New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-07-31
THE TESTIMONY IN COMMITTEE.

III, nortion of the testimony of eX-Sohctor blu-
sd wilson given on Thursday last before the Coih-
nittee on Whisky Frauds, the injunction oil secrecy
having been removed:
onesdon-Prior to the discovery OF the Syipu "|
-, do Won know of any other fact or matter indicat
no. Tho President of the Uuited States was not IN
sot,v with you and the Secretary Of the Treasury IN
your prosecution Of these dstilIersf ...
Ausver-In answer TO that question WISH 10 s'"'o
,bat with reference to the whisky cases genery 'o'o
never was TO my knowledge any lack OF cooperation VI
,h Presidents part there were delays, IL Is rne' u'
inc the Fall Of 1875 in turning odt some lueh WIZ III"
S.,orv and myself thought ought to have been re-
moved soone- but the whole we got along very wen
/, WAS not until we struck Gen. BaocOcR III Wn"' So0
IN ne strong suspicious evidence OF ms coMpht'y U'
we BEGAN to grow apart; after the fteSid'n'
return from his trip to Dcs M0ines, COLORADO "h"
St. Louis ascertaned upon information ho'N I'" 'i'
socr.tary of the Treasury and the AttOrne! Geher'
th, gos in trolble that VAS charged with having
mt sn,e rlpou the President with the view to prove MS
completely In the whisky frauds; TINS iearhe' ." iuS
retIrn from the West, where had been uilot tue w
roction of the Acknowledgement and the secretary u V
Treasury, in consultation with tbs officers charseu WIN
the prosecution which WAS late in October or early IN
Novenber last relying upon the Presidents indorSe-
r,ept and in view of the "Syph" telegram ana the
minors which I have already referred to, l had
early in August, submitted the telesr'H 7"
Mr. Henderson aud Mr.. Dyer, IN tue pres
tnee Of the Accomplishment III th's Guy
and il wss understood there to be Of so highly sns
cous character that Gen. Babcocks case should DC lho
oueblv hut fairly investigated To that ead about the
sth or 9th OF September after Messrs Henderson ana
Over had returned ST. Louis, wrote MI hehuelSoh
letter in which said to him Substantially inns VIII
he handed to you by Wm H. Herr, reliable aha uus'eu
aren't of the secret Service Division. lie viii report to
YOU for duty" stated that during the hearluS oil INC
motions to quash the indictments in MeDOpaid case
then pending before Judge Miller, Thought 1t important
that Mcdonald and Joyce should be put under the sro
est surveillance and that every proper PiecdnIoh sho"
be taken to prevent their escape that IL was hiShS l
Dortant also that associates and co-conspratorS
with McDouad and Joyce, # there were any thch un'
known. should be discovered and BROUGHT TO PUNISH
ment and used the words that il was OF the utmost M
portauce tie pubc interests that he should 80 70 e
very bottom or top Of the combinations, and nu0'r
scored the words bottom or top' knowing mat Gen.
R,bcock would be in ST Louis with the President ana
knowing his relations with Mcdonald aud Joyce i III
tended to use and did such terms that Cen Hende
son might clearly see that his relations with Mcdonald
and joyce while in tue city. should be carefully ioohed
after and inquired into. This believed ! was fuiy
authorized and warranted TO do by the terms OF the
Presidents endorsement, aud l supposed that IN 80
doing | would receive his support and approval
II turned out that this letter OF mine was taken from
among the papers Of Gen. Henderson while he was Oh
gagged in a land argument in tie courts at ST. LOUIS;
that Mcdonald Joyce got possession OF H.
and to support the charge that was
putting spies the President. after the WORD
atop" In my letter, the capital letters Wv. H.
were forged therein The forgery was apparent
on comparison with the lcttCrprcss copy which was
lucky enough under the circumstances 10 have .ttuuedm
mvlcter-boO and that fact doubtless saved me from III
slant removal The forged letter. or copies containing
the forgees, brought back b. Gen. EaGc0cS nom
tie West aud after the first Cabi CT meeting. which
was held the Presidents return, Gen. Btbcock called
v-Ce 4raI pcrr
tow uto the Private SecrCtacy's Office and
showed them that letter cf mine, with the
forged letters CIV. H." in IT, The Secretary Of the
Treasury and the Acknowledgement were both greatly
disturbed, and manifested at disturbance in interviews
with me on the sunday morning OF my return from the
West and for the they said that they saw
Justification and 10 explanation Of the letter laughed,
ard said 10 them that it gave Inc not the least concern,
denounced the forgery at once got my etter.book and
proved it, and that the end Of the matter with them
Gen. Horace Porter, warm friend OF Gen. BdbcOck-,
aud all the time my own that Sunday in the city;
IN going down for my lcter-b0ok found him somewhat
disturbed about the matter; touched upon the sub
jcct and the General expressed his regret that had got
myself into such a position, and without telling him
nythng more, said TO hin, "Just watt General, aud
then go with me % my Office in the Treasury Building
he sadhe would we weut together after through
with the Secretary and the AttOncy-GcDcral aud Gen
Porter had with him copy Of the letter; said to him
to hold his copy and would read the original from the
book read the original waicb was word for word as it
was in the copy Gen. Porter read, with the exception
OF the forged Interpolation Wv. IL = then
said to Gen. Porter TO take the letterbook and
satisfy himself that the lctterpress copy did not
contain the letters "W H." which he did and further
asked him to note the position OF TIE letters. the
Word top being ne last on the INC. ash9I MN II ne
said he had and he said at once: " wilson, dn't
want 70 hear anything more that Is the end 81 that mat
YET Inc hitef Is forgery pcy0nu question: d," ma.
lets you ont" sad: A word with You General about
BI6eock should be looked after il he was IN the rug
intended to catch hhn If It wss IN my power II be was
shadow Of doubt, II il were possible to 60 So"
"sYLPH" EXPLAINED.
asked Gen Porter what explanation he had Of the
"syph telegram, and he gave explanation 10 the
effect that "syph" a dsTcputable woman with
whom the President Of the United states had been in in
tnate association, and that she had bothered and
annoyed the President, until at time Il
ehaneed that McDoualds attention called to
her at some place where she either In reach or or in
the Vcnage OF the President, and he said Why that
oyphi Gen Babeock said, DO you know that
woman, MeD0naldP and Mcdonald said Yes know
her WELL" Babcock saidto use Gen Porters own words
--"she has been giving the President a great deal Of
trouble; wish you would relieve him OF her I'm some
way and Mcdonald said Certainly that ls easv. I
can manage herr; and he dd manage her. aud 80 impor
tsnt was the service that Mcdonald thus rem
desed the President that the term "sylph" became
common matter Of joke between Gen. BabcocK and
Mcdonald. that both Of them In the habit IA oc
eason might require OF addressing another under
that name he also said to me, without endeavoring 10
explain definitely, that BabeOck, Joyce Mcdonald and
ne bad frequently bad occasion 10 correspond with each
ohf Win reference 10 the movements OF mutual frends
anu tDat the syph" telegram referred To the move,
mehs OF some persons who going out ~ st. Louis
Oh bridge business ~
GRANT SHOWN THE FORGED LETTER.
ne sd 70 me without going any further into expana-
non that the most inestmable service In my power to