The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-07-29
Third Edition
For the nent te1enty-tour hours probably
Uariable, and possibly light local shoaoers.
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THE EX- SOLICITORS STORY.
He Makes Full Statement of
the Crooked Whisky
Complications.
And Tells All He Knows OF How
BAD. Used the President.

Bv American Press Association to the STAR.
WASHINGTON, July 29.-ln the Com
mittee on Whisky Trials yesterday, the
examination of EX-Solicitor BIuford
Wilson was continued. Mr.. Wilson
testified that after the President had
given the order to let no guilty man
escape, he and Mr.. Bristow talked the
matter over, and concluded that the
President could not fail to sust in th m
without stultifying himself. Mr.. Bris-
tow wrote to him August 8, 1870, warn
ing him to be careful to whom he talked,
and stating that Porter and Babcock
were greatly annoyed on learning that
they (Bristow and Wilson) had seen
the "Sylph" dispatches. When 1t was
known that Babcock was about to be in
dicted, the Military Court moveme MT
was made by his friends, and the knowl-
edge that President Grant favored CIV
ing that tribunal precedence over the
regular Courts was the first intniatiO on
the prosecution had that the President
intended to defeat them at St. Louis.
After referring to the dismissal of
Henderson and the complications with
Ward i'll Chicago, Mr.. Wilson went on.
Both the Secretary and myself were
led to entertain grave appreheDsi0ns as
to what the issue would be in the Bah
cock matter for the reason that learned
from the President and from &. s. Bell
himself that the President had recon-
mended him to go to st. Louis. learned
from the President, from q. S. Bell and
from the Attorney General that it was
In contemplation to employ Bell to 60 to
St, Louis and report, not to Dyer, but di-
ran,lv te tne Attorney General. and that
the reason for his retenLlon was that the
President unders tood that Dyer and
Henderson intended TO implic tie him in
the frauds if possible. On December IS,
1875, l wrote to Dyer as follows:
"And now word of caution. You
have made mistake in trusting G. s..
Bell. lie has been pretending 80 know
that you have been cndeovoring to impll-
cate the President, and it is possible
that he may return to St. Louis. II he
does, put your be It man oil at once, and
you will soon see where he trains. Ii he
calls upon you, don't let on that you sus-
pect, but doHt trust him, and have him
watched. Mind what l say. 1 know
what am writing about, and you must
burn this on your honor"
Itis q fact that the President was in
tensely earnest In the Babcock matter
in opposition 10 the views OF the Secre-
tary and myself. On the 25th OF Decem-
Der he sent for me and confronted me
with the charge that it was reported to
him that was trying to have his broth
er, Orville Grant, ana his son, Colonel
Fred. ID. Grant, indicted for completely
in frauds. and In the course of comv ersa-
ton he again asserted to me his earnest
belief in Babcock's Innocence, and his
sense OF tine great outrags that had been
perpetrated BY Henderson and DYER in
refusing to sand TO the military Court at
Chicago the original evidence contained
in the records ofthe civil tribunal at st.
Louis. 1 SI
An interview between witness and the
President is next mentioned after q
charge Of Colonel Fred. Grant that the
Indictment OF Babcock was the result Of
a conspiracy between witness and Carl
Schuiz. At this interview the Presi-
dent objected specifically and earnestly
to our permitting persons who pleaded
guilty 10 be used as witnesses to convict
others. After some talk about Everest
the President said TO me, "Mojor, when
i said LET no guilty man escape