The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-07-31
SECRETS TOLD
HIrJFORD WILSON'S REGULATIONS
ABOUT GRANT AND THE
WRIsKEY RING.

4. . vas5 sa+ .- - T.
INSIDE VIEW OF THE PRosECUTIoNs-THE'
ORIGIN OF THE ENDORSEMENT !" LET NO
cruy.Ty. MAN OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES ISSUE
WITH THE THrEvEs-BABCoCK C0NNEC-
T1oS WITH THE FRAUDs-DIsMIssAL OF
uEEDERsON-THE PRESIDENTS SENTl-
ME.STs-FAI,sE STORY NIPPED-BELL THE
spY-H1sroRy OF THE CIRCULAR LETTER
WASHINGTON, July 2S.-Beiore the COM
mittee ON the whiskey trials to-day the eX-
animation of Bluford Wilson, ex-Sollcitor
M the Treasury, was continued. In con-
nection with the statement in his previous
testimony OF General Porter's explanation
OF the term "Sylph," Mr.. Wilson, having
refreshed HIS memory by reference TO let
ter from friend in New York, testlned that
thc ANNOYANCE which it was said the woman
g SyIph" gave the President was by heT
efforts to blackmail him in st. LOUIS. L
wish to make an addition to my testllnoh1
of Yesterday in reference to the contents Oh
fine Barnard letter, on which the fresl-
dent made the well-knoWn enoorse,
ment: "Let no guilty man escape ~
il can be avoided Either IN the Douy VI
that letter or in an accompanying uocG-
ment there was statement from Emory ..
Foster. OF st. Louis, to the enect tnae JUG
President was himself charged win DelnS q
Darty to the unlawful combination III tna'
CITY to defraud the Government OF It's re'e-
nnes. want that fact to be notea, pecause
+ have no doubt that the President maue us >
endorsement rs much with reference TO thaC
fact and that allegation as with reference W
the allegations that Babcock was party
and that jim Casey, the Presidents Drotnel-
in-law, was openly asserting ina. Tue ceoi
tary of the Treasury would nor nolu LIS W
flee for thirty days. Another polnt: was
asked yesterday whether the fresldeht coh,
sonted Willingly to the publication OF the
enlargement on the Barnard letter, which
has been so often referred to. BY reference
to a letter addressed to me by General Brls-
tow. under date OF August It'll, WRITTEN IN
thc Treasury Department, lind that the
Secretary OF the Treasury had addressed an
official communication to the President ask
inc him for permission to publish that en-
dorscmcnt, and at that date, August 7th, ne
had received no response.
BRIsTow COULD NOT TURN BACK.
For the purpose Of fixing the date when
the Sylph telegram was discovered, refer
TO letter OF General Bristow's to me, writ
ten from New York August s, 1919, ana
which I have no objection to make "a part OF
the record 1t is as follows:
Neu York, August S, 1S75.-My Dear
wilson: Your letter Of yesterday with en-
closure is received. The time is very near
at hand when l must make square issue
with the thieves and scoundrels who have
combined to destroy me. I must be sup
ported cordially and earnestly, or l must
and 1CiU break. l fear the complications are
snch that the former cannot be done, ana
the latter must. You can't bctoo careful
about talking to anybody. l have heard
here that the matter about the "Sylph"
dispatch and cur having seen it in connec-
ton with Picrrepont is fully known to L:
and B. (meaning Porter and Babcock), and
thew arc greatly disturbed. Don't suiler
Yourself to talk with anybody about 1t. VI
course this is not meant for censure, but
caution. | suppose / must make up
my mind to bear the abuse OF the
q ring papers," hard us it is to do.
They are fighting to keep their friends out
Of prison and to save themselves from expo
sure, and OF course will seek to destroy any
body who stands in their way. Wen. as 1or
myself. ] cannot turn back, nor will l stop
to parley with thieves. L have no amDltion
to serve and no purpose to accomplish out
the enforcement of the law and an honest
collection Of revenue. I will compromise
on nothing short OF this, but on this issue
am ready to be sacrificed any day.
p. S.-Ask Webster to write the fresl-
dent fully his views about the chicago Gus
tom-house and the whlskey ring. lie mas
GREAT confidence in Webster, and II Is gong
to require the utmost Watch1ulness OF MS
rcal friends to prevent his being misled by
men who profess friendship for him, but
who are acting treacherously. Tell Web
stcr TO write strongly and give him the plain
truth, and mark his letter confidential"
Is. Ii. B.
BABCoCK'S POSITION.
The Secretary OF the Treasury and my
self having been ordered by the President
70 see that no guilty man should escape il it
could he avoided, on consultation mutually,
concluded that the President could not go
back on that injunction without stultlfyInS
himself and placing Us, his. officers, III i
false position, and we therefore resolved to
leave the whole matter OF General Babcock'S
ALLEGED connection with the whisley ring at
St. Louis to be dealt with by the local o.
ticers there until about the 1st OF December,
and indeed I may say until it was Known
absolutely that General 'Bahcock had been
indicted. The relations OF General Bristow
and myself with the President were pass
able, but as soon as it was seen that General
Babcock was to be indicted the order OF
military court OF inquiry was brought to
the front, to my knowledge, by General
Babcock and his friends. The idea OF 4
military court was broached before the in
dictment was found against Babcock, and
the fact that the President OF the United
States took the ground that that military
court should supersede the proceedings be-
fore the civil tribunal at st. Louis,was taken
by myself and the Secretary to be marked
indication OF his purpose to defeat the pro-
secution in that city.
1.-THE next place, it is fact that heard no
thing from the President OF the charge that
| had put spies on him or Of forged letter
which was adduced against me, as stated IN
my testimony yesterday, until it was seen
and known that General Babcock was IN
dieted. The conference between the Prcsi
dent and myself, which think l stated yes
terday to have taken place late in Noyem-.
Der, took place, as find by reference to =
contemporaneous document, on the Sth OF
December, 1875. 1t will be remembered
t1,a asiHant "