The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-05-30
General Rdker,. Rock.

!. .ts Gesersi Hdker's Rock.
Confession iseems to be the fayorite
recreation of criminals just as crime is
their regular calling. Next to commit
ting crimes they love to talk about
them. FoGLER's se-called confession"
is case in point. Those "last words"
of hundreds of other noted desperadoes
and law-breakers, that fill the columns
of the sensation press, and crowd the
shelves Of cheap booksellers, arc also
illustrations of the fondness which viii
lainy has for Acknowledgements and dis
closures and contrition, and all the other
popular performances that lend a halo
to the gallows, make heroes Of rogues,
and saints of numbering scoundrels. To
be sure, the sins confessed by each de-
parting worthy are generally the sins
of other people, and the repentance
manifested savors more of, sorrow for
the wrongdoing of his ncighbors than
of thorough repentance for the felOn's
own wickedness. Nevertheless the pop
ular mind is pleased to attach unusual
Importance to these jail-bird deliveran-
ces. The revelations of the cell and the
gallows are received with the most
ridiculous credulity, as if the man with
whom rapine was business and murder
pastime, must necessarily be reliable
in all his statements concerning his
crimes. The effect of such fol-
ly must be to encourage villains
of all grades to exert them
selves for the entertainment of
the public, in the way of startling
revelations" in which truth will be
constantly sacrificed for effect. Scoun-
drels outside of prison walls will also
have their communications for the pub
lie ear. The premium which the folly
of many people is offering to stupendous
developments, will be sought by every
rascal who knows from experience what
villainy means, and the revelations of
the man who is hung will be initiated
by the man who only deserves hanging.
That such will be the case is evidenced
by the publication of a book whose au-
thor is no less parsonage than "Gener-
eral L. c. BAKER, Chief National Detect
i've Police" We are told that it is book
of seven hundred pages, illustrated with
q formidable portrait of the Brigadier
with his star, and sundry engravings of
adventures in shooting rebels and
burying BooTH. eve do not wonder"
says a contemporary, that the Govern
ment, that is SEWARD and STANTON,
endeavored to suppress this volume, for,
whether it be true or false, romance
or reality, a gross exaggeration or q
precise statement of facts, it is fatally
damaging to them, and hardly tender
to poor Mr.. LINCOLN, whom BAKER de-
scribes more than once rs his intimate
friend. "Ue used" says he, " to walk
together at late hours in the evening
round the White House and talk play
fully"
Tie same paper continues:
But General Bakers revelations affect
the living as well as the dead. Decency
prevents us from doing more than al
Jude to the orgies of the Currency Bu-
reau of the Treasury Department. Here
are letters and affidavits and diaries
filled with the most offensive details.
The victims-for such we regard them
even though willing victims-being
young girls of feighteen-and the prom
inent sinners, Heads of BureauX under
model administration, who are yet re-
tained in office and once protected by
tected by Mr.. McCulloch. The Treasu-
ry seems to have been little than a
brothel. Nor was the army free from
taint. Mr.. Baker gives us the unvar-
nished Statements Of Massachusetts,
young lady, Miss A. j., of Cambridge,
(blush shade of Harvard y
"I was born in Cambridge, Massachu-
setts. Am twenty years of age. have
neither father nor mother living. /
have two sisters. In the fall of 1862 /
went to the Army of the Potomac,
with no defnate object in View. Spent
some time at General SIS headquarters,
near Fairfax Court House. When Gen.
eral s. was relieved, l Joined General
KS command. and went to the front as
the friend and companion of General c.
General X. became very jealous OF Cen
eral C.'s attentions to me. 1have spent
two years and ahalf In the Union army,
and during this time have been the
guest of different officers, they furnish
Ing me with horses, orderlies, escorts,
sentinels Of my tent, quarter rati0ns. /
invariably wore majors straps. During
no part of the time was l employed as
guide, scout or hospital nurse, but as
stated above, q companion to the vari-
GUS commanding officers, as q private
friend and companion"
Certainly promising young woman
and fit companion for General S. and
General c. and General Kf "When
the wives of sick soldiers" says Baker,
could not get passes over the lines, be-
cause of the standing order that no fe-
males should be allowed, disreputable
woman could telegraph their arrival at
Washington, an order would be the re-
sponse giving them pass, and free
transportation to the designated head
quarters Of the favored officers"
Really one reads these things thus
coolly narrated, with shudder.
The WHEAT.-While the general ap-
pearance Of the wheat promises n fiat