Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1876-10-05

1t is said that s'the mills of the gods
grind slowly, and they grind exceeding
tine," but sometimes the speed of the
mills seems accelerated, perhaps be
cause there is an unusual crime to pun
ish and the gods are disposed to mete
it out more speedily thar is their ems
tom. Washington is now presenting a
memorable example. When after the
war the minions Of Grant We're berry,
ing the South, and making thousand
ku-klux on paper where one existed in
reality, they sent to the South one
Whiteley and number of so called
secret service men, who concocted ter
rible disclosures, and by dint of false
hoods, Misrepresentation, and some
times by fiat perjury, created a reign of
terror 10 some parts of the South, and
established mandatory of s'bloody
shirts" for use in northern political
campaigns. The internal terrorism
created by these men-many of them
accused of murder, arson, and the like
at the North, but exempted from pros
ecution to do dirty work at the South
exceeds belief. After awhile it was
thought possible to transport Nortl,
for the destruction of leading Dem.
ocrats there the same machinery which
had manufactured outrages and then
punished innocent Democrats Tor them
in the South. The preliminary experts
ment was tried in the District OF Co
lumbia. The first Democrats selected
to be crushed was Columbus Alexander,
of Washington. He had been foremost
and most determined in procuring an
investigation of the ring of corruption
lists that governed the District. The
man who had been sent South was
wanted again. The cruel work done
amid the cotton.6elds was to be repeat
ed amid the avenues of the national
capital. Babcock, the Presidents pri
vate secretary, sent for Whiteley, lately
the Administrations instrument OF
terror in the South. Whiteley came
home, went to the Presidents, ana re
celved his orders from Babcock in the
Executive Mansion. ave are being
investigated, said Babcock in substance
land | am accused of making false
measurements. See Harrington, and he
will tell you what is to be done.
Whitley did see Harrington, whose
sworn duty is was as Assistant District
Attorney to protect Mr. Alexander and
all other citizens of the District. Har-
rington, SO Whiteley swears, told him
how the schemes as long successful in
the South were TO be used against
Alexander. and the safe burglary cons
spiracy was the consequence. This
was 3 scheme by which Harrington was
to have his own safe robbed by protes
sional burglars aud the spoils carried to
Alexander's house. All were to be
arrested. The burglars were TO be
taken by Harrington as District Attor-
ney as State evidence, and to perjure
themselves by ascribing the crime to
Alexander, and other Democrats. This
was to crush the Democracy of Wash
ington, and similarly the leading Dem
OCratS Vi DaltlinoTe anu eiSeWueTe were
to be crushed. The plan was carried
out, the burglars were hired, the bur-
glary done, the spoils carried to Alex
anders door-they could not get i'll.
And then "lhe mills of the god begun
to grind Alexander was left in his
sleep of innocence. One of the burg
lars was seized by the police that had
been brought there by Harrington TO
arrest Alexander. Harrington's fears
at once sickened him, and a bright,
buoyant, powerful, successful man, he
came out of that night haggard and
worn, and he is now fugitive from
Justice Babcock stands at the bar OF
the criminal court of the District on
trial for his crime. His accuser is
Whitley, and tho witnesses against
him are mainly the secret-service de-
tectives that were sent to harry the
South. The picture is dramatic one.
The moral every man may draw.