
American Scoundrel Stephen Wallace Dorsey
From True Crime Historian by Richard O Jones
May 5, 2026 · 9 min · Episode 10504
About this episode
The episode explores the corrupt practices of Senator Stephen W. Dorsey during the Gilded Age, including a bid-rigging scandal involving the Post Office.
Gilded Age Washington, 1876. Senator Stephen W. Dorsey and the Second Assistant Postmaster General ran a bid-rigging racket that bled the Post Office of millions — fake mail routes, real money. Two trials, two acquittals, one stolen castle on the New Mexico prairie. The jury said not guilty. The record disagrees. Jump to the AD-FREE Safe House Edition Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support . You can pay more if you want to, but rent at the Safe House is still just a buck a week, and you can get access to over 400 ad-free episodes from the dusty vault, Safe House Exclusives, direct access to the Boss, and whatever personal services you require. We invite you to our other PULPULAR MEDIA podcasts: If disaster is more your jam, check out CATASTROPHIC CALAMITIES , telling the stories of famous and forgotten tragedies of the 19th and 20th centuries. What could go wrong? Everything! For brand-new tales in the old clothes from the golden era of popular literature, give your ears a treat with PULP MAGAZINES with two new stories every week.
People in this episode
Host: Richard O Jones
Topics covered
- Gilded Age
- political corruption
- legal trials
- American history
- scandals
Keywords
- Stephen W. Dorsey
- Gilded Age
- Post Office
- corruption
- bid-rigging
- trials
- New Mexico
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Post Office
Places: New Mexico
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