The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-04-11
Babcock's Connection
With the Safe Bur-
glary Case.
An Extraordinary Story Of
Guilt and Shame.
Whitley Believed That He was
Acting Under the Highest Pos
sible Authority"
NEW LIGHT UPON AN OLD SUBJECT.

WASHINGTON, April "A tOrked shaft
struck to-day on the very verge of the
white house again. This testimony,
backed by incontcstablc witnesses, leaves
Babcock In u position more UNANIMOUSLY
dishonorablc than he would have been If
pronounced guilty at st. Louis. Day
light In the safc-burglary business has
brought darkness upon Babcock, AID,
from present appearances, on even those
higher than Babcock. sufficient proof
had been presented to the subcommittee
OF judiciary some time ago to indicate
that the current rllmors concerning the
authors of the satc-burglary business
were not well founded. and that the
workers of that iniquity came from an.
other quarter. Upon this hint, the ma.
chinery was set in motion and quest
was made for Whitley, chief OF the old
sccret-service forces. 1t was known that
he and those who had been associated
with him were. by suspicious chance,
sCATTERED FAR WESTWARD
from the city where there would be likely
to be fewer dangerous inquiries concern
ing them. Within week Whitley has
been brought here and Informed that
sufficient information Is in the possession
of the committee to indict him Tor bur-
glary unless he will take advantage OF the
immunity extended by the committee
and make confession. At first, 1t seems
that Whitley and his confederatcs re-
fused, being melted by Il reminder from
outside sources that the statute OF limita-
ton would expire the 2lsl of this month.
and then nothing could be done. A reso.
luton, however, passed the house and
senate this week extending the time
year. This brought the requisite con-
cession, and Whitley to-day made clean
breast. Put on the stand before Proctor
Knott Of Kentucky, Ashton of North
Carolina, and Hurd and Lawrence OF
Ohio, he told
THE EXTRAORDINARY STORY
of guilt and shame. lie said that he was
first sent for by Gen. Babcock to come to
his house. lie went there and received
word that Harrington wanted him and
that he was to act under him. Whitley
here explains his compliance by his
understanding that, as he was receiving
orders from the highest possible author
ity, it was not for him to question why
he went ahead, being assured by this
same authority that his service was
needed to protect the administration
from scandal. This involved repctl-
ton of
The SAfE-BURGLARY
scandal in substance as follows: Just two
years ago this last winter there was a
union OF taxpayers, under the lead of
Columbus Alexander, here to break
down the mighty power of Boss Shep-
herds ring. A congressional nvcstiga-
ton was secured, and to produce the nee.
cssary documents before this committee
these anti-District-ring men. or ''memor-
ialists," as they were called strained
every nerve. II was the custom In those
days to meet every evening to the number
of 10 or 30 ut the house of Columbus Al
cXalldcr. SO earnest aud compact were
these men that "Boss' Shepherd and his
crowd became very much alarmed. One
night at the rig clubhouse on New York
avenue, Dick Harrington, an assistant
district attorney and a leader among the
district ringslers. and intimate of Boss"
shepherd, and
AVERY BRILLIANT FELLOW,
devised plan TO get ahead oi the mem
oralists, This was nothing less than a
criminal project to implicatc the memori-
alists in such manner that the ring dis
trict attorney could get hold of them and
push them into the penitcntiary, thus
breaking up cficctually the prosecution of
the ring. This plan consisted Of putting
up job by hiring burglar to go to
Alexander and say he could secure papers
for him by
BURGLARIzING HAIRiNGroN's SAFE.
1t was thought that Alexander would
jump ut this chance. Alexander, how.
ever, said TO the man that he would give
him money for the important papers pro-
vided he were able to see them first be-
fore buying. Harrington then arranged
tor mock burglary Of his office. lie
had the police warned and was to follow
the pretended burglar with his sham plum
der to Alexander's house at time when