The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-08-14
WASHINGTON.
The whisky TrIals investigation
Gen. Horace Porter Examin.
ed Inv tire Committee.

Il
Donald. Gen. Babcock made an expl
nation TO the President and the Attorne
General. II the witness had thus spoke
Of "Sylph," he would have been invent
ing n rumor which would have reilecte
on :the President. The witness denie
positively that he told Wilson the grea
est favor he conld do the President wa
10 shield Babcock. He denied other a,
sertions Of Wilson. The witness shid Ii
never heard Gen. BabcOck referred TO q
concerned in Speculations,, except fror
newspapers.
Representative CoGhrane asked III
witness whether he'did not know. thu
certain papers shown to the Prcsideu
duplicating Babcock was the reason VIII
the President retained counsel TO defenu
him. s.
Witness replied tliaLhe did not believ
that any papers were placed before III
President duplicating Babcock, The wi,
ness further stated that the President in
timated TO him that nothing whatever hal
come to his knowledge which implicate'
Babcock directly or indirectly, or in an,
manner, with the Black Friday specula
tions. In reply to the question as to wha
explanation Babcock gave to the Presi
dent and Attorney General Pierrepon
about the "Sylph" dispatch, the witnesl
said he did not attach much Significance
TO il. He was not present with the Pres
ident and Mr.. Pierrepont when the OK
planation was made. He knew, however
that Babcock gave to them the origin o
the term "Sylph," as was done during hil
trial at 81. Louis. He did not know tha,
the explanation made TO the President
and that in Court we're different. The
witness was positive in saying he did mo-
tell Wilson that "Sylph" was lewt
woman, and had given the President much
trouble, &c. Wilson, however, did ask
him what the explanation Of "Sylph2 was
and he told Wilson what he had heard
from others, although, rs he had before
said, he did not attach much Significance
10 1t. The question was asked whether
the President at any time said anything
10 him about that matter, and the witness
replied that nothing was said by the Pres
ident, in his presence or hearing, and any.
thing he may have heard rs coming from
the President he declined to state,
Subsequently, however, the witness said
lie heard, from Storrs, that the President
snTI the statement by Major Wilson
before this committee was incorrect; that
Wilson did not repeat this vulgar slander
to him; that Wilton commenced saying
something about an improper woman,
when the President stopped him instantly
and that lie did not permit the recital and
discussion OF the matter. The President
never, directly or indirectly, spoke to
witness on the subject, nor did witness
ever couple the term "lewd woman" with
the Sylph dispatch. The witness ex.
planned his conversation with Babcock.
The substance. Of this conversation was
that Babcock was distinguished officer
OF the army, was graduate OF West
Point, and therefore every officer OF the
army felt an interest in the matter; that
the President believed Babcock to be in
nocent, but that, il guilty, he ought to be
punished. Wilson did say TO him, in the
course Of conversation, that Babcock
should be fairly dealt with and no injus-
tice done 10 him, and further than that he
could not go. The witness did not assist
Babcock in getting up his defense. He
had not since he had been summoned as q
witness been to see the President, but had
avoided calling on him at
present, nor had he consulted with any
body, but had read some OF the evidence,
and had general idea fit.
General Porter being asked 10 state
what had occurred in the interview which
he had had with Bluford Wilson touch.
ing certain letters written by the liter to
Mr.. Henderson in 81. Louis, said that the
interview occurred in apurcly accidental
] willstate jhst sthow,it occurred,
rs it has been quoted enormously in the
Of MIR. Wilson. In November
last, or possibly in the early part OF Dc.
cember, ! spent. n day in Washington.
/ called at tho Executive Mansion 10 pay
my respects 10 the President and his
family. In passing through General Bah
cocks room / iell'into conversation with
him and one or two others who were
present, in the course OF which hesaid he
had received, through an anonymous
source very extraordinary letter,
which he handed me to read. 1t was con.
tanned in an envelope postmarked st.
Louis, and bearing recent dp!e. II ap-
pcarcd TO be n copy OF letter written by
Wilson, addressed to Mr.. Henderson. II
was the "bottom.and.t6p" letter, which
The committee. has had before il, and it
was headed at the top, "a true copy"
Then followed what purported to be
copy Of the letter from Wilson to'Hcn.
ilerson. 1t was not the original letter,
and did not purport 10 be the original
letter, rs Understood. Neither Babcock
nor any Of his assistants recognized the
handwriting Of The anonymous sender.
After reading the letter, I stated that !
lid not believe Mr.. Wilson had been
guilty OF writing letter Of that charac.
Ter, and that ii was my practice in busi-
ness not to pay any. attention to .anony-
nous letters. General Bacock stated
hat that was the course lie always pur-
sued, and that he did not think il worth
while to show this letter to the President.
understood him to say that it had been
'hown to Mr.. Pierrepont and 10 Mr..
Bristow. | told him that l thought it
would be only m act Of justice TO Mr..
Wilson TO send the, letter 10 him, and ]
.hought the best way TO treat the subject
was with entire frankness. He said that
Mr.. Wilson had been absent from the
Iity, and that he had not yet had an op.
to bring the letter to his no.
ice. ! am not 80 positive about this
itatement. I said II tic letter were given
% me l would volunteer to take IL 70 Mr..
Wilson, and do him the Justice to show it
% him. The letter was handed to ME,
md in the course Of the day went 10
.all on Mr.. Wilson, ''.i . "'''',
| think I met him on the street or at
lis, hotel, and walked with him to his
;flice in the Treasury Department. u
old him that such aletter had been re.
,ciyel, and handed il to him. He ap.
scared TO know all about il, and said he
vas not surprised, as he had learned that
he letter had been lost or stolen in the
Court House At st. Louis. He said it
yas noLa correct copy OF his letter, and
liter while ho brought out his letter
,ress copy-book, and turned TO the press
,opy Of his original letter. ono OF lis
.eading this press copy while the other
.ead the copy which | had brought. My
'ecollection il that they were identical,
Except rs to the letters "W. f." which
n the anonymous copy were inserted in