New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-02-23
gBE CASE AGAINST GEX EABCOCK.

The evidence against zen. EdlGpck - all
citcnns'antiai, and opinions differ ~ to the
weight which it Will be likely TO l,sye upon an
unprriudiced jury. IT., essential ronte have
been publishcd in our telccraphic dispatches ;
but the force of evidence of this kind depends
very largely upon ia arrangement, and n no
adequate reports ef the able presentation OF Che
facts by Col. Hroadhcad have bcca printed at
the East we purpose briefly 10 summarize tho
case of The prosecution so far a. IT has been
presented in court, leaving our readers 10 draw
thcly own conclusions from 1t.
The Whisky Ring conspiracy began III 1871
and continued without interruption till the
wholesale seizures were made last May Int 10
attempt has been made 10 connect Gen. Bah
cock with any of It's opnI 4tiOhs prior 10 1875
The principal official calprits in II. Louis were
Ford, the Collector, Mcdonald the Supervisor,
and Joyce. The Revenue Agent. Gen. Rabcock
seem, to have been on intimate terms With all
of them and number OF his icltcr- TO Joyce
have been introduced by the defense H. show
that there WAS nothing improper in the init
macy. These letters ara dated however III
1870. 1871. and 1872. aud for the period
covered 10y the Babcock indictment We have
nothing but the telegram' which were Obtained
from the Telegraph Office. In October, 1873, Col
lectOr Ford dioa. and il became vitality important
to the Ring Ia have a man OF their own ap-
pointed in his place. joyce tell gTaphod the
news to I}ahcOck Oct. -, adding, Let the
" President net cautiously on The successor
"sliD." But when Cen. BabcOcl presented
The appication OF Joyce himself for the vacant
place. Gen. Grant replied that he did not wish
to make the appointment without consulting
Ford's bondsmen. Thcreupon Babcock tcle-
graIhed Joyce. Oct. -, see that Fords
"bondsmcn recommend you I'll" bondSmen
would not do it. They chose MaS]iire, 40
joyce and Mcdonald hastily coIcurrcd in the
selection, and telcgrapled a. much to the
President Joyce sent private dispatch 10
Babcock at tho same time: " Sec dispatch
" sent to President. We mean II. N0o,.'
Maguile was AZ good u man ~ the Ring
could have chosen for thcir purposes if they
had been allowed thcir own way. The distil-
lation of Illicit whisky was coon in full blast,
and in the following March Commissioner
Douglas ordered Joyce to San Francisco 20 ar
to get him ont of the way while All hyesiiga-
ton was made at ST. Louis. joyce received
timely notice from Avery, Chief Clerk in the
Department 1T Washington, that the detect
ives were coming and after making things
:" all perfect (as he expressed it) iii ST. Louis
he tclegraphcd Babcock 10 stop the inyestiga-
ton. "Mako j. call of his scandal hounds,'
Iuns this dispatch (March ~, "that only
blacktn tho memory OF poor Ford and
" friends. Bnsiaess." Commissioner Douglass
testifes that Gen. Babcock came To- his Office,
asked what examination had been made, and
protested against "blackening the memory of
Cord" and at another time he came tn ask
if any agent was going Wet, az he wished
to "seud thrush Nothing came OF tho
threatened investigation at that time, bat in
September, 1874, a raid was organized under
the charge of agents Brooks and lloguc, Of
which also Avery sent prompt notice to 81.
Louis. Joyce appealed again to Babcoc< ::
Have you talked with d. Arc things all
"right7 How - No answer to this message
il in evidence, but it appears from the Prosi
dents deposition that Gen Babcock on oc-
casion, the date Of which Is not given, rem0D-
stratcd with Commissioner Douglass for " treat
eng all his officials rs though they were dis
"honest persons, by sending spies to watch
chem" The raid was postponed, OH account
OF the elections. On the ID of December
Joyce telegraphed to Babcock Has the See
"retaIy or Commissioner ordered any one
"here ~ 1t is at tins point that an unfortu-
nato hiatus occurs in the dispatches. A copy
Of one from Babcock to Joyce, dated
Dec. 9, in answer to the above, was
excluded for lack of sufficient identi-
fcation, the original, with package of others,
having been distracted from the telegraph
Office On Dec. however Mcdonald came to
Washington. and demonstrated with Deputy
Commissioner Rogers against tho proposed
raid In language singularly like that used by
Gen. Bsbccck to Commissioner Douglass. Nc