Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-03-06
THE NEW YORK cUsT0M-H0Use INVESTIGATION
Testimony Of Gene raj Babe elk.

Gen. o. E. Babcock was before the Retrench-
ment Committee to-day, and testified as fol-
lows:
Is major in the engineer corps, on duty as sec
Rotary 10 the President and engineer officer in
charge OF public buildings and grounds; had no
interest with Col. Leet, MIR. Stocking or any
other individual in the general order BUSINESS
in New York, and had never received, directly
or indirectly, from Col Leet or any other per-
son, any benefits or profits or proceeds OF any
such business witness and Gen. Porter kept
house together in this city, and Leet was in
vited TO mess with them; Leet paid one fifth of
the expenses; had no knowledge of Leet being in
the general order business then; the first knowi-
edge witness had of Leet being in general order
business was at the time OF the investigations of
the first retrenchment committee, of which Mr
Patterson was chairman; did not remember the
exact amount of Col. leets proportion of the
expenses of the rness; thought they never ex-
ceeded $50 per month; had no knowledge OF
Leet being related to either the President Or
Nrs. Grant; first became acquainted with him
in the spring OF 1864.
By Mr.. Bayard--Holds no civil Office, unless
his ctfice of Superintendent of Public Buildings
and Grounds could be called civil one. Drew
only the pay as a Major of engineers in the army
or ~ years standing; received no other pay or
cmoiuments, and had not drawn any other since
the Inauguration OF President Grant; previously
TO that time held the rank and drew the pay of
Colonel. Knew that Leet procured a
letter from the President to Collector Grin
nell; had bare acquaintance with Grin
nell previous to his appointment as Collector;
never KNEW CHATTANOOGA lHumately, never
dined at Wizards with Grinnell, Lcet and
Cathawood; had dned with Grinnell once
after the inauguration Of the President; Col.
Leet Joined the mess OF witness and Gen. Porter
a month or six weeks after the Inauguration of
the President: did not know what business Col.
Leet had in mind when he procured the letter
from the President when he returned from New
Y0rd did not say that Grinnell had promised hi no
anything; Leet remained with witness and Gen.
Porter until early in the spring Of 1870; had no
knowledge OF Leet being man of any fortune;
never conversed with him On his financial mat
tiers; had no information that Leet adj paw from
the general order business until after the
report of the Retrenchment Committee;
witness has very slight acquaintance with
Stocking; has no intimacy with him; knew his
brother; met JnO. II. Lindsey; first at CITY
Point. in the tall Of 1864 or 1885, did not see hi
again until after the close OF the war; then met
him In Washington and subsequently in New
York; after Leet failed to get the labor
contract he said he was going into
the warehouse business in New York:
saw Lindsey very seldom after the close of the
war; never had any Intimacy with him: neve.
addressed him note except once to acknowl-
edge the receipt OF trout; saw him once i'm his
store in New York; saw him once at the Execu-
1--WE Mansion; witness was here shown friend
~ letter dated September 2ist, 1859, addressed to
LinGsey by witness, and stated that it was writ
ten by himself;] had since forgotten that he
wrote II; Lindsey and Icet were intimate: wit
ness was commissioner to San Domingo; had no
knowledge OF any money being paid upon the
lease OF SANTANA Bay, except 500 900 i'm money
and 900 in munitions OF war, as provided for
by the treaty.
General Babcock was on the stand when our
report closed.