Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-04-03


PAID To AN ATToRNEr?-SECRErARy CHANDLER
AND THE KELLOGG CASE-INrERESrIS6 DEVELOP
AENTS TO-DAY.
ResumlnS his testimony before the Springer CON-
mittee this morning. Mr. Bliss read some papers re-
, iating to the Axdell case in New Mexico After
reading these he said: "By the way, find on the
papers the mention OF NJ. G. c. Hazeluon member OF
! congress, OF Wisconsin, as special attorney, and
also the name Of Mr.. W. NJ Springer chairman OF
the committeel. Considerable merriment was oc-
casioned by this, and the proprieIy Of putting Mr.
springer on trial was Jokingly suggested.
| CHAIRMAN SPRINGER ExPLAINs
| MI. Springer explained that his connection with
the case was simply that, happening to be in New
Mexico, and finding friend OF his In trouble he
agreed to sign the papers, but presented bill for
| lees The committee unanimously agreed that they
would acqut their chairman without further ex-
! PLANTATION. After little more Joking the commit
Tee proceeded~Fith the examination OF the witness
MR. BLISS QUESTIONED ABOUT HIS FEES.
| "Dlo you Charge the government for any days
when you were not actually employed In the ser
| vice OF the government" asked MI. Mllliken
~ did not" replied the witness
DOCS your private practice pay you 800 per day2"
"lt doeS that is, ii does ordinarily: but since I
| deal"
Witness said that he was no longer in the govern
ment service In fact, he said, the employment OF
government, except probably Mr.. kers, had ceased
perhaps ten days ago He said there were about
| tulily iHuCtWents now penang.
| TUE FAILURE TO NDIcT sAu1sBuRY.
"Was there an indictment brought against M.
| Salisbury" asked Mr. Fyan.
"There was not" replied the witness "Mr Ker,
believe, drew up an outline for such an indict-
ment."
"Why was there no indictment?n
| 81 do not Know"
"Was it on account OF the absence OF witnesses"
on. mo; No. we had, think. ali the witnesses pres
ID, Did you know Of witness named Parish. who
| absented hlmSelf?"
~ did not. never heard Of him before There
| may have been such Witness but he could not
have ave. been OF any Importance"
| We're you here about the middle Of June?"
"Did you know an attorney named McKibben7"
~! dlu not and do not / never saw him"
"Do you know anything about Mr.. salisbury
| PAYING MONEY TO AVOID AN INDICTMENT"
81 do not"
''Do you not know Of Mr. saulsbury's beingto
that unless he paid McKibben certain sum OF
money by the 18th OF June he would be indlcted?r
~ 90 not" replied the witness, with warmth. 81
Know y nothing OF any such transaction"
You did not know them" insisted Mr.. Fyan.
"about these forms OF Indictments being taken TO
certain part OF the city and showed to Mr. Sauls-
6ury?-and were you not present on the 10th of
| to Mr.. Mckibben?"
81 know nothing about the matter. was not
present ,h mt, during such transaction, nor do know
This form OF inquiry was questioned by one OF the
comnltlee unless there were witnesses to present
Mr. Fyan said that, regarding the Salisbury
ltanSic tlon, Here were witnesses to be examined
| MR. BLISS ADVANCING PAY TO WITNESSES
| Mr. Bliss further stated that he had often ad-
vanced money for the expenses OF the witnesses In
the Star route cases, some o. which he had lost
Then, to dtsprOve the statement that he had pro-
ionged the trials because he was making $780, he
read letters written by him the Attorney General
from time to time. asking to be relieved from the
| dutleS imposed upon him,
The witness had letter from Brewster, dated
apr hprl TS 1855 desiIing that he (Bnss) should remain
cases He mentioned this to show that he had no,
| sought TO Increase his fees
Mr.. KELLOGG ON MERRICK's MOTIVES.
