The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-07-29
VOL. XLlIl.-N0. 320.
BLUFORD WILSON'S STORY.
ExPOSURE or the THTE INWARD
NESS OF the WHITE House.

save the Thieves from Conviction-Givin
Bnbcock Points for his Defence The Prcsi-
dent Debating the Famous Circ uiar Letter.
WASHINGTON, July 2S-When the Presi-
dent and his not very reputable Ring friends
determined yesterday that it was advisable to
break down the Hon. Bluford Wilson by start
ine story that he had been caught In an at
tempt to abstract important ofnclal papers from
She nles Of the oiicc OF the Solicitor OF the
Treasury, they DOUBTLESS had realizing sense
OF Mr.. Wilson's ability, es well "a OF hts deter
nination TO let daylight shine in upon the true
Inwardness OF the white House opposition to
Bristow's whiskey war. In his ex animation yes
terday, MIR. Wilson gave succinct history Of
the inception Of the fight In the Whiskey Ring
and the initial steps In ts prosecution. ana then,
In answer to a question propounded by tho
Chairman, MIR. Cochrane. gave an account or tho
nrst signs Of opposition that Secretary Dris-
tow and himself discovered on the part on
the President. From this IL appears That when
Bristow determined to upesrth the whiskey
frauds In st. Louis he carefully kept his own
counsel, and allowed no one but Solicitor Will
son and few other trusted officials and fri nds
80 know any ming about what he was doing.
The President was not taken into his confidence
until the plan devised by the Secretary and the
Solicitor had been carried out to the point
where the incontestaole proof OF fraud against
hscore and half OF distillers and revenue on
sers in st. Louis, Chic go, and Milwaukee had
been obtained. Then, after II had been decided
10 make general seizure, the Secretary and So
bcitor Wilson went over to the White House
and tod the story to the President, and laid be-
fore him an outline OF the evidence which they
bad accumulated against the Ring.
Tho President, Mr.. Wilson SAYS, manifested
the utmost interest In the matter, and wanted
to what THAR INDIGNANT w about this
chief revenue officers. They tnen explained to
him the i'm possibility Of frauds In tho revenue
TO such an extent without the connivsnce and
direct assistance Of the supervisors, collectors,
and ali their subordinates In the revenue service,
and that It was absolutely necessary that
. clean sweep should be made. The
President assented TO this, and said
he would think about whom he would
appoint In ST. Louis and let the Secretary know
soon, but In the mean time he thought the Sec
retary had better write to Gen. ]. ID. Webster Of
Chicago and request him to accept Supervisor
Munn's place. III he does not accept" said
the President, "then / wish you would suggest
the proper person." This was addressed to
Solicitor wilson, and accordingly MIR. Wilson
in the event Of Webster's declining OF course
this gave both the Secretary and the solicitor
great announcement, ana they laid the nat
terng unction to their souls that the road to
reform would be straight and smooth, and that
the Republican party would soon be purlned
and Grants Administration get redeemed.
All went as merry as a marriage feast until the
.Sylph despat b was found, aud experts at the
Treasury Department decided that II was in
BabcOck's handwriting. There had been some
slight Indications before this OF lukewarmness
on the part Of the President, but the fears Of the
Secretary ana solicitor were excited more from
what the President did not do than from any
thing he said or did. They were continually
receiving intelligence from ST. Louis OF the
defiant manner OF the Ring and the open boasts
ma by the members of It to the effect that the
only DersOnS VINO would he nurt In the END would
be Bfi.tow and Wilson. Before this indeed soon
Donald had visited Washington aud had al an
interview with Secretary Bristow In which he
virtually confessed his guilt, but begged to be
Ing that there should be no more stealing. OF
rejected ~ BTistow, but Mcdonald was not 10
be out of so easily, and SO he visited the solicitor
and MADE pracucaN the same proposition,
Donald nevertheless received announcement
from some source while East, because he re-
turned IN GOOD spirits To St. Louis, Jun Casey.
the Presidents brosher-iu-law, soon aiterward
turned up in 81. Louis and aided Mcdonald
and joyce to keep up the spirits OF the sub
ORIGINATE revenue officers and small distillers,
who were getting alarmed and inclined to make
terms Tor themseiYts, aud tell all thev knew
on the ir'ncipals. All these facts were regul r
ly ana promptly reported to the Secretary and
ths solicitor ana by them to ne President
w. Mcdonald resigned, and then II was some
time before the President accepted his resig-
UAt on ana appointed successor.
