Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-04-12
WASHINGTON.


PicrrpOnt, Bradley and Luckey
/ ON the swift Witness
Bill.
The silver Bill in the Senate.
| WASHINGTON, April 6.-The War
Expenditures Committee to-day ex-
amined Attorney General Pierrepont,
who said Bells testimony was gener-
ally purely imaginary. He said that
Bell sent in his personal card to his
Office and subsequently called with a
card from the President. This card
is lost, mislaid or was thrown into
the waste paper basket. 1t read
something like this: "The bearer
wishes to get work. ] think he might
render valuable service" Bell then
said he wanted employment in the
secret service and at as high wages
as were given in that service. Bell
seemed to talk in a commanding way.
Witness said he would see the Presi-
dent first. Next day at the Cabinet
meeting he asked the President if he
knew anything about the man. The
President announced that he had
either known or heard of him during
the war as a scont or detective. He
now wanted an appointment in the
secret service. Bell called the next
day and asked if he was to be en-
gagged. Witness questioned him as
to what service he had done hereto
fore. He said he had been employed
by the District Attorney at st. Louis
because of the extraordinary means
he had of getting at some documents
/ in the possession of Joyce. He said
he left st. Louis because Dyer had
not the means to pay. He said as soon
as Dyer would write or telegraph that
he wanted to employ him, witness
would act promptly In making the
appointment and preparing the in
strnctions. Bell came in next day
and showed dispatch he had sent
to Dyer, to the effect that if Dyer
would employ him the Attorney Gen.
cral would sanction it. Witness then
talked with the Secretary of the
Treasury and Postmaster General and
found that Bells record in those De-
partments was very bad. He never
knew of Bells existence before he
presented his card and has never seen
him since. He refused to give him
the appointment. Neither Babcock
nor Luckey had spoken to him about
Bell. Witness said that the inter-
view Bell speaks of in his testimony
was entirely imaginary. and denied
every part of Bells evidence referr-
ing to him where it conflicted with
this statement.
A.. C. Bradley, of Washington, testi-
fed that he knew Bell through Luckey
first in st. Louis. On November 4th,
Gen. Babcock got telegram from st.
Louis stating that his name had been
mentioned in the Mcdonald case and
advising him to go 10 St. Louis. Bab-
cock got witness to go as counsel to
st. Louis. When he arrived there
Luckey told witness of Bells state
ment and that he had the run of the
District Attorneys Office where he
could steal or copy all the papers,
Luckey said he did not credit the
statement. Bell returned from In
dianapolis with the Hogue documents
and Luckey, Bell and witness talked
together. Bell expressed a desire to
serve the President because he be-
lieved there was a conspiracy to drag
him down. Bell made some remark
about the statement of what he had
heard said by various parties. Belf'
positive assertions went to convince
j witness there was conspiracy agains
the President, so he concluded to ge1
, all the information possible. Witnes.
never authorized Boil or any one elst
to bring to his room in the Lindel
j, hOtel papers and destroy them. Ill
, asked him to get information as t.
: the nature of the evidence agains
Babcock, and get such copies as ht
could, or to send substances. Luckey
had nothing to do with Bell. Gen
+ Babcock never authorized witness Il
! do anything illegal or Improper. Bel
wrote witness subsequently in Wash
: ington that Dyer was using forge'
n letters to secure the Indictment
r Babcock. Witness said he gave Bel
d $60 altogether.
I On cross examination witness sal
n Luckey told him that If Bell came o.
4 to Washington he might get an ap
! pointment. Bell came to witnes:
I. office when he got to Washington bu
o witness could not tell what occurred
C The interviews were generally lon
: and Bell did most of the talking.
II Lucky testified that he was not ser
l. to st. Louis in the interest of Bal
It cock nor by the President. He wrot
,e statement in st. Louis last fall Will
a witness for Avery. He met Be
t. who told him of the great conspirac
,r against Babcock and Grant by Bri
le tow, Dyer, Henderson, and other
al for political effect. Lucky's accoui
of the Bell matter was long and clos
rs " agreed with Bradlcy's. Bell talkc
te with the President about the conspi
cr acy and papers which he had SET
ID concerning II. A few days after BE
said he was to go to st. Louis, SCI
It. hy the Attorney General. to ASST
d. DYER in procuring evidence; but
ee he saw any unlawful means use
st such as forged papers, or offering j
al ducements for forgery, he was
d, report it. Witness made q shol
as simple cipher for use in case SUI
deyelopemcnts should occur. He d
not at that time distrust Bells honest
7 fidelity. &C., and consideaed the ciph
he harmless, 1t was published i'll ga
sic bled shape in the New York Herd
ie, Neither the President or Babco
he knew anything about this cipher.
considered lie had right to give Il
:. cipher to secure privacy knew not
q ing of Bells appointment in the !
lie, terror Department; never doubt
ty, Babcock's innocence, and never sa
OF anything implying he did.
er, Gen. Babcock testified that he ii
10; saw Bell in the Executive Mansit
yg, where he was recommended as
ed scout next heard Of him when Lu,
IL ey returned from St. Louis got &C
u siderable information from Bell tn
rd, Bradley; on the oath Of last Dece
ph Der met Bell at his Office in Washil
30; ton. Bell made long report a
ma said he was very poor. Witness t,
oO him to make written report, ane
ne, his counsel [Storrs) said il was va
nc, able he wonld pay for il. Bell ms
X. a sworn statement, which Won
OO; confidence, and he paid him first
mp and altogether about 500. He !
'th, refused him money. Babcock den
ale that lie had ever told Bell that
OF was guilty.
gee On cross examination witness s.
I'd, Bell never wrote him from N
i'm York. He told the President of Be
or statement; never recommended
da- for appointment nor never emplo.
lrs. Bell to obtain papers.
Ills TIE SILVER hlLi.
co.: The Senate Finance Committee
r. commended that various impor,
!, to changes be made i'm the House sill