Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-02-18
Gen. BabcOck In Court.
SECOND DAY.

Acting under the advice Of the court, given
Just before the adjournment the day before,
the Government counsel passed over the con-
spiracy in 1871 and 1872, and produced tes-
timony to show the existence and operations
OF the whisky ring from 1878 to 1875 No
direct evidence was brought out against
Gen. Babcock, the testimony being gen eral
in character, tending to show who were the
consptrators, and the extent Of the con.
spracy.
Deputy Collector Fitzroy testified that he
met Gen. Babcock at the Iindell Hotel, in
September last was introduced to him by
VIM. o. Avery; witness was then under in
dictment for completely in the frauds. 1t was
simply an introduction; there was no con-
versatiOn.
Rudolph w. Ulrich, distller, and John f.
Siedentopf, his foreman, were sworn, and
testified rs to the manner Of manufacturing
and disposing Of crooked whisky, the amount
Of money paid to revenue officers, and the
way money was raised TO buy of revenue
agents, where irregularities were discovered
by them.
1t was stated by the defense that they
had intended to have the personal attend
ance Of President Grant as a witness, but
this was not now thought to be necessary,
and proposition was made and agreed TO
that the counsel on both sides should ar
range for the taking Of the deposition OF the
President. Such an arrangement was made,
fore Chief-Justce Waite, the proceedings to
be conducted like an. examination in open
| court, both sides to be represented by coun-
sci.
THIRD DAY.
VIM. j. Bassett, a gauger in the ring and
Abiiah NJ. Everest, collector for the same
parties, testified as to the whisky frauds to
which they were parties. The latter testi-
fed that in 1875, either late in February or
early in March, Joyce had sent him to the
sub Treasury with 81, 900 in small bills to
| get two $500 bills when he returned Joyce
| put the $500 bills in two envelopes-one di-
rected to w. o. Avery and the other to Gen.
| o. E. Bubcock Washington, D. c., each en-
velope having "personal on the left-hand
corner-and told witness to put them
in the letter-boX, which he did, Joyce
watching him from the window of
his office; the envelopes had stamps
on them. On the cross examination Everest
said at the time he returned with the two
| $500 bills, the envelopes were lying on
Joyce's desk; when he handed the bills to
joyce, witness watched him closely; he
| (Joyce) first took the two envelopes up and
then took the paper out OF one OF them and
put bill in; did not see him put the other
bill in the other envelope, and was not posi-
tive he did put it in, nor did he know
bill put in. On redirect examination
the witness explained that Joyce was
standing up at his desk when he put the
money in the envelope, and after placing one
bank note in one of the envelopes he turned
partially around, so that the witness saw
only part of the envelope, and did not see the
other bill put into It,
H. P. Alexander, teller in the sub Treasury,
testified as to giving two $500 bills to man
whom he did not know, about year ago,
but could not identify Everest as the man;
rather thought he was not the man.
1f,fs11 Las ,ta1 flan of
the whisky conspiracy, but knew nothing in
any way relating to Gen. Babcock.
FOURTH DAY.
Maj E. B. Grimes, a Depot-Q -Quartermaster
in the United States army, stationed at ST..
Louis. testified that last fall, while in that
city, Gen. Babcock had said to him that he
would probably want to send some letters or
packages through him (witncss) to other
parties and that short time after he re-
| ceived a letter signed o. E. Babcock, inclos-
| ing one marked Mcdonald, with a request to
| deliver the same, which witness did. A few
days later he received two other letters, at
different times, addressed to Mcdonald,
which he delivered. On the cross-eXamina-
ton witness stated that, in a CONVEX
sation between himself and Mcdonald,
when he delivered the letters, the latter had
stated, in reply to aque3tion, that he did not
believe Gen. Babcock knew anything about
the whisky ring. On the redirect eXamina-
ton witness said Mcdonald had also stated
that he (McDonald) knew nothing about such
| ring.
! B. H. Engelke, rectfer, testified as to the
money raised by distillers and rectihers for
revenue agents, and said he had seen, in
! whole or in part, teegrams, or what purport-
ed to be kilograms, in the hands Of Joyce,
informing him Of the contemplated visits of
Irevenue agents.
! II. G. Rogers, Deputy Commissioner of In
| tarn al ax r SSH of n
ternal Revenue Douglass, testified as to the
Suspending of the orders made last winter
for the transfer OF Internal Revenue Super
visors. After the transfer had been deter
mined on Mr.. Douglass had conversation
with defendant, the latter calling witness at
tention to the subject, and saying the trans
fer was an unwise measure and would result
in bringing such strong pressure on the
President that the order would have to be re-
called. The Presidents revocation Of the or
der was then read, and witness identified tel
1 egrams relating thereto received by him from
1 00ySo BTUDouald, ana others sent by hin
to those parties.
The cross. examination of ex-Com'r Doug
lass was completed in few unimportanI
questions. On the redirect examination hi
testified that an Endorsement on an affidavit
made in 1873, purportng to be charges mad,
by Lindsay Murdoch, Collector of lnterna
Revenue in Southeast Missouri, against joyce
and Mcdonald, showed that such charges
had been received and filed. The envelop,
containing the affidavit was indorsed by c
c. Sniilin, the Presidents private secretary
and the prosecution proposed to read thu
document, showing that in 1873 the charges
had been sent to the Executive Mansion anC
had gone through the departments, bu
witness was allowed to testify only as above
Nearly the entire morning session wal
taken up in trying to trace, through the tele
graph clerks Of 81. Louis and Washington
and also by the doorkeepers and messenger
of the Executive Mansion, certain teegram
not yet admitted, to prove that they were re
ceived and sent back and forth betweel
Messrs. Joyce and Mcdonald in st. L0ui
and Gen. Babcock in Washington. Finally
the defense waived this proof as to one dis
patch, and allowed the following, admiLtet
TO be III Gen. Babcock's handwriting, to b.
read;
WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. ~, 1874.
Gen John MCD0ndld, 50. Louis: L succeeded
They will not 60 will write you.
(Signed) SYLPH.
Before this was read, the defense announce
that they proposed to make lengthy lega
argument against the admi sion of the otne
kilograms, and perhaps they might wish I
include the "Sylph" dispatch in those OF
iected to. The defense wished to resery
that point.
Deputy-COmr Rogers was recalled, an
testified that he had conversation with Gen
, Babcock with regard to the transfer q
Revenue Agents, and that the latter had ex
pressed his regret ut the issuing Of the orde
for such transfer, as it would bring politics
pressure on Douglass, and he would b
forced to revoke the order, and that woul
/ work disastrously to him. On the cross
examination witness said Gen. Babcoek ca
pressed great friendship for Mr.. Douglass.
The defense made strenuous opposition I
the admission Of the dispatches alleged I
have pas sed between Messrs. Joyce, Melon
, aid and Babcoek, and insisted that they shOul
require not only proof of the authorshi
} and transmission by telegraph, but that th
dispatches were actually placed in the haad
, of the persons to whom they were ad
, dressed; they also objected to the releyane
, Of the dispatches IL was then agreed thu
the dispatches should be grouped togethe
and the question OF their delivery, etc, an
| tlpir rrl.yauQV shDuld ha afpupd AZ tire sam