The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-02-22
BABCOCK,S TRIAL.


10 At the close Of the discussion on Satur
e day afternoon had finished. as l sup.
:, posed, the dispatches between Joyce and
!. Babcock relative to the successor OF c. W
:, Ford. II seemed to me that had dem.
d onstrated that Maguire's appointment
was the result Of the most honorable mo.
n tive. From the highest principles OF jus
/ tice, the President consulted the wishes
y Of Forti's bondsmen, who were bound tC
E the extent OF thousands OF dollars for the
conduct Of the officer. All this CORES.
v pondence passed in October, 1873. From
e that time down to March, 1874, there was
: 4 period OF dead silence between General
4 Babcock and Joyce and Mcdonald. !
e come now to the next dispatch in order
n Of time from Joyce to Babcock in March,
1874: "Start for San Francisco to-mor-
l row night. Make D. call off his scandal
] hous that only blacken the memory OF
r Ford and friends. Business" Doug
r lass himself tells you in his testimony
: that there was no direct suspicion against
Joyce, but the revenue agents sent out
1 here from time to time brought back such
stories OF excessive hospitality that the
Commissioner felt the necessity OF trans
ierring Joyce temporarily to another scene
, and sphere Of usefulness. Joyce attempt
ed to visit Washington when he received
, the order, but he was prevented. Had
Babcock then been member OF the con-
spiracy his office would then have been
called in use 10 prevent the San Fran
cisco trip, or at least TO secure Joyce the
desired visit 10 Washington. Gen. Bah.
cock was not appealed 10 and that is the
best proof Of his innocence and Ignorance
Of any ring at this time. Referring TO
the scandal.hound dispatch Mr.. StOrrs
asked who was Ford, and in reply quoted
the Presidents deposition, in which the
latter refers TO his lifelong friendship
with Ford and says that for several years
before Ford's death he was entrusted
with the care Of the Presidents interest
here and was the recipient OF hundreds
and thousands OF dollars from the Presi-
dent, which he disbursed and Of which so
implicit was the confidence that the Prcsi-
dent kept no account Of il.
Said Mr.. Storrs: The tooth Of SANDER
may have bitten Ford through and
through, but the President still main
tains the same confidence in his old
friend which existed twenty-five years
ago. 1t is absolutely delightful in the
vast desert OF this case, in the great void
OF truth and honesty, 10 find green spot
like this. Knowing the relations between
Ford and the President, Joyce sent his
dispatch: "Make D-call off his scan
dal.hounds," that only blackened the
memory OF poor Ford. Is it any wonder
that the Private Secretary OF the I'resi.
dent on receiving this dispatch went to
Douglass and inquired il any invcstiga-
.tions were afoot touching Ford?
Mr.. StOrrs then read the letter OF the
lTth OF March from Babcock TO Joyce, in
which he says that Douglass informs
him that no charges have been made con-
cerning Ford or any other St. Louis off.
Ger, and then tells Joyce that he don't
know why Douglass sends him to San
Francisco, unless it is because Of the con-
iidencc he feels in him.
OF this letter Mr.. StOrrs said, can that
other. do not know the object OF your
visit to San Francisco. Would that be
possible il Babcock was conspirator?
Would not he have known? Would not
joyce have informed Gen. Babcock as
soon as he was ordered TO San Francisco
and have besOught him TO intervene and
prevent the trip. Gentlemen, | think |
can safely leave the scandal.hound dis
patch on your hands. After this Joyce
was in San Francisco for several months
and no words passed between him and
Joyce. Did you ever hear OF such un-
communicative conspirators.
Mr.. Storrs then passed to the dispatch
Of October, 1874, to BabcOck: Have you
talked with d. Are these things
right. He answered and said that no
attention had ever been paid to this. 1t
remained unanswered. Now you must
remember that Mcdonald, whom Joyce
represented, was Supervisor OF this dis
trict; he was a trusted officer. He had n
right to make these inquiries. Itwas not
only his right but hisduty to know every
act in connection with the revenue ser ,
vice which concerned his district. hit
had been 4 distillcr who sent this message
it would have been different. But here I
was high official, who had right to
know. And suppose that Joyce and Nc
Donald were then engaged in conspiracy,
who knew it? Not even the Commission
er OF Internal Revenue, into whose de-
partment run all the streams OF infOrma- r
lion which could show the conspiracy. I
How could Babcock know about il? !
Rogers, the chief clerk in the depart =
ment, did not know it, and had not even j
4 suspicion OF Joyce and Mcdonald. |
Months after this, in the spring Of 1875, I
Rogers wrote conlidentially TO Mcdonald
nsking him to find a place for a young d
man, and thereby obligc member Of the :
Cabinet, and still later, when Douglass Z
was being mentioned for n Judgeship, 4
Rogers wrote even more coniidentially TO +,
Mcdonald, telling him OF Douglass pros I
pective promotion and OF his own Candi- n
lacy for the vacancy which would thus n
he created, and asking Mcdonald to do n
what he could for him. Even here in their n
nwn homes Joyce aud Mcdonald were ii
efficient officials, and the ring n
had never been exposed. How can you 4
my then that General BabcOck should ii
Iave known Of it. The place where, il at u
III, II ShOuldhavc been shown was in the =,
Internal Revenue Department, and yet "
he evidence shows that General BlbcOck m
vas never there 10 sec Douglass but HI
vice, and never there at all to see Rog- IA
'rs. General BabcOck had no means Of q
inowing Of these frauds even il they n
rad been known by the Commissioner ii
ind in his department. A.
The next dispatch was from Mcdonald 70
n Washington to Joyce, telling him that Ir
lc had long ride with the President eli
his afternoon; b. and II. are here. That bc
Iispatch was sent to be read, aud, il the ",
ruth were known, Joyce Immediately on Nh
creipt Of this dispatch went with il III
mong the distiIlcrics, telling them to S.
&c what Mac had done. lie goes to a,
lie keeps posted on tho ov
fairs. Brooks and H0gc arc there and m
'e have nothing To fear. Can anyone p,
oubt that that was the puSpoSr Of that nm
rlcgram. The President had simply hi
hrough courtesy taken Mcdonald in his At,
arriagc for ride, aud whisky matters m
Drmcd no part Of the conversation. Sup. ia
osc Mcdonald had ridden with General sn
'abcock, and he had sent such n telegram, nj, MI
hat u mountain Of evidence would have VII
Al. ..