The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-01-12
BABCOCK'S BADNESS.
TROUBLE BREWING FOR Bah IN AN UNEx-
PECTED QUARTER.

PECTED QUARTER.
The Chicago Times correspondent at
Washington telegraphed yesterdays issue
of that paper: There is more trouble from
an unexpected quarter brewing for Babcock.
Mr.. Babcock, besides his occasional diver
sion in the delights of the whisky ring,
played many parts in this thrifty vineyard
of specula ion. Besides his office as conf
dental adviser of the president, Babcock
holds the position of engineer
In charge of public buildings and grounds
Some scrutiny into tue methods by
watch public buildings have been erected
during the last ten years leaves no doubt
hat the most extraordinary system of
double charges was INDUCED in by respon-
sible personsges la that department during
the last few years, or while Mr.. BaDcock has
been In charge as engineer, untold charge
Ofthe public buildings. Members who Rave
been looking about them and counting the
cost, through documents and otherwise. de-
clare thab no such sum has been expended
in the years that Babcock mas been at the
mead of these establishments. On the con-
trary, a tenth part of the allotted sum would
cover every penny Of he real expenditure.
liz is proposed 10 make Mr.. BsDcock show
where these mysterious millions have dis
appeared 10. Since he came into the posi-
zion of generalissimo of the White House,
unusual sums OF money have been voted by
congress Tor refurnishlng of the executive
mansion aud offices, and identifying OF the
Presidents grounds. There is no record TO
show that any considerable amount of these
sums has bsen expended AS intended. IL
is strongly suspected, on the contrary, that
the great rows of private houses put up by
BsbcOck and the peculiar friends OF tina
gentleman are visible signs oil the enormous
appropriation made in the interest OF the
president and devoted by his confidential
secretary to
OUTSIDE DISHONEST PURPOSES.
Through some peculiar favoritism, Mr.. Bah
cock was appointed last March superinten-
dent of the massive piles of buildings
erected for the navy, war, state and other
departments. In this position he has been
the master of almost unlimited treasure for
which the nation mas few bare walls, few
| heaps of bricks, few hideOus fronts ana
staring beams and rsfters-certainly moth
ing TO justify the annual appropriations OF
81 600 600, So coo, 900 and So, 600 900 which the
| books cali tor. 1t is further alleged that
| Babc0ck's connection with the Indian
ring can be proven from the remnants
| of documents which have been DESTROYED
in the departments. IL is the apprehension
of his exposure in this quarter as much as
the dread OF the results In st. Louis, which
/ has excited the rum0rs of political iDterven-
ton in Babcock's behalf, which Is expected
here TO save him rom any furtber lDcOuve-
nience in st. Louis. The ramifications of
the Indian ring, whose ill-gotten millions
were as openly stolen as those OF the whisky
ring, are likely, from indications, to engulf
as many unexpected personsges in high
| places as the whisky frauds themselves. IL
Is the purpose of those who have the iDves-
| tigstlon in charge TO hold everything in as
deep privacy as possible until the evidences
has been put in such shape that investiga-
tions can go right on to their
conclusions without any interruption. No
investigation will be permitted, nor any
charges, till the members who have them in
hand are perfectly sure that the evidence in
unimpeachsble and so strongly made that
the victims can not escape. There are evil
dences on every hand of the Wholesale de-
| struction of testimony by accidental blazes
in various hooks and corners of the govern
ment departments. By curious chance,
wherever peculiar traces of dishonest deal
ing are brought about the Babcock- Shepard
Grant ring seems to have had a hand. The
result will be that il the testimony can be
made as strong as the suspicious circum
stances, the plundering party which has
been responsible for this mischievOus bust
ness during the last ten year will not fail to
| get its deserts. These frauds in the build
ing department are not confined TO Wash
Ington, Commissioners will have to be sent
to every city in the United States.