The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-03-06
THEACQUITTAL OF BABCOCK.
Alleged Important Service Rem
dered by the Attorney General.
Defendants Counsel Furnished
with Evidence Of Prosecution in
Advance of Trial,


deretl by the Attorney General
Defendants Counsel Furnished
with Evidence OF Prosecution in
Advance Of Trial.
ST. LOUIS, March 4.-The Times, to
morrow, will publish somewhat lengthy
statement OF what purports 70 be par
OF the secret history Of the Whisky Ring
prosecutions here, and especially the
Babcock trial. 1t asserts that Attorney
General Pierrepont was very active and
Jealous in the prosecution until Babcock
was indicted, when his ardor cooled and
he began to Use his influence and the
power OF his Office to save that gentleman
With this view, it is Inserted, the Attorney
General sent for District Attorney Dyer
to come to Washington, Dyer went, and
while there PierIepont, on the plea that
it was very important and even necessary
that he, as head OF the Department Of
Justice, should know what the prosecu-
ton would be in the Babcock case, OBJ
tanned from him by the gro&est and
most inexcusable hypocrisy, a detailed
statement OF all the oral testimony against
Babcock, the whole plan OF the prosecu-
tion, what he intended to prove by each
witness, the order in which he intended
to present the evidence, &c.
This information, it is alleged, Pierre
pont made over to the use OF Babcock's
counsel, in order to denote the prosecu.
tion, and this, too, with the Presidents
knowledge and consent. Storrs, senior
counsel for Babcock, remained in WASH
ington, and whatever PierrepoDt obtained
from Dyer in regard to the case he first
repeated to the President, and after con-
sultation with him Storrs got the benefit
q all he had learned. The Attorney
Generals private Office was the place
where the plans to defeat the Govern
ment in its case against Babcock were
matured. Every night preceding the
time set for the Babcock trial, Babcock
and General Horace Porter met Pierre
pont in his office and closely studied every
point contained in the evidence for the
Government and prepared to overcome
it. General Babcock was admitted to
the conferences between the President
and Pierrepont when the plan was first
arranged, and when Dyer sent any addi-
tional evidence to Washington Storrs was
sent for, and when the plan for the prose-
cution was fully matured he was Us fami
liar with it as the Attorney General him
self.
Those familiar with all the circum-
stances absolye Colonel Dyer from all
censure. Dyer had imposed implicit con-
tidence in the integrity Of Pierrepont and
had been deceived. Dyer could not t.be
made to believe that one Of the chief Off.
GERS OF the government would violate his
oath OF office and disregard his duty.
Hence he accepted Pierrepont's, pretended
interest in the vigorous prosecution, and
even relied upon him as his superior Off
Ger for aid and counsel.
1t is then asserted that while Pierre
pont was at the outset very earnest in
prosecuting the Whisky Ring, believing
that it wound rebound to his credit as
chief law officer OF the government, he
soon found he was overshadowed by Sec
retary Bristow, the people and prosecut-
ing officers giving that gentleman credit
for every blow struck against the Ring.
This filled Pierrepont with envy. He be-
came jealous Of Bristow's popularity, and
Joined heart and soul with the Grant fac
tion and anti. i.Bristow combination. This
gave him firm hold on the regard OF the
President, but enabled him to aid in de-
feating Bristow's plans, and thus Weaken
ing Bristow. among the people and with
the whole administration. So he had n
double purpose in Joining in the move to
save Babcock from conviction. Hewould
establish his position in the Grant Ad
ministration for the present and future,
and weaken Bristow by making 1t np.
pear that the indictment OF Babcock was
scheme TO iniure Grant and advance Bris-
tow's political interest.
As 70 why Solicitor Wilson did not
warn Dyer Of Pierreponts plan to defeat
him, it is explained, as coming from
Wilson himself, that he (Wilson) had
already been represented as scheming
against the President and Babcock. Every
net he had periormed in the furtherance
Of his duty. was distorted and borne to
Grants ears asa part Of Bristow's plan
10 obtain the nomination for the Presi-
dency. Solicitor Wilson had, for several
months. devoted his time almost exclu-
siyely to working up the evidence against
and preparing. 10 convict the leaders OF
Chicago Whisky Ring. BE had acquired
knowledge and arranged plans to this
end, which made it impossible for any
other man to step into his position and
carry this out. He knew that great
pressure was being brought to bear to Sc
cure his removal, and this he wished to
avoid until the Chicago ring leaders were
convicted. d .,.sE, \
Just at this junction, when a warning
to the St. Louis prosecution against the
scheme Of the Attorney General would
have proved valuable, he dared not in
terpose,; least it might result in his re-
moval and the escape of the whisky
thieves inSC Chicago. Tie Secretary re-
garded him as necessity to successful
prosecution Of the ring, and had he un-
dertaken TO have exposed Pierrepont's
plans, his 'removol would certainly have |
followed the discovery by Pierrepont Of
the act. Besides Colonel Dyer placed the |
most implicit faith in the professions OF
Pierrepont, and auy suggestions as to the |
AttaraaI Eannra1fa aahapon aHatp6k ltbo