, 1875-12-25
GENERAL BABGiGK INDICTED.
Startling Story of thePriyate secretary's
Connection WITH the Ring.

,
| last, found true bill & indictment against
| General Babcock, and tat it Will probably
be formally returned to t.o court tomorrow.
II has been believed hGe for sometime by
well informed persons th.t this would be done.
1t is well known, as wa telegraphed 10 you
several days ago, that evidence OF his com
munications with the st Louis whiskey ring
was discovered some m)nths since, 50 long
ago in fact as last July. Shortly aiterward
the matter assumed such definite shape that
all the details were
LAID BEFORE THE PRESIDENT
From that time the Investigation in the
case has been vigorously followed up by the
prosecutors, and the President ha, been made
acquainted, in advance, with each step taken
The delay in the case has arisen from the ex-
treme caution which has been tujoined by
the Treasury Department upon those who
were managing the case in St. Llmis, ON ac-
count OF General Babcock' intimate relations
to the President, and The effect which the
proceedings against him must lave upon
General Grant. It was thought only JUS
tice 10 beStow unusual care upon the inyes-
tigat;on, 50 that ro public step should be
taken until 1t was known, beyond reasonable
doubt that General Babeock
WAS REALLY INVOLVED
in snoh way as to make it necessary, in the
interests of justice, that he should be brought
to trial. 1t IS the knowledge OF the great
care taken 10 sift the evidence in his case
which gave such weight to the open an
nouncement of General Henderson, the chief
prosecutor in ST. Louis in the whi-key trials,
the other day, to the effect that tie govern
ment expected to show that General Babcock
was connected with the ring.
General Babcock, in common with the
President, has known, in general terms, the
nature OF the evidence collected against him,
and he has, therefore, had a good opportu-
nifty to prepare bis defense. The movement
tor
MILITARY COURT OF INQUIRY
had much more behind it than simple de-
mand for a court on the part Of an officer
Jealous of his reputation 1t was decided
aftor long and earnest cpusU Sation with army
friends and with politicians Of high standing
1t was believed that matters could be SO
shaped as TO have a military court take the
place OF trial by civil court in St. louis,
or, at any rate, 50 as 10 have it meet and
prondunce'its opinion III the absence of any
civil tribunal But, after very full discus
sion OF his feature uf the case III the Cabinet
on Friday, Il vas unanimously decided that
under no circumstances woLid II be decent or
allowable to permit u military court to take
the case ont Of The
HANDS or y CIVIL TRIBUNAL.
1t has come out since the decision, through
some of General Blbeoek's army friends, that
when the court OF inquiry was demanded it
was confientally expected that the trial of
the case would be transferred from St. Louis
to this tribunal, 1t was believed that the
prosecutors at 81. Louis would willingly
give way, or, at least, virtually permit
transfer 10 take place by refraining from fur
ther proceedings Bat upon this view of
dealing with the subject being presented IN
Cabinet, it il understood that
SECRETARY EEIsT0w PRpTEsTED
at once, and presented such forcible reasons
that all present We're constrained to admit
that he was right, and it wa decided that
should be forwarded 10 District
Dyer that under no circumstances
was he to be delayed or restricted by the ap-
pointnent or the action OF the military tri-
bupaI to be appointed. These instructions
were sent him yesterday Chicago was fixed
upon as the place OF the court because il
would allow It's President Sheridan to be
near his headquarters, aud 1t as sufficiently
near st. Louis 10 enable it to obtain witnesses
readily. 1t was also deemed fairest 10 Gene
raj BAbcock to have his case heard at a dis
tance from
TIE EXCITEMENT AND CLANOR
which are known 10 exist IL St. Louis. The
court has the same power to summon wit
nesses as a court martial, and its process for
summoning witnesses runs Though the
United States.
General Babcock's military friends say
that the President, at a recent Cabinet meet
ing, probably on Friday, suggested that the
before the civil court should give
way TO those before tie military court Of in
4uiry, but that the lawyers in tie Cabinet
quickly showed him that this would not do,
and the President Immediately acuiesced
The delay possible under the military pro-
ceedings would be very great The court Is
ordered to report upon the facts and give an
opinion. None OF the necessary Witnesses are
in Chicago, and they muS- be brought mainly
from st. Louis and Washington.
POWERS or COUNTS or INQUIRY.
The court OF inquiry can pronounce no
no matter how guilty / may find /
the accused It can at the mos: only say /
that, In its judgment, trial bv eosTt martial /
should take place. Ii such tr.al should /
follow so much OF the ground would have 10 I
be trsyer>ed anew a. 20 consume much time !
The Howard court OF inquiry, where nearly /
Ill the witnesses and all the records ezamin-
ID were in Washington where The court was
held, occupied over forty days. Ihese state
nents give point 70 the strenuous attempt TO
have the military proceedings suPercede all
.urther action by the grand jury Cf the court
AZ Hsgr[H
ar can't be Done" said Dea,on Green.
8 There isn't a man living. doctor or no doc
or, who can prOIong his life for single day.
The most that can be done Is not TO shorten
t. Let EN- look out not 70 Dc that, sir
Iet every man, woman and child take care
,ot IN do aDv-bf1,, N sbor+a-, lifz and thai