New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-04-03
NOT CoNTRADICTED BY COL. DYER.

NOT CONTRADICTED BY COL. DYER
AS FAR As HE KNOWS THE DETECTIVES STORY is
CoRRECr-rnE GOVERNMENT INTENDED TO USE
HIM AS WITNESS IL THE BABCoCK TRIAL
BELL DISCOVERED RUMMAGING THE OFFICE IN
ST. LOUIS.
WAsuINGToY April 2.-The Committee on
War Expenditures heard Col d. r. Dyer, DistrctAttor-
ney nj Louis yesterday in reference to the testimony
NJ g Bell the detective. Col Dyer said he first met
Bell In St. LOUIS in the Fall Of 1875 he came TO the
office one day and showed envelope with note on the
back signed Avery The witness understood 1t to be
written to Fzroy deliver any papers in his possession
t Bell Bell was 10 Joyce, and II possible, get The
corrcspondence that passed between Joyce Avery and
Babcock Col Dyer wrote note TO the warden OF the
Jail and asked him TO deliver tho papers to Bell the
bearer Bell ubsoqucntly came to ST. Louis during the
Babcoct trial. witness met him ut tine house OF Mr.
Eaton special counsel for the Government In the case
lie intmated that he had obtained the Avery papers
from the files Of the DstrctAttomcy's Office, and cNlb-
ited them 10 Avery and vic at the Lnde Hotel Bell
said he had q pencil memorandum from man named
woodward pencil memorandum from Bluford Wilson,
and from the Treasury asking witness 10 come
IA the secretarys room. Col. Dyer satisfied that
Bell had seen tbes1 papers ana khe" sohic'hhS aoOu'
their disappearance.
chi Dyer said further that Mr. Bell said he had certain
documeu IN his possession in New-Nork, and had tele'
grabbed for them 10 be forwarded 10 ST. Louis by eK
press that the papers consisted OF cipher parity
in his and partly in Luckcy's handwriting
also letter from A. G. Bradley. telling him 10 come 10
Washington aud he would be cared for. The substance
Of his statement was that proposition had been made
t HIM by luckey and Rabcock Ia abstract testimony Ia
tbe Dabcock case from the DstrctAttorneys Office The
witness d been very careful Of the dispatches and let
tcs relating the Babcock because he feared some
such exploit rosortcd To In the Avery case lie
placed them ln box and deposited them in the safe de-
IL. al Ira liza
Dl.trct-Atomcy's office oyerhauling some papers, and
WAS informed that nobody allowed to do that IN the
absence OF COL DYER Bell excused himself by saying he
was hunting for match Ia Hight his cigar "lul'
Bell soon after the proposition to furnish TINS niorma
ton delivered to Cob Dyer the cpher aud Bradley letter
After the trial he returned them 20 Bell and has not seen
them since except "a produced IA me Aeirl York Herald
These papers were not used in evidence because MI
Juc,cy was summoned there for the Government, and
vas finally claimed as a witness for tho defense At
consultation between witness and his associates Messs
Rroadhcid aud Eaton, az TO the adysabiity Of ealing
Bell as witness, IL decided 20 walt I'LL MI Luckey
was put upon then produce Bell In rcbufta
II as understood that Bradley there also. called by
tho defense and ii was intended t~a Bell should not be-
brought I'm IA witness in chief Had the prosecution
known or believed the defense would not call Luckey
they would have had Bell brought forward and used in
chief.
Mr. Bell who was IN the room, asked Col Dyer whether
Il was OF his supposed unrclaOly 'hat o WIS
not put upon the stand
Col DYER answered that when he told him he had
stolen the Avery papers from the Di'trct-AuorneyS
Office he did not look upon him witness he wanted
10 tic 10 without cooboate evidence end he did not
believe much in him till he got all the papers. But II
Luckcy had been called he certainly would have put
Bell on the stand in rebuttal.
Mr. gel then asked Col Dyer II in such cases extraor-
binary means are necessary get evidence. Col Dyer
SAID he WAS not in kind OF business and did not feel
compctent so answer the question He never found II
necessary either professional lawyer or otherwise,
10 resort to such means either TO purchase the abrac-
ton or suppression OF evidence, or any such violent or
oue sonable tactics. That not his way OF conduct
inc busiuass Col Dyer said that Bells testimony
substantially correct 80 far he had seen printed In
the Washington papers, and far as 1t referred to MIN
Bell WAS however incorrect in locating the conversation
AZ the Distrct-Attomeys Office; II took place M the
bouse OF Iucen Eaton one OF his associate counsel