Witness produced another letter from the Attor
ney General, dated March 29th, saying the time
had come when Bliss services could be dispensed
w1th which would be in accord with his Bliss3 Oft
repeated wishes In this letter the Attorney Gen
eral declares that he had never intended Mr. Mer-
rick Should try the Kellogg case, after the charge
made by Kellogg that Mer1ck was pushing the case
from political motives and for political reasons 1t
Mr.. Bliss said that Mr.. Merr1ck had finally with
drawn from the case and so far witness knew
MI. her Is the only one OF the star route counsel
| now employed In the kellogg case.
WITH REGARD TO CIVIL SUITS
to recover any money claimed to be due the gov
ernment from contractors witness was requested
by Postmaster General James to take charge OF the
cases, and when Brewster became Attorney Gen.
eral he approved witness appointment All that
witness did in the civil suits was what he did in
him.
NJ, W; spnnger-"was not the arbitration extra
Witness replied that he doubted If the arbitra-
ton could be enforced 10y law. but where the gov
| ernment had SO much advantage he believed the
money could be recovered. Nothing was done in
the civil suit matter until after the Dorsey trial
We were an" said the witness, ''pretty Well
pegged out. played ont. and We went away to take
a rest" Witness told the Attorney General 1t was
clear to his mind that the civil ought not to be
| brought in Washington.
! QuestiOn.-"Why not?'
| AnSWer.-"BecauSe had
| NO FAITH IN WASHINGTON JURIEs..
Witness did not want the cases brought In Utah,
| because he didn't think the government could get
! justice there. His Idea was to have the cases
| brought somewhere in the west. Ohio, Indiana, or
Illinois. any places where jurisdiction could be OBJ
| tained by personal service upon the parties That
would scatter trials the country, and witness
| could not possibly attend to them
| In June the Attorney General requested witness
| to see Judge Gresham, SAYING the latter was very
urgent to go On with the civil suits He read letter
from the Attorney General saying Postmaster Gen
eral Gresham wanted to push all the suits and re-
cover all that was possible for the government.
| Witness went to see Gresham, and told him that
very detailed statements OF the would have to
be prepared, as various phases OF the question pre-
sented themselves MIR. Gresham replied that he
was having prepared just such detailed statements,
After that ON the oath OF last July, witness wrote
the Attorney General, saving the civil suits should
| UT pTOStcuLeU. On The 18th MI. Brewster replied
from Long Branch, In which the latter said he un-
derstood Bliss was to have charge OF the cases,
with the understanding that he would not add ex-
pense by bringing suits at different points, that
! Bliss waS to supervise cases brought in Washing
ton and in New York. In this letter the Attorney
| General said he had all along been desirous OF
prosecuting the civil suits, and to ssspeedr them
| whenever the counsel should Say the time was Op-
| perfume. Witness had suggested to the Attorney
General that he employ some bright young attor-
| ney. at salary, to have general charge OF these
cases, and some more mature counsel to supervise
| them. and thus avoid expense Last December the
Postmaster General submitted the detailed state
| mentS to the Attorney General, and the latter
talked OF employing District Attorney Valentine of
| Philadelphia, to take charge OF them. Witness
| thought he saw
| 4 CHANCE TO BRING CIVIL SUIT AGAINSr DORSEY
In a forum, where justice could be had, and he re
| quested the papers from the Attorney General
| saying he Bliss would take charge OF the case
| and have the question OF compensation for after
| consideration. Witness thought the government
| could recover between $4,000 and 5000 600 from
| Dorsey that had been paid him on the nineteen
| in the cases OF s. W. and John W. Dorsey and
| Vale and Miner and Peck were sent witness The
latter wrote back that only the Dorsey case could
| succeed. The arrangements witness made to get
| at the property OF Dorsey failed, because of the
, sudden death OF Mr.. Bosler. Witness plan was to
seize properly in BoSler'S hands belonging to Dor
| sey. He learned that Dorsey was In Washington
vised that prG eedngs be taken to get personal
| vice on Dorse7 In any one OF the states through
| which he would have to pass In going back to New
| Mexico. Nothing was done. and witness had been
| told by one OF the Omn1scient gentlemen OF the
press that