The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1866-02-03
From the St. Louis Republican.
Babcoke's Hide OH a Pole.

From the St. Louis Republican.
Babcoke's Hide OH a Pole.
On the Goth of December last we had an
article giving few pages from the private
history of Colonel Thomas j. Babcoke, alias
Baboock, the commander of company of
thieving Miller county militia, who under
the pretext of an order from Colonel b. put
twenty seven bullet holes into the faces and
fronts of gray haired old man and four of
his sons. and then robbed the bodies and left
them in the woods for the hogs to eat. Bah
coke, a radical member of the legislature. in
one of the most brutal speeches ever deliver
ed before body of civilized people, sxuted
In and extolled this atroeious and shamefully
cowardly act, and his follow-radicals in the
house applauded him to the echo The Mis-
souri, Democrat referred to him as ..quiet
christian gentleman" and other radical Or
gans in the state have sought TO throw around
this hoary outlaw q thick mail of fulsome and
hypocritical puffery. The attempt to bluff
off detestation for such character may sue
coed in some quarters, but does not go down
with u.s. We have skinned the reverend
maefactor, and mean that his hide shall be
we'll punctured for the purpose of venrila-
ton.
On the Goth of December as we have said.
we gave some pages of the past history of
years ago. in order to show the sort of man
that the radicals were investing with the
qualities of heroism and leadership We
charged that, despite his professions of piety,
he was accused OF being connected with u
gang of counterfeiters in Iowa, and that he
left Harrington, Van Buren, county between
two days, for unknown parts, which fact was
generally and quite naturally, regarded as a
confession OF guilt In the Jefferson City
Times, of the last week, there is a letter TO
that paper, signed by Babcoke, and dated
January 18th, on the subject of our stare
ments. Twenty ght days is long time for
an injured man to take in preparing a defence
of his character. Doubtless Babcoke would
have been willing to ignore altogether the ar
ticle of the Goth of December; but frequent
references TO him since have probably Undue,
ed his friends TO urge him TO make some re
Spouse, which he does in the amest possible
style. With most of that response we have
noshIng to d. as. on the assumption that our
information came from a certain quarter,
nearly the whole of 1t is devoted to an attack
upon a gentleman whose character here
above reproach, and who. enjoying as ne
does the confidence and respect of meo who
would disdain to associate with such persons
as Babeoke, may well afford to treat his iu- |
situations with utter contempt We NAV
say, however, that the material Babcoke |
brings TO his defence 10 no defence of him |
(Babcoke) at ALL and serves 20 confirm the |
allegations already made. Thus, it was init |
mated that Babcoke was associated with |
one Edward Bonney in cOunterteiting
Babcoke acknowledges he ''Was associated |
scith said Bonney," but declares their bust |,
mess was detecting and breaking up the |
most formidable gang OF coanterisiters. rob- |
bers and murderers ever known in the west. |
atns' And thIs q the whnia nf his |
side of the story. Nothing in explanation of !
his visit to Bellevue, where the sheriff Of Jo |
Daviess county I'll. was killed In trying to |
arrest a gang of counterfeiters, and where |
Babcoke whipped and saved himself |
from lynching for inquiring for some one of |
the gang, by begging off on the plea of being |
preacher OF the gospel. Nothing to show !
that be ever had anything TO do in detecting |
criminals in Iowa and, in short, nothing in |
denial of the statements against him.
We have said thus much by way of intro
duction to & document bearing Slightly on |
this case, and which we present below The |
writer is we'll known IN this city, and his
character a witness cannot be successfully /
impeached He has been engaged with the /
keokuk Packet Com pany for upwards of TWEEN
~ years, occupying positions OF trust and
Not TO name otheIs, Mr..
John S. McCuue. presiden. of the packet
company, is referred to with his consentl,
upon any question affecting the perfectinteg-
rity of Mr.. Heaight. with whom he has had
close business relations for a score of years
ST. LOUIS, Jan. 90, 1866.
EDITOR OF THE REPUBLICAN-I have been
much surprised to find in tho Jefferson City
Times communication signed Thomas j
in which free use is made oil my
IA me the writer evidently supposing me to
have been concerned in the publication of
pertain articles in your paper rejecting upon
his character. 1 did know Thomas J Bah.
cook, or Babcoke, in 1889, and, from the re-
'ponse made to your articles believe HIM to
oe the same man who is now in the Missouri
legislature.
/ knew Babcoke, who was then known as
8abcock, a methodist preacher in Van