The Rutland weekly globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-07-28
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Bluford wnSp, late solicitor q tie
treasury. to-day appeared before The com
mHtee on wbisly trials IN St, Louis, and
reclted in detail lis knowledge in regard TO
the late, whisky prosecutions in the west,
and particularly ID regard to the connection,
of Gen.. Rabcock with Them, He related
with great lninuteness various conversations
which he had witls Gen. Horace Porter,
Mr.. Bristow, Attorney. General Pierrepont,
and finally with President Grant himself
on the subject. 1t seems that letter of
his to the prosecuting officer IN st. Louis,
melting him to the greatest activity in bring
ing to justice everybody, from the lowest
to the highest, engaged in the conspiracy
was obtained by Babcock and falsifed by
interpolatng the letters, w. H., 80 as to
make 1t intimate his belief in the partici-
patton of the White house in the conspir-
acy. This letter thus falsified was exhib-
tied to Bristow, Pierrepont, and also to
the president, and although the press copy
of 1t In Wilson's letter book was produced
to prove the forgery, he seems to have
been unable to shield himself from the
charge of having employed spies even
against the president. Wilson said that
there was no lack of cooperation on the
| part of the president in the whisky cases
generally until Babcock became involved,
when GOODNESS between the White house
and the treasury department arose.
He also testified that, in conversation
with Gen. Horace Porter soon after the
discovery that the "Sylph" telegram was
in Babcock's handwriting, Porter gave an
lAxplanation OF the dispatch to the effec
that it related to movements of certain
parties going 10 St. Louis on the bridge
business, and said that the signature arost
in this way There was certain woman
who had given the president much trouble
Babcock and Mcdonald being together il
Washington, one day, saw her, and Nc
Donald recognizing her, exclaimed
There is Sylph." Babcock said DE-
you know that woman?' Mcdonald no
piled, know her very we'll" Then.
said Babcock, I" l wish you would get he
away from here; she is annoying the pres
, dent" Certainly" said Mcdonald, "tha
Is easy. can manage her, and he di
50. The term Sylph became sort O
standard joke between Babcock and No
t Donald, and they often addressed an
, signed their communications in that way
: When charged with having set spies o
/ the president Wilson in self defense toll
I the president of his suspicious of Babcoc
S and related the explanation of Sylph give
by Porter. The president Indignantly d.
MED the story, brushed it away with col
. temptuous gesture, and proceeded with h
: remarks on the subject of the frauds, say
:. ing that he believed Babcock innocent bl
}, that if guilty "He was the most guilt
d wretch in the country" and that no pul
n ishment could be too severe for him.
Wilson testified that when lie first hear
=. this story from Porter he believed it to b
n false and he still believed so. He will
in further examined tomorrow.