The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-03-06
oYE, o.T. E-GFN. y. f.
D. ..Is.: L. .I>-AIN.

A correspoLdrnt of the Cincinnati
Commercial al February 29th makes q
lovely exposition OF Gen. O.'E. BABcocK
the confidential secretary and bosom
friend of the President of the United
States! This exposition, if not quite as
grand as the centennial Is to be, nor quite
SO honorable to The industry and honor
Of the country as We hope that may
prove, is certainly very demonstratlve Of
what takes place among the highest otti-
ealtes Of the c"uLtry End Of that foul cor
ruption which has it. uestinsplace in the
White House. The world now
knows that BARCcCK is the confdant and
bosom friend OF tn" President, and it may
iudre whethrr the mutual friend Of
GRAsraul .lor.G would have lived as
Major BABcc,R it, Washington, and ac-
CURED Inc large PROPERTY that be has sc-
cumulated on the pay ot Major or Colon
el.without the knowledge ofthe President
The writer OF tho letter alluded to-
speaks rom the actual record, and shows
that BABCoCK AS tie superintendent OF
public buildings and grounds and as the
authorized agent OF the Government TO
certify the correctness OF the Ring ac-
counts, did certify for "over four and
quarter millions Of dollars" more than
they were entitled to. de further shows
that by actual measurement this falsifca-
ton did take place. He gives his facts in
explicit details from the record, and
closes his letter as follows;
From the foregoing it is quite plain
that General BAbcock was not only a
willing, but ali exceedingly Jealous tool
in the hands of the Ring |; is iupo'si-
bic to say what may nave been his iul-
pelling motive, but We tnd him (as per
extract above irD:n committees report
regarding the sewerage no. only will
ing, as We have seen, 10 coItIy 10 false
"measurementS, but also 20 f;sisitv out
rageously fraudulent estimates with
which the RING were prepared 10 susta,a
their demand tor over four and quarter
or more millions Of dollars OF p.under."
Its not unfair, IN view 81 the publicity
of his life in the last eight years. t. note
the fact that in seven wears General
Babcock has grown wealthy on an ap-
parent income of the pay Ci n Major, and
81. 'NiA ,f = Z.
will be remembered that IN tho famous
Leet Il Stocking investigation Of 1872,
both Porter and BAbcocs testified that
they had a mess ir- Washington. and
lived in that stvle iaom economical con-
siderstions. The fact was developed BY
an investigation into tha circumstances
that Leet, of the notorious New York
General Order firm, lived with them
in Washin gton, which was regarded as
somewhat suspicious.
In this same investigation, General
Babcock stated that although ho was
Secretary to the President, and Superin-
tendent OF Public Buildings and
Grounds, and of the Washington Aque-
duct his pay was only ths: ct Major
of Engineers Of ten years standing.
This mess, it was testified, did not break
up till the spring of 1870. In the mean
time the General managed in some mys.
terious way ~ accumulate good deal "
money. The following list of invest
meDts made by him show how rapidly he
,hrived. The list is taken from the public
records Of the District of Columbia;
May 80, ls70-Perry Fuller aad wife
10 o. +. Babcock, lot \. in Shields ssh-
division OF square 275, and lot ., in Ire
lands subdivision of square 2S5; con-
alteration $500.
July l, lS70-Csroline G. Gardiner to
o. L. Bsbcock, lots and 9 and west half
OF lot 10, square l03; consideration Sl5,-
s6S
July l, 1870. Z. Goldsborough to
y. Z. Bsbcock, east half of lot 10, square
loS; confederation 81 500.
December 9, s72-Elizsbeth Watson
to y. Z. Bsbeock, lots A, and G in sub