The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-04-13
THE SAFE BURGLARY.
Miles, Who Robbed the Safe, I'm.
plicates BabcOck.
BABC0CK SAYS HIS STORY Is
FALSE,

NEW YORK, April 12-George E. White al ia
Miles, was recently sent to prison IN windsor,
w., for fourteen years, for bank robbery He
IS said to be one of the principals in the safe
burglary in Washington. A Herald Inter-
viewer yesterday obtained from him the sub
stance of the following statement;
He was hired by Harrington to do he job.
81 was sent for first by Whitley IN New York
who told him there was job for him, and he
was then sent to Nettleshp for detailed in.
structons. Netteship told him the plan was
to break open the District Attorneys safe, alb.
stract the books and take them to Columbus
Alexander's house. Miles then found Benton
and engaged him to assist him. On going to
Washington Nettleship introduced Miles to
HARRINGTON. The latter and Miles talked over
the whole plan. Harrington suggested break
ing open the safe and taking away the papers,
and SAID the reason was that the memOrialsts
were Jews and penurlous people, and were OBJ
posed 10 Improvements in Washington, and an
investigation must have its force broken down,
by throwing stigmaiuponItho pushing the III
quirles. Mike Hayes was engaged and his part
was to engineer the leading of Alexander into
the trap.
Miles says; "When had been in Washing
ton day or two l saw that Nettleship began to
show the white feather. l didn't like the af-
fair. grew anxious about the looks of things
and went up to Harrington's to tell him how L
felt about the matter. Babcock was at Har-
rington's when L got there. Harrington and
Babcock both heard me through, and Harring.
ton assured me everything was straight and he
would see me protected to the end, whereupon
Babcock spoke up and assured me that what
ever promises were made by Harrington would
be strictly adhered to. 1t was arranged that
this job of breaking open the safe should be
done at 8 'clocblat night. 1 went aroundsto the
office where the safe was and after entering
looked about the room. 10 doing SO opened
the closet door which was in the room, and to
my surprise found two men concealed there
in. This again intimidated me. L then deter
mined to go around to the Metropolitan Hotel
on Pennsylvania avenue. l met there promi-
nent official who knew what was going on, and
told him had just been into the office to
break open the safe aud that in prospecting
about the room accidently discovered two men
in closet and things looked dubious. The
official assured me that everything was all
right, and | returned in about two hours to do
the job. When | returned the two men were
gone. began the job about midnight and got
through as quick as possible"
Miles told the interviewer the name of the
above mentioned high official, but the inter-
viewer says he promised not to give it to the
public at present One of the men IN the closet
was prominent contractor of Washington.
The interviewer continued as follows:
Reporter Miles, you have given me the
name of Gen. Babcock as having been cogniz-
ant of the plot, do you think President Grant
ever knew of Babcock's dolngs about it?
Mies-No, L honestly believe Grant was en-
tirely ignorant of the whole thing think it
has always been kept as far from him as pos
sible, and Grant is now to be dragged into this
matter, of which know he knows nothing.
Gen. Babcock, referring to the story of White
or Miles PUBLISHED this morning. in which he
seeks to connect him with the Washington SAT-
burglary, authorizes the statement that he is
not aware that he ever saw the man, never had
such conversation with him and Mr. Har-
rington or anybody else about the burglary as
White alleges, never met him on the cars be-
tween Washington and New York and there
fore could not have conversed with him on that
subiect