Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-03-08
Attorney General Pierrcr0nf
Makes 4 Statement.
He alphabetically Denies Nav
ing Furnished Evidence to
BabcOck's Counsel.

WASHINGTON, March 6.-Thc l'Tcsi-
dent late this afternoon said that
nothing had been definitely arranged
regarding the appointment of Sec
rotary of War and the question Will
not he determined until tomorrow
after the Cabinet consultation.
Attorney General Pierrepont has
addressed letter to Hon. Scott Lord,
Chairman OF the Committee on
Judiciary, saying that his fair and
considerate letter of the Sd inst, gives
him the opportunity to fully explain
certain charges contained in certain
newspaper publications, copies of
which had been enclosed to him. The
Attorney says that in relation to the
whisky cases at st. Louis, Chicago
and Milwaukee the Secretary of the
Treasury and himself were in FREE
quent consultation and they never
differed in their policy nor i'm what
they deemed the best mode of carry
ing out that policy.
In October last while the Solicitor
of the Treasury was in st. Louis they
they agreed upon and the Secretary
dispatched communication to the
Solicitor in the way of Instructions in
which he said among other things
that unless important ends are to be
gained in other cases he would make
no terms with any individual or,
party. The Attorney General says
the policy indicated in this order was
not communicated by him in any cir
cular but was informal Instructions
for all cities. Nothing occurred to
nccessitatc change of policy until
various newspapers and letters came
to the President and himself stating
that bargains We're being made or
were about to be made with Grimm
ais not in the slightest degree needed,
by which quite q large number of
criminals were to be let off entirely.
This was confirmed by one of the
Oldest and most trusted Supervisors.
1t was said especially that such ar
rangements were being made in Mill
waukee with tho counsel without con-
sultation with the District Attorney,
and without any communication with
the Attorney General from whom
they received their appointment, and
for whose judicious conduct the At
torney General was responsible. The
President was greatly disturbed by
these varied and repeated representa-
tons, of course SO at varience with
the policy before indicated. and he
brought it to the attention of the At
torney General and finally suggested
that in view of the repeated state
mcnts it would be we'll for the At
torncy General to let the District At
torney receive some caution upon this
subject /; and therefore a letter was
dispatched by Attorney Hazleton, and
it was copied into the official records
of the department with note that
the same was sent to the District At
torney at Chicago and St. Louis. In
this letter the Attorney General said
he reposed in the officers. good judg-
ment to refrain from everything that
could by any possibility be construed
as favoritism towards those who had
deflauded tho government and he re-
. marked "it is the Presidents reiterat-
cd desire that no guilty man should
escape
Subsequently the Attorney General
was questioned by the President rs to
, whether he had taken any action. As
District Attorneys the Attorney Gen.
I cral was greatly surprised at the pub.
LEGATION of the letter and was amazed
that it was wrested from its original
purpose and used for ends never i'm.
agined by the writer. He came to
. the conclusion after investigation that
= ii was got ont through the President;
copy. Since il was imperfectly re.
G ported in western papers, he believed
n it had been read and perhaps imper
fectly remembered The President
: said he had no knowledge of the let
ter. He ascertained that some one
q who had access TO the Presidents pa
pers obtained copy of the lette1
: without any knowledge on the par
@ of the President, and that the same
), was used in tho manner now know
:. to all. under whose direction the At
q torney General does not know. II i
: quite certain, he says, that ifany o
+. the defrauders of the revenue mag
a ined they were to reap advantag
q from the publication of the letter, o
70 from the very false construction the
!. tried to force upon it, they would b
n signally mistaken.
AZ The Attorney General says tina
10 since the acquittal of Babcock he ha
r. seen it stated in one Of the wester
~ papers that the evidence hearing o
r. the guilt of Babcock was copmunica
4 ted to his counsel by Attorney Ger
=. eral Pierrpont, declares emphaticall
"A that he does not even know Storr
m never met him that he recollects o
70 and never wrote or spoke to hin
< Judge Porter he knew rs value
ri friend. a gentleman of delicacy an
n sense, and that he had only once sal
in the presence Of the Attorney Gen
" eral that he was counsel for Babeoc
.. and never spoke of the subject again
~ He had never communicated wit
70 Porter in any way on the subject {
rs the trial.
IN After the Rascaiiy Sutters.