The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-03-06
BY TELEGRAPH
10 THE
WHEELING REGISTER.
Associated Press Report. BY Western
Union Line, orfice Northwest cor.
Of Main and 18th Sts.
BAB'S ACQUITTAL
Serious Charges Against the
Attorney-General ands
the President.

1
morrow, will publish somewhat lengthy
statement of what purports to be apart
Of the history Of the whiskey
ring prosecutions here, and ,ss-
pecislly tho Babcock trial. 1t ASSERT
Gen. Pierrepont was very active and
Jealous IN the prosecution until Bsbcock
Was indicted, when his ardor cooled and
he began to use his influence and tho
power Of his Office to save that gentle
man. With this view it is asserted that
the Attorney General sent for District
Attorney Dyer to come to Washington.
DYER went and while there, Pisrrepont,
on the plea that it was very important
and even necessary that he, as head Of
the Department Of Justice should know
what the prosecution, should be in the Bah
cock case, obtained from him by the
grossest and most ineIcusabls hypocrisy
detailed statement OF ell oral testimony
against Babcock; the whole plan OF the
prosecution, what he intended to prove by
each witness, the order in which he in
tended to present the evidence &c. This
information it is alleged Pierrepont msde
over to the use of Babcock's counsel in
order 10 defeat the prosecution, and this,
too, with the Presi1,nts knowledge and
consent. Storrs, senior counsel for Bah
cock, remained in Washington, and
whatever Perrepont obtained from Dyer
in regard to the case, he first repeated 10
the President, and after consultation
with him Storrs got the benefit Of all.
He had learned the Attorney Generals
private office was the place whore the
plans 10 defeat the Government in it's
case against Bibcock were matured.
Every night proceeding the time set
for Babcocg trial, Babcock and Porter
met Pierrepont in his Office, and closely
studied every point contained in the cyl
dencs Tor the government. and prepared
to overcome it. Babcock was admitted
| 10 the conferences between the President
and Pierrepont when the plan WAS first
arranged, and whenever Dyer sent ad
| ditionsl evidence Storrs was sent
for, and when the plan Of the prose
cution was fully mstured he was q,
familiar with it as the Attorney General
himself. Those famiiar with all the cir.
cumstances sbsolve Colon"l Dyer
from all censure. Dyer had
reposed implicit confidence in
the integrity OF Plerrepont,, and had been
deceived. Mr.. Deyer couldn't b, made
to believe one OF the chief officers OF the
government would violate his oath Of
office and disregard his duty; hence he
accepted P.erreponts pretended interest
IN the vigorous prosecution rs serious,
and even relied on him as his superior
officer. for aid and counsel. 1t is then
asserted that while Pierrepont was al the
OUTSET very earnest in prosecuting the
whiskey ring, believing 1t would rebound
to his credit MS chief officer Of the govern
ment, he soon found that be was over.
shadowed by Bristow, the people and the
prosecuting officers giving that gentle
man credit for every blow struck against
the ring,
This FiIIed Pierrepout with Envy,
and he became Jealous Of BristOws pop
ularity aud Joined heart and soul with
the great faction and Bristow com
bination. This gave him not only firm
hold on the President, but enabled him
to aid in defeating Bristow's plans
and thus weakening Brstow among the
the people and with the whole admins
tratlon, SO be had double purpose in
joining the move to save Babeock from
conviction. He would estsb lsh his pos
tion with Grant Tor the present and fu-
ture and weaken Bristow by making it
appear that the indictment of BabcoCk was
q scheme to injure Grant and
advance Bristow's political inter
ests. As Ia why Solicitor Wilson
didn't warn Dyer of Pierrpoh.s plan to
defeat him, it i! explained MS coming
from Wilson himself; ths; he WILSON,
had already been represented as schem.
ing against the Preside and Babcock-
Every act he had performed IN the fur
! therance cf hi. duty was distorted and
borne t. Grants ears rs part OF BriS-
tow's pish 10 obtain the nomination ;oT
the Presidency. Wilson had for several
month. devoted himself slnos. eIclu.
siyv!v to working up the evIde'.ce against
/ ard preparing TO convict tn" iesders Of
the Chicago whisky ring He had acquired
knowledge, and arranged plans - this
end, which made il imposslbl. for any
other man to slip into ms position and
carry this out Iio knew that great pres
sure WAS being brought to bear 20 secure
his removal, and he wished - avoid il
until the Chicago ring}esd"rs w"re con-
yicted. just a: this 5U"';ut., wien Il
warning Ia the St. LOUIS prosecution
against the scheme Of the Attorney
eral would have proved valuable, he
dared not interpore, lest it should result
in his removal ard the escape
of the whiskey thieves in CHI
cago. Tne secretary regarded him
as necessity TO successiu!
prosecution OF the ring, and had be
undertaken 10 have exposed Pierrepont's
plans his removal would certainly have
followed the discovery BY Pierrcpou. OF
the act. Besides Coz. Dyer placed the
most implicit faith in tie Attorney. Cen
eral. and any suggestions 8. 10 ;he Al
torney-Genersls scheme against the pros
ecution might have been resented. Con-
sidera,ions Of this kind prompted Solicitor
Wilson to refrain from giving sdvice
that might have undermined mis- plans;
bat he did not forget 10 wriIe Hender-
son letter advising him TO keep
A Defective on Babeoek's Track
during his v!,it in the isil ot l-I5 and
that a copy OF that letter WAS sen! to the
President Henderson lost the etter and
BY some means copy found it; way to
the White House. Col Dyer ard bis
assnlants are fully aware ol rierrepont's
tr.achery now. The day Babcock WAS
acquitted, Colonel Dyer said publicly
that ne had coniended against
an element which was bound TO defeat
him. At that time ne declined 10 give
any explanation, but the fact that lis
eyes had just been opened to the element
OF opposition was apparent.
The article also accuses Pie-repon;
with msuoveuring for the removal OF
! General Henderson, special com missioner
for the Government here but there is
nothing said on this point but what has
already been published.