Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-04-02

PRIsED Mr.. BLISS MADE HIM sICK-A TILT on
THE QUESTION OF MR. BLISS FEES.
The hearing OF Mr.. Bliss was resumed by the
springer committee to-day. AT the outset the wit
ness submitted table OF revenues OF the nineteen
Dorsey routes on which the trials were based. 1t
showed that the original aggregate pay OF those
routes was $41,135 year, and it was increased by
expedition to $44S 80 year. The total revenues
OF all the post Offices on all the routes including
those dependent solely those routes and Of other
connecting routes. was, the first year. S4 .65i A:
second year. S3 942 ii; third year. $6S, ,5a5 So The
these routes was, first year. $40 6S second year.
$l316119 third year. s1l 6S2.36 SO, said the Wit
ness, the revenue actually diminished after the in
crease OF the pay OF contractors.
Inc witness next produced copies OF letters
referred to by him yesterday, relating to calling
upon COOK for papers, dismissal OF detectives etc;
Phlillps, written early in the cases, saying no
any OF the accused. Mr.. Bliss next gave history
VI tne indictments procured in
THE STRAW BOND CASES,
naming the parties indicted and what for. he
thought that he drew most OF the Indictments. but
MI. ker drew some. The indictments on bonds
etc, were not prosecuted. Boone was relieved and
USED as witness, and he was not prosecuted,
olheIS perhaps ought not to be- Witness did not
concur In that view. These indictments were not
prosecuted, and In reply TO Mr. Fyan witness said
Lnat the Attorney General suggested or directed
that they remain in allegiance. The Indictments
are stu pending. AS some Congressman were
making fuss about the star route expenses, the
Attorney General did not want to incur any add-
tiOnal expense.
Mr.. Merrick concurred in the view that those
minor cases ought not to be prosecuted. The At
torney General said. In substance. that there was
good deal OF talk about the expenses in the cases.
and he didn't want to incur any more. There
were indictments against parties OF Mobile. Ala,
Where the evidence was, witness thought, certain
10 procure conviction. Witness believed that
the Attorney General had In view
THE ANNUAL FEES
when he said he didn't want to incur further
expenses. Witness fees would have gone on had
those minor cases been prosecuted MI. Fyan
asked what the witness gets He replied, II am
mol charging anything now. / am not now
counsel for the government When was counsel
for the government got pay only for the time 1
Was employed" Witness connection with the
government ceased practically In January, but he
no charges. He made charges whenever he
rendered service that took him from his other bus
ness His connection with the government formally
ended week or two ago. Witness did not know
that his fees were in the mind OF the Attorney Cen
eral when he said he wanted the stopped, but
his (BliSSD fees would certainly have gone on had
those bond cases been prosecuted. Witness took
with him to New York memoranda Of the minor
cases and examined them. He made up his mind
the cases that had been prosecuted. He urged the
prosecution OF the Mobile cases. The Attorney
what was best to be done. So he wanted the whole
thing stopped right there and the cases have been
stopped except where adverse motions have been
made on the other side. Witness conversation with
the Attorney General. in which the latter said he
wanted the cases stopped was last october. The
Attorney General MAJ have had in his mind
THE ATMOSPHERE THAT sURROUNDED WASHINGTON
JURIES,
but he said nothing about 1t. When Col. Cook
went out OF the cases the Attorney General said he
had had conversation with Senator EdmundS and
ne had made up his mind to employ Mr.. Merrick
Witness expressed his qualification. and he imme-
afterwards aSSented to his employment Witness
wanted to prosecute the Mobile case, but he could
not say the government had lost money directly
out OF that case, though the men he wished to
prosecute were bondlnen for Boone. and the gov
ernment had lost $4,000 or $4,000 through BoOnes
failure as contractor. Witness said he examined
those cases while he was here under pay OF the
government and therefore his fees especially for
those cases, did not increase the cost $780,
THE CASES DISMISSED BY THE GRAND JURY.
Chairman Springer here called the witness at
tenton to the documents relating to certain routes
submitted by Mr.. Bliss in his former testimony and
which were printed in yesterdays STAR containing
reports OF the grand jury where certain cases were
endorsed 'dislnssed, John r. Mitchell foreman"
Mr. Springer asked all these facts were submitted
to the grand jury. The witness replied that all
the papers We're placed before the grand jury and
proved. He said that all the witnesses mentioned
did not appear before the grand jury, as
some were excluded under ruling OF the
court. One witness did not testify to facts
befor; the grand jury that he had given
were advised that the record evidence was compe-
tent evidence Witness went before the grand
jury and called their attention In detail to the
tents OF each paper. Having gone through all of
them, at the request OF the foreman. witness made
an abstract OF them, and that abstract the one
ne had - produced III was printed in Yesterdays
STAR. He called the grand 1uryS attention to the
TACT that the postmaster who protested that the
route was useless was removed by Brady.
Mr.. Milliken.-.'An honest man had no chance
there"
Mr.. Bliss said he also called the grand 1ury's
, attention to the letter of the postmlstress
made. The proposition was to pay the postmistress
$50 per month If she would assent to a scheme to
take another route and leave her Office really with
out mail service. The proposition was that she
should say nothing to the department about such
an arrangement, and thus permit it to be carried
Mr.. Bliss said that everything OF Importance was
presented to the grand Jury, and he believed an in
dlctment ought to have been found.
THE HAYES POST OFFICE.
Mr. Springer called attention to the fact that
post office, named Hayes, could not be found. s'Was
dent?"
Mr. BliSS-"It waSo
Mr. Springer.-"Then. 1t was fraud"
Mr. BliSS-'Well. Ii was about as hard to find as
Mr.. Hayes himself would be nOw.n
Mr. Milliken.."Are we going to try the case OF
Hayes against Tilden?"
The witness could not recall the name of anv
witnesses who appeared before the grand jury in
these cases. Witness could not tell why the grand
ii
Vegas route) He did not demonstrate, but did eX-
press his surprise, and the foreman said they had
tried to do right
Mr. BLISS SURPRISED AT THE ACTION OF THE GRAND
JURY.
"You said that the return OF the grand fury
made yop sick" said Mr.. Springer. "WM you ex-
plain the cause OF your surprise?"
"My SURPRISE" replied Mr.. Bliss, 'swas great be-
cause felt sure that we had established the ex-
tstance OF the frauds beyond doubt"
'Did you attribute your failure to secure fndIct-
ments by the grand jury to want OF evidence a
want OF intelligence on the part of the grand Jury
or otherw1se?" asked Mr.. Springer.
81 felt that the evidence was ample and had
reasons to believe that the grand jury was very in
telligent They brought indictments in other
cases. SO did not feel like questioning their actions
publicly was the reply.
"How do you account for this?" asked Mr.
Springer "You feel that the evidence before the
grand jury was ample and convincing, the grand
jury was intelligent, and no argument, no answer,
every thing on your side, yet there was no In
dictment."
II do not understand it. j" was the reply.
s'NOr do t. said Mr.. Springer.
t'Do you think any undue influence was brought
to bear upon the grand jury to prevent their bring
ing in an Indictment" asked the committee
81 have nothing that would justify me In saying
that undue influence had been used was the reply
"W1n you answer specifically" asked Mr..
Springer, whether you thought that the grand
jury had been Improperly influenced?"
81 had no justification for expressing such
belief. The same grand jury brought indictments
against Dorsey and against Price should natu-
rally think that IL any influence to be brought
to bear upon the grand jury it would be in the
interest these defendants and not the SaulSburys