difficulties at the outset ny bringing
10 CONQUER as know he will conquer, the APP
nroyal of the people at large In other words If the star
sbond want them to remain in that opinion till be mas
won In manner tho confidence OF the nonStar houeLs
gathered strength to Withstand them Is there any truth
in the impression he Times has given out ana tnG
know the difficulties in the way and thaI Was6nton
not he assured when you are hghug Deiore W. we'd
onrts and iurv 40 poweru a set Of men az are
in these cases But don't feel Ike -Olg mo q -
case-One which its friends nave III 'neii n0"'" ~ "
rs onSoi1 who believed be guilty to be saved
,Iotcrtcd or passed hvi There is sort of belief that
is somethng OF this kind. aware of the DIM
Guilty of yOur answering these three quesnohs eSpeCal9
1Inon paier but want TO possess your mnd Oh tnem
that Won may know what my mind and be ready to
say something in come to Washington h%t woulo
be nv relations 70 the case How much would tDey re
0nire me TO be in Washington away from herei HOW
long and how continuously are they likely to take mel
Int, ike looking efft horse in the mouth but it shows
how feel IT. after seeing VIVA, is IN my nsn you Of use
In the cases. am likely TO be Wiling 10 20 M,o ei' h,
will try to come over TO Washington some a'crhooh "
week in spite Of this hot weather
THE APPOINTMENT ACCEPTED.
tn the letter Mr. Bliss said the Postmaster General
telegraphed reply that the answers TO the questions
would be satisfactory TO him Mr. Bliss accepted 'ne ap
Monument on September s. and that day wrote tho FOL
lowing letter TO Mr. James,
Ibad long interview with Colonel Cook. II was sat
isactory the whole in al respects except one thon
there were idOsy'crdcies OF MS deVeloned Inc
scented that il was could be retained that
he and and Masysaa Mere " my Rape a and
suggested that should pull my wires y SSnG M Soy
ir 9sHs o mo bnt newer have pulled law
business, and don't mean to begin now dont qni,e
know what to make of this phase OF the matter; put
willie concluding IN my own mind that it is little device
OF Colonel Cooks to enhance his importance ana .hal IL
Is
lion f. OF course to him. Assuming this matter TO be all
right am disposed to take hold " the Attorney zen
there some afternoon and talk with him on some profes
siOnal phases OF the case
Mr. Bliss continued: 81 went 10 Long Branch sep
TENDER or o. and saw James and MacVeagh; nobody
else was there mention this because Cook has said he
was there He was not there though at subsequent In
terview he was present. On September IL COOK CID
son and myself had conference at Eberon, which astea
two days MacVeagh was in the house ana was sent lor
from time to time ne fairly be considered az belng
present.
'Now state briefly the nature OF your services IN the
Star Route cases." said Mr.. Springer
.'That would 10 a heavy Job" Mr.. Bliss replied g Al
the interview at Elberon told what had been DONE
Cook and Gibson said they absolutely ready Glib
son had prepared elaborate statement with reference
40 Dorsey and Dorsey's connection with these
cases The Prescott and Santa Fe case
was considered. number OF contractors had failed
on this Walsh got hold of 1t and finally he was declared
failing contractor The strength OF te case as e
no one rested on Walsh. He, IL had been stated, was
able 10 testify the payment OF money 10 Bra1y nv
case seemed fairly good one bnt sad coaun ep
regarding Walsh rs consplrator anu wa uiWl ,d
go nnes' Walsh should be one the parties nuicteu
SaGseqasnt modified & o SeW conspfa,or Gibson
torn he would not consent but was instructed TO com
hse,,entIy came TO see me in Washington. read
over Inc statement prepared by Glbsonas TO what Wals
G GUun Rat no could not testify to that
some things I'm the statement were mere
10 To- included in the Indictment and also remarked ihat
Understood Gibson had approached MN on tha' SUBJECT
lie said Gibson had not been to him.
TIRE DORSEY CASE REACHED.
.The Dorsey case was next taken up 1t had been
represented as ready for the Grand jury see In the
testimony has been given before this
WAS represented saying the case was weak one
did not say ANYTHING Of the kind. At our interview,
asked where was Dorseys cerkl They replied that he
had one hack on the Government. replied that that
weakened the case. had the impression that the case
WAS a strong one but found that many OF the state
ments made by Gibson in his report were mere lnefences
On looking then into the papers myself decided inc
case xas strong and state that 1t was the strong
est one we had 1 selected IT deliberately In these
oascs the United states Statutes defective that
the conspiracy section the only one we could CON
slider applicable. II Brady had Increased the
speed of single route and allowed
large sum for it. there was no evidence
of conspiracy Bradys part nor was there such evil
when Won went on to the itself and made examine
zion IL was consistent think that the officers OF the
Post Office department had been Imposed upon BuI
when You take ten fifteen twenty-five or more routes
rac carries with 1t evidence OF guilt TOOK hat view OF
the case Before became COUNSEL had occasion 10 NC
acquainted with the tal OF the Tweed gang IN New
York trial on a single case failed put aiter u was
proven that Tweed had passed my or sixty warrants
that fact presented aggregation aud the coincidence
cccd CONVECTION 10 the fury. My theory in the Dorsey
ease was similar / say that was a strong one III you
sironger We could get the aggregation Of and
when we succeeded IN establishing conspiracy we cond
put in the proof OF the payment o mODeyto VII: "ashs
testimony
PROCEDURE BY INFORMATION
"At Long Branch the question Of procedure by nform-
alton came up. Theidea was not a. remember 10 apply
the Information TO the Santa Fe and Prescott case The
question came up more particularly in reference TO the
Dorsey case Al first against IT, but subsequently
agreed to IT, While III New-YOrk received telegram
Informing of the adjournment OF the Grand Jury why
A. Was adjourned 1 do not know. The question OF the
statute OF limitations was that al all times had 10
keep in view felt that II barred procedure IN
these cases. and think that IN most cases the statute or
limitations not yet barred proceedings But OF course
there was be said the other side OF this
matter. On september 10 wrote TO McNeagh and told
him had made up my mind 10 proceed by Information
lift was so that OF limitations ended early In
October as had been stated 1t seems that we ought TO
have entered into the cases as speedily as
possible. There was nothing 10 prevent
aus proceeding by information, unless 1t would