Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-02-12
GEN. BABCOCK'S TRIAT..
The Testimony OF Ex-COmmtsSIouer
Douglass

II. III. Enge!eke, rectiGer, testified 10 hav.
Ing seen what purported Ia be kilograms in
Joyces hands, informing him Of contem-
plated visits of revenue agents.
EX-Commissioner Douglass was then
placed upon the stand, and testified: Some
TWO or three months before Richardson went
out OF Office, had q talk with the President
and told him things were crooked in St
Louis, and thought If proper IN vestiga-
ton was made IL would result largely to the
beneht OF the Treasury. He concuTred with
me, and asked when proposed to begin. Ga
the 26th or January, ISIS, addressed "A letter
To the Secretary of the Treasury in regard To
the change OF supervisors. The rumOrs OF
frauds beginning in 1SI2 caused me TO write
this letter; a gentleman had shown IL TO him
and he was afraid L was being deceived by
those men. He said he would hold me re-
spOnsible for their conduct. ! toll him |
had great confidence in the men. He said,
What might a sensitive man like Logan say
If he saw that letter." Babcock told me the
letter had been given to him confidential
~, and requested me not To say where
/ received IL from. After the visit OF Nc
Donald TO Washington remember o. COM
ing out of my house one day, when ! met
BabcOck, and we talked about st. Louis mat
tiers. can'tsay exactly what was said. We
talked about revenue agents coming here.
once, in 1874, Babcock came To my Office and
we talked about the supposed charges against
Ford, who was dead al the time. L told him
there Were no charges against Ford: that the
charges i was getting up were against the
living. He asked what examination hal
been made, and said something about black
ening the memory of Ford. The only way a
mans memory could be blackened, who was
dead, was by AN examination. Afterwards
Babcock came TO see me about sending a
bird, thrush, 1 think, ont west. He only
came TO my office once Or twice altoge ther
that l remember. Afterwards Secretary
BriStow came into the office and we talked
The matter over, concluding TO wait until
the fail elections were over. We waited,
and then there were number OF senatorial
elections, and we had 10 wait until they were
over. Then We found that we were In the
midst of the presidential! election, and that
vas another obstacle. After that We AZ
raT ged TO make transfers.
Letters were produced and read in regard
TO the change OF officers of Internal revenue,
including Mr.. Mcdonald, TO Philadelphia,
AID Mr.. Thomas to ST. Louis. Witness pro-
ceeded:
AFTER addressed the letter to the secre.
tary aid the transfers of the supervisors
were made, j had a conversation with the
defendant. Tue conversation commenced
by his calling my attention TO the bjeci.
He told me IL was an unwise measure and
would result in bringing such q strong pres
sure on the President that the order would
rave to be recalled, " hich would be unpleas-
ant for me. The con versation was held at
Babcocks room in the White House. The
President was not present. don't remem-
Der to have had any other conversation with
the defendant about the mater s,, Ta ~ ssra,
sry. notified the parties by telegraph on
the 9Th that the order would be revoked"
Colonel Dyer then read the Presidents re-
vocation OF the order, as follows:
Executive ManstOn, Washington, February
4, 1T5.--Sir The President directs me to say
that he desires that the circular order trans
ferring supervisors OF internal revenue be
suspended, by telegraph, until further orders.
'LEvI p. LCCKEY."
witness identined the following as having
been received by him:
"H. LOWS, Mo, February 3, ls.5.-To ]. ".
Douglas, Washington, d. c.: Don't like the
order. II will damage the government and
ipjure the administration; viii! explain when
see you. J. MCDONALD"
Witness also identified the Following:
"WdshingtOn, March 4, 1S1i.-TO John A.
Joyce, Revenue Agent, ST. Louis: l need an
agent TO make an investigation in San Fran
| cisco, in place of Sewall, made supervisor
say for four months? Nv. DouGEAss.S
Mr.. Douglass identified the following:
Isl. Louis, No, March 7, 1sIf.-J. w. Doug
lass, Washington: Shall be pleased to serve
| the honorable commissioner at San Francis.
| CT or any other place where my services can
benefit the government. Before starting L
ke to consult JONI ana get in
| The following was identified aud read:
| "WGaiiagtOr, March 9, 1Si.-To John A.
| here; will write you full instructions care OF
81. w. DOUGLASS"
Witness said: 81 didn't want him to come
| ard frd out why i was sending him awav."
The following was identified as written by
| Avery
| "WGshinqto,,, March ., 1S7f.-To John w.
| Browlee, New Castle, Pa: You have per-
| mission to go outside OF your district in fol-
81. w. DOUGLASS"
| A number ofsimilar kilograms were ident-
| Witness was shown q dispatch from Act
| ing Commissioner Hoge, but did not identity
his handwriting. krum looked at il, and
| admitted the handwriting. II was as follows
"Cfncirnldti, Augusta 1814.-To j. w. Doug
| lass, Washington:-I have just received in
| formation showing extensive frauds IN st.
| Louis in 1871 and 1872. IL one Woodward ap-
plies for authority, don't grant 1t. 1t is not
necessary. 1 have the same information,
and more conclusive. Send Brooks, aud we
| can ferret it out. JOHN I. HoGE."
| Several other dispatches, either 10 or
signed by RabcOck, were identified but with
| held.
| The following were identified:
Washington, Feb. 5, 1sI5.-TO John r..
| Joyce-The order directing you TO report 20
the 18th is suspended. NV. DOUGLASS.
| The following and its answer were read:
S. t Wish A p v. IL Deps
i '' 0' JNo MCDONALD.
ald.-Permission to come is granted.
j. w. DOUGLASS.
Witness in reply TO o question:, said: L
saw and talked about Holmes with McDon-
! aid when he was in Washington under the
above leave Of absence. Holmes was q clerk
in the revenue office. was sitting in my Of
| Holmes at work in st. Louis, and told the
He said, "HOlmes, who works in your
| Office" said he Was not In ST. Louis. To
sent up to some Of the clerks and learned
that Holmes Lad been gone some days.
| did lot know IL before. i don't know whether
Avery was in Washington then or not, nor
do 1 know whether Holt was absent
Holmes was sent to st. Louis by tAe Score
tary Of the Treasury without my knowledge
! tive to Holmes visit was read:
"Wdah:sgt0n, April q, 1S75-TOJ A. Joyce
| That man III. has his instructions outside OIL
l the department. Il and A. are both absent
The President and party returned this morn
ing. J."
Co. Dyer read the following:
ssk. Louis, April %, iEz5.-T0 ]. w. Doug
| lass: have the honor herewith to tender M
resignation a revenue agent, TO take effec
| the LIST Of the month. Personal and family
| matters compel This course. Thanking yol
| sincerely for your many personAl favors eK
tended to ne In the past, am your OBJ sdien
seyvsnt, JOHN a. J0yce."