The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-04-01
BELL UNDER OATH.
Tho Details OF the Conspiracy TO steal the
Evidence against Babcock.

wAsurSGToN, March 31.-Before the ely
mer committee to-day Mr.. c. $. Bell, after tea
tifyinr that he was appointed secret agent ~
the Pension once, at the recommendation of
President Grant and Mr. Luckev, in February,
1879, al a salary 81 s. 90 and travelling expenses,
reluctantly admitted that he was engaged as
detective In the Babcock trial under the en-
ploy of Lnchey. Luckev told him to consult
A C.. Bradley. and to do what he was told 10y
Bradley. Bradley told him to get the evidence
ag inst Babcock from District Attorney Dyer's
oflce. in order to destroy It, lie thought this
was going rather too far. and would not do III;
but he got hold OF all the evidence surrepu-
tinusly from the lawyers aud others ~ Overs
office, and from DYER hin self who did not
know that he was In u brooks employ. aud
then told Luckev that the g Sc against baocock
was weak. lie was to be appointed specid
agent OF the Attorney Generals ON To he
sent t. st. Louis. but he was not appointed.
That was on the 18th OF December Tn" Attor-
tnrnev. c. neral DELAYED the appointment. aud
finally told INN tnat Over understood the oo-
Iec, Of his going there. lie W teen appointed
a she ial agent ~ the Interior Deparlmeht' lie
submitted IA ovphcr between him and Luckey,
In winch no CiclD was to communicate with
Luckcy while In st. Louis.
GRANT KNEW ALL ABOUT 1T.
The President knew TINT he was to be sent to
ST. I.ruis as AN officer Of the Attorney General
to find out the evidence. and told him II Dab
cock was guilty he wanted to SOC him punished.
against Grant. hut when he got hold Of the evi-
denee he made up his mind th I Btbcock was
guilty. Hc tiro 70 INFORM tne irs-i"en, per.
soualv of Babcuck's Rult. but a. he could not
him he made this faci known to him nv
giving to the Herald the ctpner between him
(llelD and Luckey. aud muiled a copy 10 the
President. which tie had reason to believe the
President received. Three days after this he
was dismissed. lilo met BabcOck here several
times and when he told him IN I Bradley want
ed MIN TO get hold Of the evidence. Babcock
said II ne did not get hold Of the whole OF II II
..saNA 30 IlaN. sl LA
evidence he would be well rewarded, and that
there were tapers and kilograms IN existence
which II DYER got hold 81 he should never he
able to explain or get over. lSensatlon.l Mr.
Pierrepont WAS averso to his going to St.Lous to
lay the spy fur DYER. aud told him that nigh
Treasury official, whom no To k 10 be liristow,
had found out what he WAS going to 81 Louis
Tor. and that 1t was therefore Of no use for him
TuR PRESIDENTS INSTRUCTIONS.
The President told Bell tina he wanted him
to nnd out whether any attempt wa beng made
10 mnnu,actufe evidence aealns. bancock, or
whether Baocock was really guilty. lie there
fore gave him card to PierrepOnt, 40 that the
latter should emoioy him tn 90 to st. Louis rs a
secret officer. I Dder the guise OF this appoint
nent he WAS tn be used nv Bradley, Luckey and
Bapcock TO get the evidence aud DESTROY IL. He
distracted some teegrans and papers from
| Dyers ofh,e on the l4th of July. when he re-
turned 20 -. Louis ne explained to Over that
he had been commissioned to steal the
DYER against Roger NJ. sherman. who
was sent there toy District Attorney
| ihl>S OF new nTk 10 40 tnr same eFrdnu fte
was told par iculariy 70 &c, hold Of any tsle-
| grams signed ID. Fiuch or liulllncn. But subse-
| quentiy II bcock tOlu him he dld not think tele-
| gr ans under such SIGN lures had been sent In
| that quarter Bell wished II to be particularly
| understood tn he only acted for Babcock as
| long "a he believed MIN innocent, but that when
| he bee me convinced that he WIS guilty he
threw up the sponge" Tie regarded Bah
cocks pros ecution al trst rs political intrigue
against Grant. for whom he hsd been a scout
during tie war. and his main int, rest was 10
serve the President. Babcuck tnted all the
evidence to destroy 1t. TIE President, Bell taId
never asked him to cover up the truth.
ZACH CHANDLER IN IT.
| MIR. Danford- Three days after the publication
| I'm the Hsrih YOU were dismissed hy Secretary
Chandler. Didn't h DO ri5ht In Gismis-iug you
| wnen he found that you were 10 be spy OF
Mr Bell-weh. I'll give YOU pl in answer g
| your ri IN question. | think Chandler kn.w al
| a. OFT what | was going TO do. lS-ns ltcn1
| told him was going TO New YorS for Gen. BLb
! cock. and asked him l should enter into de-
| tails, ana ne said " No."
| Mr. Danford pressed the question whether hs
meant 10 say that Chandler mad appointed him
| special agent, fully confident o.. his secret mis-
| sion, and he said the question should be asked
| Of Chandler. ILaugntet1
| While he was la s.. Louis working for Bah
| cock, he drew his pay a. special agent Of the
| Pension once, but only for Ave weeks. While
holding that appointment he went to New Yoi
for BaUcock, but ne " juid prefer not to say fol
what object. All the recommend ton he had
| for his appointment under Chandler was the
| card from the President. The President told
| MIN (lel) that he would speak to Chandler
| about him. lie said that he would tell Chandler
that Bell was 10 be ordered to II. Louis. While
| he was away Ia New York for Bahcock, his nay
| "a pension agent was stopped, but On his return
| he GOT IT, All Chandler sked was VIII sther Bah.
COCK knew that he was In New York, aud when
| he said " Yes" hs got his paw. The only pur-
Dose Of his empovment US Pension ONCE agent
| was to work for BabcOck.