New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-04-11
MIR. wILLIAMs's CHANGE OF TACTICS.

MIR. WTLLIAMS'S CHANGE OF TACTICS.
HIS MYSTERIOUS ACTION IN THE BURGLARY TRIALS
CLAIMED TO HAVE A GOOD MOTIvE-THE OLD
EXPLANATION VERY DIFFERENT AFFAIR-wnAr
Mr.. RIDDLE SAYS ABOUT IT-wBITLEY's LETTER
TO GEN. BABCOCK.
(BY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.l
WASHINGTON, April 1O.-The discovery OF
Gen. Babcocks connection with the infamous safe burg
larry conspiracy continues to be the most absorbing and
indeed almost the only topic Of conversation In wash
ington. Two witnesses, exsoicitor Banneld and ex-
Attorney General Williams, examined to-day by the
section Judiciary Committee having this subject
In charge and Gen. BabcOck submitted the following let
ter i'm explanation OF that which Col Whitley left with
the Committee Friday in which Baboock was repre-
sented as using the expression, You may bide your
time and wait in confidence the result Your services
bound to be Appreciated"
No. $50 sCHooL-sT, Boston, Mass.
MY DEAR GENERAL: learn you are now In Washing
can help me- and it is consistent you to do shall
feel much obliged to you.
pay the month Of August for what cause except ~
be account Of the malice entertained toward me by
Mr. Wilson, I am at a loss to understand. believe IL
you lay the matter before Secretary Brstow he
would order me to be paid for he dd not appear 10 ee
As 10 the which has been pursued toward the
at present as the day Of reckoning yet come but
the reward for my l0ia years OF faithful service rem
has ali been accomplished by the simple unsupported
pse diri aud no man By evidence in any OF the
words acting directly under the counsel OF william r.
Wood and Mr. Gibson More than 40 persons have been
thrown out of employment | Iced my money very
at once, there is good reason to dctain IT. truly
aud sincerely yours, ii. c. WHITLEY.
ExSocitor Banaeds testimony corrOborated and sus-
tanned that given by whitley and Nettleshp last week.
Mr.. Binied said he had sent FOR Whitley at Gen. BAD
cocks request, and had placed them In communication
with other He knew nothing whatever of the bns
ness Gen desired Whitley to perform, and had
himself nothing in the world to do with the conspiracy
Ex.Attorney General williams's testimony was sub
stantialy forcshadowcd in THE TRIBUNE OF to-day He
said that the prosecutions against the alleged
conspiratOrs were discontinued On account
OF decision by the Supreme Of the District that
the Grand Jury which had found the original indct-
mcnts was an illegally body. aud that its in
dictments were null and void The dismissal OF Mr.
Riddle, who had been employed "a special prosecutor
by the Government In the cases, he explained
In this way: Many OF those concerned In the
conspiracy had ed, and he thought If it was publicly
understood that the prosecution was being pushed they
would remain beyond the Jurisdiction OF the courts III
other hand IL reported that MI Riddle had
been dismissed from the and the prosecutions dis
continued the guilty would regain confidence and
might return Should this happen 1t his intention
10 rcGmploy Mr. Riddle, new indictments, and
push the prosecution speedy conviction IL Is not I'M
derstood that exAtorney General Williams claimed In
his testimony before the Committee that he had subse
quout 10 Mr. Riddles dismissal, taken any steps In the
prosecution OF tho safeburgary conspirators Mr. VIII
liams also testified he had received from the
President any instructions in regard to the prosecution
Of these cases or the dismissal OF Mr.. Riddle.
This testimony OF ex-Attorne General Williams be-
comes very interesting In the light Of what Mr. Riddle Is
expected to make oath 10 when called before the Com
uittec and he Will De within day two. Some mem
beers OF the Committee have already held an Informal
consultation with him. and obtained from him an out
line OF what his testimony will be. His memory
OF what occurred ut the time OF his dismissal
will vary very materially nom that OF Attorney General
williams IT, indeed his Gtory does not fatty contradict
that told by the eXmcmDer OF the Cabinet to-day. Inc
trial Of the sateburgary conspraors closed very early
in December 1874 Counsel for the defendants had filed
six exceptions to the personal qualifications OF members
OF the Grand Jury by which the indictments against INC
eopspirators had found, and similar exceptions had
been carried up to the Supreme Court OF the Dsct III
another case where the question oflegay OF the jury
was then pending During the progress OF inc ii' OF
while tue arguments In the case were pelhg dc'creo'
Col Whitley had approached Mr. Riddle but the later
had refused to have anything to say 10 hlm' Tic
supposed that whltley's only object was 10 seeufo
lenont treatment OF himself After the close OF TIC
trial an interview between Mr. Riddle and Whitley was
brought about through the agency OF Major Richards
chief nj the Washington police. Whitley pretended 10
have obtained information during the trials just closed
which he was willing TO give to MI Kidoe ahu he so
ARRANGED TO place Mr. Riddle In communication WITH
fycteship who he said had arranged for the perform
ance OF the job. lie told Mr.. Riddle at that time
that Gen Babcock guilty, and when he
himself was charged with having been present at an In
teryiew Of the conspirators, among whom were Gen.
Rabcock Gov Shepherd, and others, he denied having
been there himself but admitted his knowledge OF the
meeting This information Mr. Riddle did not commuhi'
cate either to Assistant Attorney General i, VINO was
associated with him IN the prosecution, OF 10
the Attorney General The only consultation IN regard
IA the case ever held took place at the office OF the
General Friday, Dec 3, 1s7i AT tins time
there were present Attorney General Williams. Assist
ant Attorney GENERAL Hill, and Mr.. Riddle IL was then
determined that the further prosecution OF the cohsp
a,or, should be postponed until February Marc-that
I'm the meantime the should be worked up as wei as
possiblc II the Grand Jury decided TO be Illegal,
now indictments should be secured ana at any event the
trial should take place possible before the close OF the
session of Congress- 1t also arranged that Mr. Rid
die should on the Monday, go into court and an
nounce their determination IN regard to the matter On
saturday the Supreme Court the District decided the
Jury ease adversely, thus determining that all indct-
ments found by IL were null aud void.
On Monday the 9th OF December Mr.. Riddle says, he
announced in court that the Government not ready
to 20 with tho cases its witnesses having been dis
charged and that II II was 1t could not do So since the
decision Of the Supreme Court made II Impossible ior
them 10 try the accused under the old indictments
Mr. Riddle did not enter q noile prosequf, but
Judge Macarthur said In the existing state
of the ho would take the responsibility OF dong IL
himself The next morning Mr.. Riddle received note
from the Attorney announcing that his authority
to represenhe in those cases had been re-
yoked He at once went to the Attoey-Generals office
and asked him for explanation lie said the letter had
taken him by surprise; that of course he could find no
fault with 1t, but he did with to know whether the
Attorney learned Of any circumstance since
their consolidation Of the previous Friday which had led