The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-08-01

president, which IL Is not necessary or
proper tor me to 90 into further than to
say that Gen. Babcock's case was again
alluded to and Evercst's testimony was
stated to the president by the secretary.
CO the evening Of that day addressed
the secretary the following letter:
JAN. "a, 1S76.-DEAR GENERAL I call
to bid you bon royogc and to say that
within less than an hour after our re.
turn from the white house, Babcock came
IN little white and good deal nervous
and asked me II had any news. re.
piled had none except what had given
the president. to which he said YES IL Is
that about which l desire to ask you.
What does Everest claim about tho
$OO!' etc. Showing that his excellency
mad conveyed at once to BabcOck every
item OF possible evidence which he had
received from me. Babcock stayed quite
while and had a very prompt and EN-
phatic denial to every story, and n theory
TO ht IL. lie asked me on going away to
tell him if anything new turned up. This
positively refused, but added I could
not deny when the president asked. lie
laughed and said that would do lust as
well, and we see that it does. The point
Of all this is'that il the president ques.
tons me in Babcock's interest, what am
| to do? have no objection Oh general
principles to give Babcock a fair show. II
the testimony is really false, but ii II
should turn out to be true, what right
has ne more than any other accused
party to hear the details of the case
against him. B.W.
About the 2Sth of January the attor.
ney-gcneral called for me and | went
over. lie said he wanted to talk with
me about the Babcock case and the situa.
ton of affairs at ST. Louis, Chicago and
Milwaukee. | said certainly. He said
what is it about that man Everest?
told the attorney general in substance
what 1 had already reported to the presi-
ident. He said to me that he had been
good deal troubled By a request which
the president had made OF him with
reference to writing circular letter to
United States district attorneys caution
ing them against taking the testi.
mony of accomplices. lie said he had
told the president that he saw no other
way to get to the bottom except by re-
sorting to the testimony of accomplices,
and that alter two or three interviews
with the president, the president being
very earnest about it, had written a let
ter which he wanted to read me. He sent
his clerk to bring it and then for the
first time read to me
HIS CIRCULAR LETTEB
to district attorneys. lie said, "Iou
note, Wilson, that don't 90 as far as the
president wanted me to- ] took a draft
OF that letter over to the president and
read it to him. and he was not satisfied
with it and wanted me to say in specific
terms that the testimony of no man who
entered plea Of guilty should be used in
any prosecution, but that the parties
should be given to understand that they
should be brought to punishment"
said in reply to the attorney general that
the letter would be sure even in its
present condition to be misunderstood,
and I told him that in my judgment it
was equivalent to saying if he plead
guilty, "iOu must not do it. If you do,
you simply render certain your own
condemnation, and you have nothing
whatever to expect therefrom." The
attorney general said he hoped the letter
would not be so understood, and he said
"I on note that it is
NOT INTENDED FOR PUBLICATION"
said il the district attorneys did no,
misunderstood it; if it did not create thai
impression. and il it did not get out,
didn't think it would hurt anything
That was on the 29th. On the night Of
the % or 80 of February read the
Chicago Times of the lst of February
and saw that it contained the circular let
ter OF the attorney general in substance
with an introduction in which it was
stated. as now recollect, that the presi
dent of the United States was dissatisfied
with the policy which had been adopted
and that his letter indicated a change
with reference thereto. took the paper
at once and went over to Gen. Bristow
and read 1t to him. ! said to him thai
in my judgment profound crisis hat
arrived in the prosecutions Of the thieves
that, Notwithstanding the assurance o.
the presidents satisfaction with wha,
had been decided upon in our interview
of the 9th of January, it was clearly evi
dent that he meant to
BRING ABOUT CONFLICT
and change OF policy. and ! told the
secretary that he must take immediate
steps to have an understanding with the
attorney general and the president. He
agreed with me. The steps that he took
he himself and the attorney general and
the records must show. On the day at
ter the interview with the secretary OF
the treasury saw the correspondent OF
the Chicago Times. Mr.. Keenan,. and he
told me tina. he had received that letter
from the hands of Emery A. Storrs, the
counsel of Gen. o. +. Babcock.
| wish to say, also, that Col. Dyer, oil
st. Louis, had a conference
with the attorney general. in
which, according to Col. Overs
statement. the attorney general told
him in substance precisely what he told
me, that the circular letter was written al
the suggestion and instance of the presi-
dent of the United States. 1t is enough
tor me to say OF my own knowledge that
such was the result of the evidence and OF
the facts that have here narrated, that