The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-12-29
sYLPH's RETURN.

HIS CRONIEs LAVISH THEIR SYMPATHY ON
THE ERRINa PET OF THE PRESIDENTIAL
HOUSEHOLD
The Washington telegram to the Chicago
Times of yesterday says: Gen. Babcock re-
turned to the city to-day. In conversation
with his friends he made no allusion what
ever to his coming trial in st. Louis. He
had q consultation with the president, but out
of this came nothing more than desultory
conversation. The president processes to
believe Babcock innocent, and until the
court In st. Fouls decides otherwise, he will
stand by his military secretary. A gentle
man from st. Louis quotes x-Sen ator Hen
derson in reference to Babcock. Henderson
is reported as saying that If there is no case
against the presidents right-hand man,
then all of the convictions In st. Louis thus
| far obtained are based upon inefficient
| testimony. A great deal of sympathy is
lavished upon Babcock by his cronies about
town. They palliate his connection with
the whisky ring in st. Louis by calling 1t
imprudence. This victim of imprudence
will remain here but a short time. He will
return first to Chicago and then to st. Louis
in time for his trial, which can not now
come off before the latter part of the month,
as Con. Megrue's case is down for the first
trial after the court meets In January. The
government people are
GETTING READY FOR GOOD HARD FIGHT
in Chicago. They regard the whisky men
of that city as more powerful, socially and
financially, than those of st. Louis. They
know also that Chicago men In q fight have
better staying qualities. and that it will not
be reasonable to expect that there win be
any pleading guilty in advance Of trials, as
there has been in st. Louis. The men o
Chicago are banded together for desperate
resistance, and will use every means
r.. thn mo
ton, plundering of the records and
subornation of perjury are some
of the items to be found in the secret
records of the revenue department charged
up against the chiefs of this compact band of
revenue thieves. There will be made an
earnest effort to dissuade Sam. Randall from
pressing the resolution introduced by him
the other day. This resolution calls Cor ell
letters, kilograms, etc., in the prosecution OF
the So called whisky ring. Secretary Bris-
tow is very much opposed to this measure.
To answer at the present time this request
would call for the exposure of the most
secret and valuable testimony of the treas
ury department. There Is at present In
possession of the treasury authorities much
testimony that is as yet incomplete,
which, if given out to the world without
subsequent explanations, might do
GREAT INJURY TO INNOCENT MEN.
For instance, the department sometimes
has evidence against man that may lead
to presumption, but which is not strong
enough to secure conviction in court, but
withholding such testimony until more
definite information can be obtained OF the
guilt or innocence of the person in question
is determined before any publicity Is given.
The department also holds that the giving
out of such testimony would now be highly
prejudicial to the prosecution of the untried
cases IT would nut all on guard against
whom the evidence Is not as yet very strong,
and would be q complete exposure to
yigilant and unscrupulous defense OF the
line of tactics to be pursued by the prosecu-
ton. If the democratic house insists upon
having this information there Is no question
that it can compel 1t to be given. Ii this is
required in advance of the coming trials and
the prosecution then fails in securing the
proper amount of convictions, then upon
the democrats Will rest the responsibility of
having, through their clumsy desires, sue
cessfuliy aided the whisky ring thieves. AT
better given, and even then it will involve
the publishing of details concerning men
who were not guilty or implicated. For in
stance, many men stand as the hackers of
thieves and, In the sense OF their being their
indorsers and bondsmen, but who are as in
nocent as babes unborn of shy guilty knowl-
edge of the frauds perpetrated upon the
government.
Now here Is something we don't believe.
1t is said to have occurred in Danbury, and
that is the only reason for our disbelief. A
very fashionable Danbury lady tried to
mount the steps in front of Merrill's gro
Gerry, yesterday, but her pull back prevented
her. Several times she repeated the at
tempt, but without success, while an anx-
Gus populace looked on. What do you sup