The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-04-10
THE SAFE BURGLARY.
Getting at the Bottom Facts,
SOME STARTLING DEVELOP.
MEMS.

"
Especial to the Boston Advertiser.1
Rabcock Implicated by the Testimony of
whitley.
WASHINGTON, April 1.-THE subcommittee
OF the House judiciary committee investigating
the safe burglary conspiracy We're in session
more than four hours to-day, and Col. White
ley. late chief of the secret service, was exam
ined at great length. 1t is pretty well known
that some highly important Developments were
made, and the results of careful and search
ing inquiry justify the positive statement that
Col. Whiteley's testimony directly duplicates
Gen. Babcock as one of the principal movers
if not chief conspirator in the safe burglary.
The history of this conspiracy in brief is as fol-
lows: During the investigation OF the Boss
Shepherd district government, in the latter
part of the first session of the forty-third Con
gress plan was formed to break down the
character of Columbus Alexander, the prime
mover in the investigation, and to this END pro-
fessonal burglars were employed to break open
the safe in the District Attorneys office here,
abstract certain account books and carry them
| to Columbus Alexanders house, where they
were discovered to be in act of delivery, and Al
exander was to be prosecuted for the crime. The
| safe was opened and the books taken to Alex.
ander's, but there the scheme miscarried. Sus-
picious circumstances subsequently leaked out,
and the District Attorney, Dick Harrington,
Nettleship the detective, and several minor
personages, were indicted for conspiracy. 1t
was intimated quite plainly at the time that
somebody higher than Harrington was involv
ed, but there was not evidence enough to bring
| them in, and, indeed, from strange cause no
body was found guilty, the Jury disagreeing.
The government secret service was brought
| into disgrace by the developments of the trial,
the fact appearing that it bad been used to fur
Their the designs OF the conspirators, and Col
Whitley lost his position as chief. There is
abundant reason to believe that Whitley testi-
fad hQfpra linn mil hot
Babcock sent for him while he (Whiteley) was
in Florida, and that on his complying with the
summons Babcock told him that formidable
movement was on foot which might involve
his removal from the head of the secret service,
and that the safe burglary was necessary for
| the protection of both Babcock and himself
The result was that Whteley undertook the
job and made the arrangements for it in con-
nection with Harrington. One of the most
important parts of his testimony is that in Nov.
1874, soon after the disagreement of the jury
Whteley went to A. G. Riddle, who was spec
ial counsel for the government in the case, and
told him that if he woald guarantee him
(Whiteley) immunity from punishment he
would make clean breast of the whole affair
This proposition was reported by Riddle to the
Attorney General and by the Attorney Gen
eral to President Grant, who ordered the dis
charge of Riddle. Ex-AttOrney General Will
liams will appear before the committee to-
morrow. 1t will be seen that Whiteley's testi-
mony indicates clearly Babcock's connection
with the District ring, and there is every pros
pect that the investigation will lead to COM
plete exposure OF the operation of that notori-
GUS combination.
Babcock Denies the Truth of WhIte'y's
Evidence.
ITO the Associated Pressl
WASHINGTON, April S-The testimony given
yesterday by Whitley before the House Com
mlttee on Judiciary seeming to implicate Bah
coek IN the sale burglary conspiracy, he bad
an opportunity this afternoon to be heard. He
was asked numerous questions and in response
stated that in the spring of 1874 Solicitor Ban
field called upon him, at the request of White
ly, who was at the time absent from the CITY.
asking him to interest himself to prevent his
removal as chief of the Treasury secret service
division. Whitley had heard of efforts to dis
place him. Babcock saw the President and
the Secretary of the Treasury on the subject,
and finding that there was no desire on their
part to remove Whitley, Gen. Babcock re-
quested Solicitor Banfield to telegraph to
Whitley to come and see him. Banfied did
SO. Whitley, returning to the city, called on
Babcock, who told him of what he had done in
his behalf and the result. Whitley expressed
his gratitude for the favor rendered, and said
that if he could ever be of any service to Gen.
Babcock he must let him know. AS personal
attacks had been made upon him some time
after these occurrences, charging him with
fraud in the measurement of certain improve
ments made by the board of pnbic works to be
pdlQ IOr Dy In6 government, he recalled the
conversation he had with Whitley, and con-
cluded TO employ him to find out all his as
salants. Whitley coming to Gen. Babcock's
room at the executive mansion to receive in
structions upon that subject, Babcock request
ed Whitley to report to Mr.. Gideon, now de
ceased, but Mr.. Gideon never informed Bah
cock that any report had been made to him by
Whitley.
Babcock said he never made any of the
measurements himself. They were made by
q no Of &c I,
sons who had made the attack on him In con-
nection with the subject were, according to in
formation he had at some timeireceved ae-
cording to his memory, Blumenberg, Severson
and Alexander, neither of whom he then knew
nor did he know either Of them now.
In response to a question of the committee
Gen. Babcock said he knew nothing about the
safe burglary. IT he had known it was medi-
tated he should have taken measures with
view to prevent it.
The committee produced a letter from Bah
cock to Whitley, without date and written in
pencil in which Babcock SAID Whitely's had
been received He had attended to the matter
at once and before this letter reached Whitley,
he and his men would be paid as they" said
they would send at once. and then Gen Bah
cock concluded his letter by saying something
like the following: you can wait with conf
dencs that in the end your services will be fully
appreciated" This is reported to be the subs
lance of the original letter. which Gen. Bah
cock explained by saying that Whitley wrote
to him that he and his men had been turned
out of Office and badly treated, and had not re-
ceived their arrearages of pay, and asking Bah
cock to interest himself in this respect in their
behalf. Gen. Babcock went to the Treasury
and saw Solicitor Banfeld, who said that
whatever money was due to these men should |
be paid. The money was due from the gov |
eminent.
General Babcock having been asked what |
he meant by using the word "they'' in his |
letter to Whitley, replied, ''Nothing more than |
the Treasury officers under whose direction |
the money would be paid" He further said |
he did not know whether these men have vet |
been paid, and that there never was dollar of |
money transactions between him and Whitley. |
The committee also examined Albert Kunz, |
Ichabods Nettleship and lawyer named Som |
erville. The two former substantiate the state |
ment of Whitley, so far as they knew of the |
details of the safe burglary transactions
Nettleship said that he was assured by |
Whitley that "the thing would be all right |
and he inferred that some one very hi gh up in |
official position was back of it. |
Somervle was Intercepted regarding the |
affidavit he procured from one of the 'bur- |
glars named Beton while in Jail, duplicating |
Columbus Alexander with the transaction. He |
said that Harrington first suggested to him to |
get Beton to make such an affidavit and that |
be would see that nothing came of it for he |
would pigeon hole it.
Fire i'm Raltimore-Lo 1925 200. Il
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