The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-08-01


say to you that he and had an explanation
concerning it? That he had expressed him
self as satisfied Of the forgery and as salts
fed wholly with my conduct in the prem
iscs p"
The President said in reply that General
Porter had said to him that ! claimed that
the letter was q forgery, and that it seemed
to be by reference to the lcttcr-press copy.
/ told the President that we would let the
matter rest there until could go and get
my letter-books and my records, as contain
ed in my private memoranda, in connection
with the whole Babcock matter, and he con-
sented to that. got my lctter-press book.
| got his Barnard letter. got all the other
matter which l thought would throw any
light upon my connection with the Babcock
case and went back.
BABCocK AND JIM CASEY.
Mr. Wilson then explained how he at
tempted to satisfy the President. / said to
him, Mr.. President, what hYe done in
the premises touching General Babcock
have done under the warrant and in full
pursuance OF your own instructions to the
Secretary of the Treasury and to myself"
He said, !" Certainly. / had Babcock and
jim Casey in mind when made that en-
dorscment and I expected you to do your
duty" l said to him, "Mr. President, that
is precisely the reply which expected you
rs President OF the United States to make
to me- ! said to the President that / did
not believe that either General Henderson
or Mr.. Dyer would do anything but his
duty in the premises; that as far as the
President himself was concerned he should
not permit personal consideration or his
personal attitude toward these gentlemen to
influence him.
Bv Mr.. Plaistcd Was that said with re-
ference to the hostile relations between them
and the President:
4. Yes, sir: between the President and
General Henderson.
TIE HOSTILE RELATIONS.
The President was not satisfied with Hen
dcrson nor with Dyer. He referred to Mr..
IicndcrSon's acts OF hostility to him, and
also TO Dyer. He said he did not mind Dyer
so much. and stated that when they were
appointed he had acquicsced in it, but had
not taken any active part. He said, how
ever. that he was entirely satisfied with my
explanation OF my conduct in the premises,
and gave me Il hearty greeting when went
away.
THAT WOMAN, AGAIN.
o. You have stated in your examination
that during an interview you had with
General Horace Porter, the subject OF the
"Sylph" dispatch was discussed; that Cen
eral Porter undertook to explain that dis
patch bv stating that the word "Sylph " re-
fcrrcd to 4 lewd woman with whom the
President OF the United States had been in
intimate relations. Did you call the atten-
ton Of the President of the United States
to this statement as made by Porter during
that interview. in regard to which YOU have
Just now been tcstifying, and if so what did
the President say in relation thereto?
. 4. did. and in doing so said to the
President that my justification for going on
after my interview with General Porter
was in the fact that the explanation he made
10 me was not satisfactory. l said to the
President that he was put by General Por-
ter in the attitude OF having been the SUBJ
icct OF McDonald's kind offices in connec-
ton with certain lewd woman named
"Sylph."
q. What did the President say:
\. The President expressed his surprise
that the General should have made such 4
statement, and said there was not one word
of truth in it, brushed it out OF his way in
this way illustrating by contemptuous
gesture). and went on.
o. Was ANYTHING more said touching the
"Sylph" dispatch as explained by General
Porter?
A. Nothing except that / assured the
President that myself did not believe one
word of the statement.
PORTER AS BABCoCK's FRIEND.
Q. At this time what public position, II
any, did General Porter hold?
4. None. He was the cX-privatc secro-
tary OF the President and warm personal
friend OF General Babcock, and was taking
q lively interest in Babcock's case.
@. Were he and the President on good
terms:
A. They were, to my best knowledge,
upon intimate tagms.
O. Did the President become angry when
YOU told him OF this explanation?
! \. lie Indignantly denied that there was
any truth in the statement.
9. Do YOU know whether General Por-
| ter's relations with the President subsequent
to this time were rs friendly as before, or
have YOU seen him there?
A. Down to the second day before the
close of the Babcock trial believe that Gen
eral Porter's relations with the President
continued precisely the same.
Q. What reason have you to believe that
friendly relations continued between the
President and General Porter?
A. [ saw General Porter visiting Wash
inston, and learned from him OF his visits
to the White Heuse on Sundays when he
came down.
Q. You had that from General Porter:
\. Yes, sir,
Q. Where does he live?
4. He lives in New York city.
By Mr. Plaisted: Do you not believe,
and did YOU not at the time believe, that
this explanation of Porter's of the "Sylph''
dispatch was intended to deter you from
doing your duty in the prosecution OF Gen
eral Babcock?
A. Most undoubtedly did and do.
GRANT WILL TESTIFY.
President Grant las expressed to num-
ber of congressman his desire to testify De-
| fore the committee and to answer wilson
evidence, if summoned. He will not 60 be-
fore the committee voluntarily, but Will re-
spond to summons.
DISMISSAL OF WHARTON.
LOUISVILLE, KY, July 29.-Information
having reached here yesterday OF the nomi-
nation OF a successor to Colonel Whafton'
United States district attorney Tor hen'
tucky, q former law-partner OF eN-Secretary
BrisIow, that gentleman was interviewed Dy
q Courier Journal reporter with reference
to the cause of his removal. He replied that
his removal was without notice to him
either from the President or the Department.
He believed it was due to the influence Oh
Hon. John D. White, Republican member
of Congress from Kentucky. He said that
in Nav last he received letter from MI.
White, in which the latter expressed wish
.o l,,x,o III, fyTbortop,c\ psSist1Ocp in Sc