Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-03-02
The Babcock Trial

Babcock has been acquitted. The
trial was one that excited the whole
country. The press favorable to the
administration has been deyided-
some believed in Babcock's guilt,
some in his innocence. The opposi
ton press has mainly demanded his
conviction, guilty OF innocent. The
administration motto has been, Let
no guilty man escape. The oppo
sition motto appears to be, Let no
administration man escape. BabcocE
has been acquitted, but those who
before insisted on his guilt will
mainly continue to asseverate his
guilt. Some will say the Judge COM
PEELED the jury to acquit. Others
will say the jury was bribed or over
come By the array Of eminent counsel
ever present with the defendant and
still others will say that the corclu-
sion was the old Scotch verdict OF,
Not proven. In the trial Babcock
had not only the circumstances bear
ing against him to contend with but
had mountain Of prejudice to oyer~
come. Mlssourians had made up
their minds that every man charged
was guilty, and it seemed impossible
to get a jury having enough moral
courage to resist the tide Of outside
pressure There was no direct proof
against B4bcock. 1t was all cream
stantial, and there was no circum-
stance that Immediately connected
him with the guilt of convicted par
ties. lie was in intimate friendship
with Mcdonald and joyce and ire
quentIy exchanged kilograms with
.hctn, sometimes using slang
terms common with such in
timacies. Joyce represented to his
fellow conspirators at st. Louis that
there was perfect understanding
between him and Babcock lie sent
dispatches which they understood
to apply to ring thefts but which
Babcock understood to have refer
ence to other matters He had one
of his accomplices take thousand
dollar draft ana get two FIVE hundred
dollar notes for it. Then he legerde-
manned with those two notes in such
way as to make that accomplice
Think he put one Of those notes in a
letter to Babcock and the other in a
letter to Avery, and handing them
both to the accomplice sent him
across street to put them into post.
office box. On the defense a letter
carrier testified that Joyce got him to
get these letters out Of the box and
return them to him BY such de-
ceptions joyce was successful in
making the st. Louis ring Of revenue
thieves believe that Grants private
secretary knew all about their thefts,
and that therefore they were all safe.
It would seem that at times there
was also an intermediary at Wash
lngton to deceive Babcoc& or to in
tercept messages which Joyce did
not want to fall into his hands. These
facts tended to show on the trial that
Babcock had no connection with the
ring as q couspirator. It is plain,
however, that Babcock was very
easily deceived. lie is well-met
when in association with such men
as Joyce and Mcdonald, and he puts
confidence in such as really as a
weak woman does in her spoiled boy.
He isunfit for the position he occupies.
He max be honest, SO honest that he
is incapable of measuring the depth
Of dishonesty, but, if 50, he is no
Judge of men, aud should not be in a
position whore selections are depend
ent upon his Judgment lie may be
a good civil engineer, success il which
brouhgt him prominently to the
notice OF Grant and Sherman, but his
ability to accurately adjust figures to
entertainments and fortresses does
not make him an archaeologist, a
Philadelphia lawyer AMI a Hamilton
ian diplomatist, all combined. Grant
should select more competent
Joseph to govern his Egypt.