UNITED STATES. 



777 



of Ohio, the Republican candidate. There had 

 been some opposition to Mr. Keifer among the 

 Republicans, and an effort was made to secure 

 his withdrawal before the caucus. 



Second Star-Rente Trial. The second trial of 

 the alleged Star-Route conspirators continued 

 until about the middle of June, and ended in an 

 acquittal. (For an account of the first trial and 

 beginning of the second, see " Annual Cyclo- 

 paedia," 1882, pp. 753-767.) Special incidents 

 of the second trial were the substitution of a 

 plea of "guilty" for that of "not guilty," on 

 the part of Montfort 0. Rerdell, and his testi- 

 mony for the Government against the other 

 defendants, and the testimony of Thomas J. 

 Brady, S.W. Porsey, John W. Dorsey, and Har- 

 vey M. Vaile, in their own behalf. The taking 

 of evidence closed April 12th. Mr. W. W. Ker 

 occupied several days in summing up for the 

 Government, finishing on April 27th. lie was 

 followed by George Bliss on the same side, who 

 spoke for seven days, closing May 8th. A ques- 

 tion arose as to the right of the Government 

 to two closing addresses, the plea of counsel 

 being that Mr. Merrick should make the prin- 

 cipal closing address, to be followed by the 

 Attorney-General. When the point was dis- 

 cussed, a letter from the Attorney-General to 

 Mr. Merrick was read, in which he argued in 

 favor of that method. 



Judge Wylie said the former arrangement 

 had been a matter of agreement between coun- 

 sel, and he saw now no reason for departing 

 from the usual rule. It was the universal 

 practice in jury cases to allow only one reply 

 to the Government, and that order would be 

 preserved in this case. The argument for the . 

 defendants was begun by Mr. Wilson on May 

 9th. He was followed by other counsel, the 

 longest address being made by Robert Ingersoll. 

 The final summing up for the prosecution by Mr. 

 Merrick began on May 28th, and was finished 

 on June 8th. The charge to the jury was deliv- 

 ered on June 12th. In its interpretation and ap- 

 plication of the law there was no material 

 variation from the charge on the first trial. 

 The jury retired on the evening of June 12th, 

 and on the morning of the 14th rendered their 

 verdict, " Not guilty as indicted." 



On April 18th, William P. Kellogg was indict- 

 ed for receiving money while a Senator of the 

 United States for services rendered in relation 

 to a Star-Route contract, and Thomas J. Brady 

 was indicted for receiving money while Second 

 Assistant Postmaster-General, in relation to 

 the same matter. Pleas in abatement were over- 

 ruled in July, as were also motions to quash the 

 indictments. Postponements took place, and 

 the case did not come to trial during the year. 



The Army. There was no material change 

 during the year in the force of the United 

 States army, or the manner of its employment. 

 On November 1st it consisted of 2,143 officers 

 and 23,335 enlisted men. The only warlike inci- 

 dent of the year was the pursuit of a band of 

 Indians into Mexico and the capture of a part 



of it by Gen. Crook, of the Department of 

 Arizona. This band belonged to a branch of 

 Apaches known as the Chiricahuas. They 

 crossed the frontier fro in Mexico on March 21st, 

 and made a raid through southern Arizona and 

 New Mexico, running off cattle and horses and 

 plundering and terrifying the inhabitants. They 

 moved with such rapidity that the troops in 

 pursuit failed to come up with them before 

 they had again crossed -the border nnd betaken 

 themselves into the fastnesses of the Sierra . 

 Madre mountains. One of the number, Pe-Nal- 

 Fisher, known by the sobriquet of " Peaches," 

 had deserted and made his way to the San 

 Carlos Agency, where he was seized and turned 

 over to Gen. Crook. He agreed to conduct 

 that officer to the stronghold of the hostile 

 savages in the Sierra Madre, on the border-line 

 between the Mexican States of Sonora and 

 Chihuahua. Gen. Crook concluded to trust him 

 and accept his services. On the 1st of May he 

 left San Bernardino Springs with 193 Apache 

 scouts, commanded by Capt. Emmett Crawford, 

 Third Cavalry, assisted by Lieuts. C. B. Gate- 

 wood, Sixth Cavalry, and J. O. Mackay, Third 

 Cavalry, and Capt. A. R. Chaffee's company of 

 the Sixth Cavalry (42 enlisted men and two offi- 

 cers, Lieuts. Frank West and W. W. Forsyth). 

 This force was the maximum which could be 

 supplied by the use of every available pack- 

 animal in the department. They had supplies, 

 field rations for 60 days, and 150 rounds of 

 ammunition. Officers and men carried only 

 such clothing and bedding as were absolutely 

 necessary, and instead of keeping up their own 

 messes shared the food of the packers. The 

 pack-train comprised over 350 animals. The 

 forced moved southeast down the San Bernar- 

 dino, through a country that had been com- 

 pletely laid waste by the Apaches. Following 

 a trail under the guidance of " Peaches," they 

 entered the Sierra Madre on the night of May 

 8th. In his report, Gen. Crook said : 



The indications of the proximity of the enemy had 

 now become so marked that I concluded to keep the 

 pack-trains back in the stronghold guarded by Chat- 

 fee's company, while the Apache scouts under Craw- 

 ford should scour the country in front and on our 

 flanks. On May 15th the scouts discovered the camps of 

 Indians, which were afterward found to be those of 

 Chato and Bonito. In accordance with my careful 

 instructions, they would have been surrounded but for 

 the fact that some of the scouts incautiously fired upon 

 a buck and squaw. The surprise was complete, and 

 in the subsequent fight, which lasted several hours, 

 the Indians were thoroughly beaten, the camps and 

 their contents captured, and'five half-grown girls and 

 young boys taken prisoners. Nine dead Indians were 

 found afte'rward that had been killed in the fight, the 

 extremely rugged nature of the country, the camps 

 being situated half-way up the face of a precipitous 

 mountain, gashed with ravines and arroyos, preventing 

 any exact count being made without extreme danger 

 from the Indians who might be wounded or hidden 

 in the rocks. The eldest of the captive girls said 

 that, if permitted, she would go out to her people and 

 have a delegation of them come in next day, as she 

 was sure they wanted to make peace. Her manner 

 satisfied me of her sincerity, and I allowed her to 

 leave the camp. 



