Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-04-01

| came east IN L1e l6LJer pAEI OF NOkelu-
{ Der. 1 went down with Luckey and
Bradley to the depot, when he went to
take the train to come east, and he told
me to consult with Bradley; that Brad
ley was there In the interest OF Bab-
cock, and that this whole move was not
against Bsbcock but against the Presl-
dent, and for me to consult with Brad
ley aud to act with him.
Ques.-And Bradley told you to get
that evidence out Of the district-attor-
ney's Office and bring it to the Linden
hotel to be destroyed2 Ans.-He did.
Ques.-Did you attempt to get it2
A6s.-NO. sir, did not.
Ques.-Why did you not? Ans
Well, thought that was going rather
too far In the matter.
Q1es.-You had told him all you
knew of it? Ans.-Yes.
Ques.-When you came back here
you say you had q conversation with
General Bslknap? Ans.-Yes; met
him at No. 2l0O Pennsylvania avenue.
Ths witness produced q memorandum
Of the number Of the house that was
given him, he said by Mr.. Lucky. In
that conversation / told all had seen
and heard in st. Louis; told him of
this proposal Of Bradley's; he said he
did not want me to get it unless got
the whole OF 1t, that q part Of it would
be worse than none. The matter was
talked over between us afterward, and
he remarked that II got it would be
well rewarded. 1 told him l did not
like to go into it; also met his ooun-
sci, Mr. 6tOrrs; / was at General Bah
cocks house six or seven times,
Qaes.-Whst occurred there9 Ans.
-Ghere was q great deal of talk. !
| gave them q written report of sll that
had seen and heafd at st. Louis. 1 have
not copy of the report. General Bah
cock, suppose, has the report. J. had
given them that report previous to this
talk about getting evidence, and up to
the time OF making that report l still
thought the matter was intended ss
| political move; but when l found out
that was wrong dropped off, and went
| from here to New York on the nine.
teenth of January, and did not return to
| Washington until abor,t the ninth OF
July. took the President ct his word,
and took measures to send him inform9-
ton that BAbcock was guilty. 1 should
have stated that 1 gave the thing up af.
ter Bradley left st. Louis, which was
night or two after Luckey left, and went
to Lexington, Kentucky, From thereI
wrote to Bradley and asked him to re.
turn my letter, and he did so, accompa-
MED with the following:
WASHINGTON, D. c., February 8, 1875.
c. 8. Bell. ESQ.,:
Yours received to-day and herewith
returned. I am authoriz ID to request
you to come Immediately, and to cay
you will be cared for. Yours truly,
a. c. BRADLEY, eS5 F ST., Washington.
1t was intended that should be ap-
pointed special agent in the attorney
generals office and sent to st. Louis to
continue my work, and here is the key
OF the cipher that was given to me to
communicate with. THE witness here
produced the original cipher published
in the New York Herald on February
I0th.1
Ques.-Were you appointed in the
attorneyigeneraPs :ofice? Ans.-I was
not, but wss to be appointed, and
had card from the President to Attor- |
ney-General Pierrepont similar to one |
l had to Secretary Chandler.
Ques.--A card asking you to be ap-
pointed special agent? Ans.-I did not |
say go. 1t said this man of whom |
spoke FOR that appointment, or some
thing to that effect.
pointed2 Ans.-That was about |
the fifteenth of December.
Ques.-He was averse to your going !
out there to play spy on Colonel Dyer2 |
Ans.-Yee, he seemed to be. l went |
directly from the White House to the |
encouragement with that card from |
the President and told to him exactly |
what the President told me, and that if |
there was any innocent party to be |
prosecuted he wished to know it, and |
that II BabcOck was guilty he wanted |
him punished. The encouragement |
said: II wanted to commission you to- |
day, but an official c1me to my house |
last night-I will say a very high off, |
cial-whOm / met on special OCCASION" |
understood him to mean the secretary |
of the treasury, and pointed out of the |
window, where We were sitting, toward |
the treasury department and said: "If |
you have said anything in that quarter, |
there's no use Of my going" The attor- |
ney-general said: "It's not the secre- |
tary, but it's a,high Cfficial;" and said he |
"under the circumstances it's no use for |
you to 90 out there" / said: mo; but |
you ought to have let me find that out |
for myself
Ques.-You knew, then, that the head |
of the treasury department would not |
have approved Of your going out there |
TO play spy on District-AttOrney Dyer? |
Ans.-Most assuredly.
Ques.-When you got that card from |
the President was it understood between |
you and him that the purpose Of it was |
to get you an appointment, and that you |
were to go to ST. Louis and through the |
district attorneys Office and ascertain |
whether there was any evidence that |
would show Babcock's guilt; was that |
the object of the President in sending |
you there? Ans.-The object, as l un- |
derstood it, was that / was to ascertain |
whether there was any reasonable |
ground for believing Babcock guilty, and |
that if that was 80 the President wished |
to know it; and if he was innocent and |
an attempt was being made to make po-
litical capital out of it, or in other words |
to persecute an innocent man, the Pres.
ident wished to know it, but he trusted |
ia my judgment and L was not to re-
port to him, but to the attorney general. |
Ques.-Aceording to your judgment !
the object of the President in sending |
you there was a proper One-tO ascertain |
whether Babcock was guilty, but under |
cover of that appointment the attorney
general and Bradley, Luckey and Bah
cock were going to use you for the pur-
pose OF destroying the evidence? Ans. |
No, not the attorney general.
Ques.-But the others, Bradley and
Babcock, and Iuckey, wished you to go
there and destroy the evidence? Ans
Yes, they wished me to do that; will
say here, however, that had no inten-
ton Of going there before, because l
thought my tirst duty was to the Pres
ident, and il found, afterward, proof
of Bsbcock's guilt, my intention was. as
proved by my subsequent action to in
form the President of it as he had re-
quested.
Ques.-And as soon as you did in.
form him you were turned out Of the
position you had received under the in
terror Department. Ans.-Yes. l do
not say though that the President had
any hand In cancelling my commission;
l only state the fact as it exists.
The witness produced letters of dis.
misssl, which were read, as follows:
DEPARTMENT OF INTERIoR,O
PENSION OFFICE,
WASHINGTON, February Is, 1851
Erp-Vou ara barahv diraotad to 70