New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-02-23

cock went to Commissioner Douglass with
COPY of a letter written by Special Agent
Brooks to Deputy Commissioner Rogers a
month earlier, a propOs Of this same raid, and
stolen. nobody knows how, from MIR. Rogers's
desk. The letter was as follows MY dear
"Sir: am summoned to appear Ill the U. D.
"Court at Philadelphia on Monday, 23d Inc
~ cases will probably be disposed OF on ,hat
"day. 20 I can be in Washington on Tues
"day. If possible please have Mr. HOgue there
"by that time and may 1 ask that any
western case you think we can work shall
be put in such shape that we can take
"chargc If it, and so make our trip profitable
"to the Department and satisfactory to our
{" selves, Gen. Babc0ck told Mr.. Douglass
that this was q Matchmaking letter, and that
Brooks and Hogue ought not to 60. lie urged
that Senator Logan was n very sensitive man,
and would feel hurt and angry if such incur
sions were made into his district. 1t is not
easy for us outsiders to discover the evidence
of purpose to backmail; but Mr.. Douglass
was candidate for promotion to tho
Court Of Claims, and possibly that made
him unduly careful of Senator Logans feel
ings. At any rate, Oil the 18Th OF December
Gen. Babcock sent to Mcdonald the celebrated
"Syph" telegram :'"Thcy will not GO have
"srcceeded. VIII write. Sylph." And on the
1lth the Special Agents received instructions
from the Department 10 abandon the enter
prise. The Sylph dispatch was given to Joyce.
who showed il to the distil,cIs to satisfy them
that it was safe to go on with the crooked
manufacture, and soon afterward letter rom
some one was handed around for the same
purpose. This letter has not been produced,
and witnesses were not allowed to testify
as to its contents or to say who wrote 1t.
Tie next transaction with which fine prose
cuton has to do is iii January, 1879. The
frauds continuing tie Secretary and Commits
sioner determined 90 transfer all the superyi-
sors and treasur! agents, 80 a. 10 get them
out OF ruts and break up enimgllng alliances
between chem and the distllIcrs. The st. Louis
Ring OF course demonstrated. Mcdonald tele-
graphed to the Commissioners, Feb. 3, Don't
" like the order; it viii damage the Govern
" mcnt and iniure The Administration; to
which Mr. Douglass replied: "The order OF
" transfer il general and only temporary ms
answer seems 10 have been interpreted by the
Ring ~ an Indication OF iiroSolution. for Joyce
Immediately telcgfaphed Ia Dabc0ck, the same
night, We have official information that the
enemy wcahens push things" and signed
the message " Sylph.' Gen. Babcocl did
push things. He represented to Mr. Douglass
that the transfer was can unwisc measure, and
would result in bringing such strong pres
" sure oil the President that the order would
have 10 bo recalled, which, Mr.. Douglass
added. would be unpleasant for me-" He
made similar representations 10 Deputy Com
missioner Rogers vhom he assured that the
inevitable revocation would be " disastrous"
la The Commits iioncr. Mr.. Rogers throws a
side light upon this interview by explaining
that Mr. Douglass just then VAS very anxious
Ia ho judge OF the Court of Claims and that
he himself was anHous 10 promote that am
bition, in the hope OF succeeding to the Com
mi~,ioncrship Tho order WAS revoked the
next day but the President has made il clear
that Gen. Babcoch', pushing WAS not what in
dUced the change.
The last chapter in the case il the story OF
tic $500 bill, which we need not nov repeat.
II il said 20 have been sent very soon after
the order OF transfer was. to Use Joyce's ex-
ultant phrase. "hustcd ioicycr'-that is to
say in February. 1879. We s;Iy. said 10 have
been sent, Tor we are not aware that tho wit
nces Everest mentioned the time hat the
lctteI-canicr McGill who protested to have
taken the letter out of the box and given it
back 10 .Ioycc was kind enough to supply the
Deficiency. These points, with the further
fact that after MCDonad. indictment BHbcock
wrote letters 10 him secretly, constitute the
case for the prosecu,iOn.
In reaching their verdict however the jury
sill undoubtedly be influenced "A great deal by
the omissions and the tactics at the defense.
They will consider that the kilograms that have
been produced imply either "A perfect under
standing between the conspiiatolS ~ II. Louis
and their friend at Washington, or else
great deal OF explanatory correspondence by
mail, of which the defcnsr ought 10 be able to
produce some trace ii ii was innocent. They
will hc impressed, no doubt, by the strenuous
Efforts to keep the kilograms out OF court, and
the failure to explain them. And if ,hey DO
not credit McGill, his testimony alone viii be
enough 10 ruin Gen. liabcock. There are
many other suspicious circumstances in the
history OF the trial, such as Gen. Bah
cocks behavior when his name first became
involved. and the flat contradiction between
his unimcly ii mand to be heard aud his
cipher dispatches 10 NGr. Luclsey but these are
not before the court they are for the public,
not for the jury.
yHD ppECInENy INn YUE IIJ+RTS