Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-02-23
GEN. BABCOCK'S TRIAL.
FHTH DAY.

questions. On the redirect examination he
testified that an Endorsement on an affidavit:
made in 1873. purporting to be charges made
by Lindsay Murdoch, Collector Of lnterna!
Revenue ia Southeast Missouri, against joyce
aud Mcdonald, showed that such charges
had been received and filed. The envelope
containing the affidavit was Endorsed BY G.
c. Sniffin, the Presidents private secretary,
and the prosecution proposed TO read the
document, showing that in 1873 the charges
had been sent to the Executive Mansion and
had gone through the departments, but
witness was allowed to testify only as above
Nearly the entire morning session was
taken up in trying to trace, through the tele-
graph clerks OF st. Louis and Washington,
and also by the doorkeepers and messengers
of the Executive Mansion, certain kilograms
not yet admitted, to prove that they were re-
ceived and sent back and forth between
Messrs Joyce and Mcdonald in St. Louis
and Gen Babcock in Washington. Finally,
the defense waived this proof as to one dis.
patch, and allowed the following, admitted
TO be in Gen. Babcock's handwriting, to be
read:
WARRINGTON, d. c., Dec. IS, 1874
Gen. John Mcdonald, 81. Louis: succeeded.
They will not SO. will write you.
(Signed) SYLrH.
Before this was read, the defense an.
nounced that they proposed to make lengthy
legal argument against the admission Of the
other kilograms, and perhaps they might
wish to include the "Sylph" dispatch in
those objected to. The defense wished to re-
serve that point.
Deputy. Com'r Rogers was recalled, and
testified that he had a conversation with
Gen. Babcock with regard to the transfer Of
Revenue Agents. and that the latter had ex
pressed his regret at the Issuing OF the order
for such transfer as 1t would bring political
pressure on Douglass, and he would be
forced to revoke the order, and that would
eli, A;va olxt IN In
animation witness said Gen Babcock ex-
pressed great friendship for Mr.. Douglass
The defense made strenuous opposition to
the admission Of the dispatches alleged to
have passed between Messrs. Joyce, MELON
aid and Bsbcock, and insisted that they
should require not onl, proof Of the author
ship and transmission by telegraph, but that
the dispatches were actually placed in the
hands of the persons to whom they were ad-
dressed they also objected to the relevancy
of the dispatches. 1t was then agreed that
the dispatches should be grouped together,
and the question of their delivery, etc, and
their relevancy, should be argued at the same
time.
PRESIDENT GRANTS DEPOSITION.
Washington Assc cated Press dispatch
of the 18th says the Presidents deposition
was taken on that day at the Executive Man
Waite, Sec'y Bristow, Atty..Gcn. Pierrepont,
Col. William A. Cook Zone Of Gen. Babcocks
counseD, and Mr.. Eaton, who represented
the prosecution. The oath was administered
by the Chief-J ustice, and the examination de-
veloped the facts that Gen. Babcock had not
influenced or attempted to influence the Exec,
utive in the selection OF any official involved
in the so-called Whisky Ring; that he
had not interered in any manner to cause
the suspension Of the celebrated order for
the transfer of Supervisors, but that the re-
vocation was directed by the President him.
self, in order that, suspicion being removed
from the minds of those engaged in the
frauds, they might the more readily be de-
tected in their efforts to cheat the Govern
ment out of the revenue on distilled spirits;
that the President still had implicit conf
dtnce in the integrity Of Gen. Babcock, and
was satisfied with his explanation of the dis
patches which have formed so important an
element IN mis- prosecution. The cross -examin
alton elected nothing OF importance, but devel
oped the fact that II there had been anything
wrong on the part Of Gen. Babcock, which
the President emphatically stated he did not
believe, it was entirely without the knowl.
edge Il the Executive. The President stated
that during the twelve years that Gen. Bah
cock had been intimately associated with
him, he had not learned anything calculated
to impair his confidence in his integrity
SIXTH DAY.
After the conclusion of the arguments as to
the admissibility of the dispatches, Judge
Dillon decided in favor Of their admission,
and they were subsequently read in court,
and comprised various tele grams from
Messrs. Joyce, Mcdonald and Others to
Messrs. Babcock, Douglas and Avery, in
Washington, end from the latter named gen
uemen to the former.
Thomas j. Walsh, brother-in- law of Gen.
McDoaald, and chief clerk in the Office when
Supervisor, was called and identified several
letters and dispatches written by him at the
direction Of Mr. Mcdonald and also identi-
fed the signature Of himself and Mr.. Joyce
affixed To receipts for kilograms to Messrs
Mcdonald, Joyce and others.
Kennedy Duff, manager Of the A. & P.
Telegraph Office at Washington, was called,
and explained the manner of handling dis
patches in that Office. One Of the dispatches
in question: and 10 which the defense made
strenuous objections, dated Dec. 5, 1874 and
reading as follows: ~ cannot hear that acy-
one has gone or is going )and asserted to have
been sent 10y Gen. Babcock tc Mr.. Joyce, could
not be found, the package Of kilograms OF
mat day having been lost, and only a copy
was produced. This dispatch is alleged tC
have been an answer To one sent by Mr.
Joyce from 81. Louie to Gen Babcock and
was traced into the hands Of Geo. Joyce, a
'door-keeper at the White House, but Mr.
-Joyce's signature had not been identified by
TIE prosecution, and therefore its delivery
was only lnierential.
SEVENTH DAY.
Alfred Bevis, disliller, testified that Joyce
showed him the SWIM dispatch from
Ba0cock in December, 1874, and that his un
derstanding from 1t was that the revenue
agents were not coming and on the strength
oil II preparations We're rIade to run the
crooked When Joyce showed the witness
this dispatch he told him "everything wa.
all right and to /" 90 ahead" joyce showed
witness letter, three or four DAYS after h,
saw the dispatch, which satisfied him (wit