The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-03-09
THE BABC0CK TRIAL.
RUMoRs AND STATEMENTS AFTER THE
BATTLE.
ST. LOUIS. Feb. 26, 1876.

DA1 LIZ
ST. LOUIS, Feb. 26, 1876.
It being q we'll known fact that D. w.
D. Barnard, Bank Commissioner of this
city and cousin of President Grant, was
witness before the Grand Jury against
Babcock, a good deal of curiosity has
been expressed to find out why he was
not used on the trial. District Attorney
Dyer was interviewed on the subject to-
day. He said it was true that Barnard
was a witness for the government before
the Grand Jury, and that the indictment
was partly based on his evidence, but
declined to state why he was not put on
the stand. Dyer said that Barnard had
suddenly changed his mind on the sub
iect and that it was matter which could
not be properly discussed now.
Among those who sent their congratu-
lations to General Babcock yesterday was
General Mcdonald, who occupies cell
in the county Jail. Mcdonald says if
his trial had been as fair as Babcock's,
and had the judges instruction been so
liberal, he would never have been con.
victed A good deal of talk is being
made about the corruption OF the Bab-
cock iury and the air is full of rumors on
that subject.
Some important developments are
promised about this jury, and also the
iuries in the preceding whiskey trials.
The Erening Dispatch of to-day says
"In this connection it may not be i'm
proper to say that some startling revela.
tions are about to be made in relation to
some of the jurors who have served in
the whiskey trials. II is asserted that on
one of the iuries wasa man who occupied
a position under the government and who
actually subpenaed the members of the
jury upon which he sat. Other equally
strange things are talked of, which may
come up shortly"
Quite sensation was created here to-
day by the statement that ON the night
of the day General Babcock was acquitted
he made secret trip in closed carriage
to the County Jail and bad conference
with General Mcdonald. Judge Krum
of his counsel was interviewed on the
subject tonight and admitted that Bah
cock did visit Mcdonald. He said:-
ave did go to the Jail to see Mcdonald,
but so far from there being any secrecy
about it, as might be inferred from the
statement made, we went in hack from
the hotel at six o'clock in the evening,
and with no attempt at concealment
whatever. had told General Babcock
that Mcdonald was suffering in health,
and General Babcock expressed desire
to see him. That is all the mystery there
was in it."
ST. LOUIS, Feb. 81, 1876.
The visit of General Babcock to the
St. Louis County Jail to see General
Mcdonald continues to excite great
deal of scandalous comment here. 1t is
believed that Babcock's visit there was not
altogether voluntary, and that Mcdonald
held him at such disadvantage that he
could not safely leave St. Louis without
making the visit Babcock called about
seven o'clock in the afternoon, in compa-
ny with Judge Krum. The jailor says
the greeting between Babcock and Nc
Donald was extremely cordial. The Wis.,
itors remained half hour alone with the
prisoner in his cell.
1t is now known that during Babcock's
trial the prosecution discovered that GER
tain letters in McDonald's possession
from the defendant would leave the jury
no alternative but to convict. Colonel
Dyer promptly set about endeavoring to
obtain these letters, but it appears that
the attorneys of the defense heard of the
intended move and sent representative
to tie County Jail to see Mcdonald. A
messenger conveyed from Babcock to the
prisoner in Jail solemn promises of aid to
obtain his release if he he would only re-
tain those letters. Mcdonald took ad-
vantage of this condition of circumstan-
ces and through the messenger of Bah
cock demanded certain pledges looking
to his release, on condition that he re-
fused to yield the letters, the ful6lment
! of the pledges of course depending upon
Babcock's acquittal. The agreement was
ratified by Babcock's proxy. The prose-
cution discovered that it would be useless
to put Mcdonald on the stand to aid
their cause. In fact they were afraid to
do so. They suspected that some prom
ise had been made to him and were
shrewd enough to realize that man in
McDonald's position will 60 to any length
tv procure freedom. If they put him on
the stand, and if he preferred not to tell
the truth, he could do so with impunity,
as Joyce is the only man who could con-
tradict him. The defence, for obvious
reasons, did not want him on the stand.
They preferred that he should remain in
his cell. Mcdonald kept the secret Of
the existence of those. letters and their
place of concealment within his own
bosom and remained content with his
own bargain until the closing speeches of
Storrs and Porter were delivered. These
two gentlemen, counsel for the defendant,
who had aided in sealing the compact, in
regard to the letters, denounced McDon-
aid in the most unmeasured terms. He
was thief, liar and robber. He had
aided in dragging the name of innocent
Babcock into this conspiracy and no
| terms are black enough to paint his char
acter. When Mcdonald read these
speeches suspicion that be had been
deceived flashed across his mind. He
believed he had been made tool of
merely to aid in securing Babcock's
acquittal.
The case was closed and no new testi-
mony could be introduced. Babcock's
attorneys had succeeded in duping him:
The verdict of acquittal followed, and
that night, while Babcock and his friends
were rejoicing at his deliverance, the late
defendant received message delivered
quietly. 1t was from Mcdonald, de-
manding to see Babcock in person before
he left St. Louis.
The demand had to be acceded to.
Baccock sent word to the prisoner that
he would see him in the Jail the follow
ing morning, after leaving the hotel for
the depot. This reassured Mcdonald,
and he received Babcock with the same
friendly feeling that had existed between
them when the "Sylph" despatch was
sent. Judge Krum is the only man who
overheard the conversation, and of course