Alter Mcdonald and Joyce uad been indicted,
the lukewarinness on the part OF the President
uiil continued. lhis, taken IN connection with
tie news daily received by Brlstow and Wilson
OF the defiance breatned by the thieves, gave
them much concern. he "Sylph" despatch
had been discovered. and al these indications
pointed to bdbcock's comphcity with tue King,
but there vas no positive corroborating proof.
II evident. however, that somebody was
keeping Mcdonald and joyce constantly advised
Of all that was going on here. and as the only
source from wEich this could come was thro ugh
Baocock. who had the Presidents confidence
both Brlstow and Wilson we're morally con-
3 IA fA..A hahn hafF AAh A
Early IN september the President, accom-
panied ~ BAUcOck, vlsiied St. Louis, and soon
after the Secretary and the solicitor hid evi-
dence furnished them Of the connection of an
otner Of the Presidents particul T friends with
the Ring wilson had wntten a letter 10 Hen
dersun ms rucuas hlm 70 keep close watch oI
the movements ~ Mcdonald and Joyce, anc
saving that the whiskey Ring must be exploded
from the bottom 10 the top. soon aiter th'
PRESIDENTS return from the West, vii
that serious charges had been preferred
Aeaius' nim ny the President. lie was charged
with seeking TO implicate the PRESIDENT an
Witn having placed -pIos upon nm while IN u
L4Lls. h,l. wilson Was in the " est at the timt
Of me lteauieHta re- urn, and he knev e,'
and the Secretary toid him about H. H.
% al he could get ou. s h " wa, sd@elhne 5ssIsu abo% @
q letter when had heeu written 70 Henderson
Mu,n on hls way back To lis OH e TO get ni
dent ali tue letters he uau wrtten to Hen
Tofter to 20 To- ms OH win Kim. and On f9,
way told MIN about tue stones tuat hAd beer
tpid To the President. Porter dd that he haC
tn letter, ana when tue, arrived AZ the solici
tors III, - he showed IL 10 W ll-un. He az one,
pointed out the iLteilineall1ns which had heeI
mace in IL. lhe letter." ". n " were interlne,
10 that the passage m Wilson's letter reat
"the Wniskey Ring must he explored from
the bottom TO the top OF ". H." NilsOI
At once turned to Als letter pTesi
copy book aud showed Porter that this inter
Dneatiun as not In toe e. py, and pointed GU
that Il WAS IN a different hand writing. Porte
expressed himself satis sned, aud SAID that h
would at once SEQ the Pfesiceht and tell hil
That he had been Imposed upon, SlLse
quently Wilson was surprised by the Pres
dent referring again to tins letter and accus
lug him Of placing spies upon him whll
be was ia ST. Louis. TbereupOn wilson aske
the e-deut II Porter had not told MIN abou
tie explanation made to MIN In the Solicitor
ONCE, and Grant replied that Porter had neve
bad awold on the subject. Then the Solicito
showed the President now the forgery ha
been made and satisfied him oy producing th
press COuy VI the letter.
believing then that Porter hac betrayed him
Wilson tOtd tho President the explanation
which Potter had given Tim Of the " Sylph
uespitch, ~ulch was SeTv dtscredtable 10 III
piealdunt. 1t was IN effect that Sylpn' wa
the pet Lame Of a lewd woman with whor
Grant mad been intlmaie, ana who had bee
hlackmail ng nm for some lime, and that Nc
Donald rid the PTe.lleut ~ her Tho nam