The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1876-02-22
TUESDAY. FEB. %. 1876.
GEN. BABCocK'S CASE.

The prosecution In this celebrated
case attempted TO prove through one
OF the self-convicted conspirators.
Everest, that the leader Of the ring,
Joyce, mailed in the presence Of the
former, two FIVE hundred dollar bills,
enclosed in two envelopes. one adj
dressed to Gen. Babcock and the
other to w. o. Avery, Washington.
d. c. 1t has become apparent that
Joyce, who desired his underlings to
suppose that he had friends at court,
who were identified with the whisky
ring. undoubtedly did manipulate
two five hundred dollar bills in the
presence OF Everest, with the inten-
ton Of leaving the impression with
the latter that Gen. Babcock, the
Presidents private secretary, was
being bribed and thus to assure his
tool security in his nefarious schemes
After accomplishing his purpose,
Joyce got these two letters returned
to him through a let%ter-carrier, who
had a key TO the mail-boxes.
The latter, named James Magill,
testified as follows:
In the latter part of February, 1875,
/ was coming down Pine street, nea
Fifth, and ColOnel Joyce accosted me
and said there two letters in the
street letter-bOx which he wished To
get back. He pointed to the bvx on
the southwest corner of Fifth and
Pine. asked Colonel Joyce to de-
scribe the letters before l opened the
box. He said one was addressed To
w. o. Avery, Washington, ID. c.,
and the other was to o. f. Babcock,
Washington D. q, also marked per-
sonal. ! opened the box, although it
was of any district. and searched
among the letters. 1 found the two
and handed them to Mr.. Joyce.
Mr.. St0rrs-Did you get u receipt ?
Witness-No, sir.
Mr.. Storrs-Is it customary:
Witness-Yes, it is. 1 said: Look
here, Colonel, | want "A receipt. Ifyou
want to put them in the mail again l
will go with you and see it done"
4. Mr.. Storrs-What did he say?
Witness-He said "Oh! that's all
right" .hunkidori," something like
that, TITS only II blind"
Mr.. Storr,-Is it frequent to give
letters back?
Witness-No, sir.
Mr.. StOrrS-You sometimes do it 4?
Witness-On u business route it is
frequent; that is, letters are put in,
and the parties forget an enclosure or
something like that and they are re-
turned to them.
Mr.. Storrs-Did you report that
matter to the postofflce.
Witness-NO, sir.
MI. Storrs-Why?
WitneSs-Well, l thought il was so
frivolous there wasn't any need Of
saying anything about it.
MI. St0rrs-Did you usually report?
Witness-I usually carried blanks
In my satchel. which / had arties
sign who wanted letters back, aud
then l compared the writing.
Mr.. StOrrs-How did you happen.
to remember the time this occurred i:
Witness-I was house. hunting
about that time. l had been looking
around four OIL five days for a house.
/ had just been to the Polytechnic,
looking for a nan who l had heard
had a house. i was on my way down
to make collections. 1t was my day
to collect for other carriers.
The cross-examination of this wit.
ness was long, sharp and thorough.
but the prosecution did not succeed
in breaking down the witness.
The attempt to connect Gen. Bah
cock with the whisky ring has been
a notorious failure, to the great disap-
pointment, no doubt, of all the De-
mocratic, Independent and sore
headed newspapers Of the country