The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-02-25

defence which may be described as extra
ordinary, in view of the testimony ON the
trial and the previous explanations OF
BABCocK's friends. Here are his words as
reported:
sine Judge fPoHrERl then explained how BsooocK
me to sign the word eylph TO the despa CHI dich
with PRECEDENT JoYcs ported out 10 Rim
No. YOU al NOV ny , SsT term ne P
feur hut tue lads pointed out q JoYcE was noted for
For this mistake pArocK made fun Of Joror, and
daspatch ard ps,rT ashogt9,a signed ,ne nan to .
gnt ~ 90 JorcE yoYcs secns that BsBcooK
Sssrr "spstch signed tue term, but spet cor
'rThis wss AL done in playful manner. and vet he
private secretary or the Pr sden ia TO be araigned
upon such tribe committed In jest"
Unfortunately for this theory, II is not
consistent either with the record or with
probability. The "jest" OF an oficer of
the army assuming spurious name TO
cover an Illicit correspondence, remains to
be seen. especially when connected with
conspiracy to defraud the revenue. Now
what are the plain. hard facts in oonneo-
ton with this serious piece Of "fuu," as
Judge PORTER calls III
In December, 1874, MCDONALD was in
Washington, aud while there is believed TO
have stolen from tho Office Of Deputy
Commissioner RooERs, q private letter
from Agent Brooks to the latter, dis
closing his plan for raid on the distillers
who were running crooked whiskey" In
st. Louis. That letter was put into the
hands OF BABcocK, who In turn exhibited
n TO Commissioner DOUGLASS and used IL
as "A means Of preventing the proposed ex-
animation. lie succeeded. aud then sent
the following telegram TO McDoNALD-not
to JoYcE, as was stated by the defence;
"wAsurxeros. Dec IS. 1874.
They Will not 60. Ivill write you. bYtPH."
Interpreted in plain English, this de-
spatch means: have succeeded IN stop
ping BROOKS from raiding on st. Louis.
He and the other agent Will not go. l Will
write you all the details how IL was done"
JOYCE does not appear directly or indi-
rectly In the despatch, which covered in
formation connected with the business
that had called MCDONALD to Washington.
After this Mr.. BRIsTow aud Mr.. DoUo-
LASS decided upon the plan OF changing
the Supervisors suddenly. which the Pres
ident, with singular assurance, In his depo-
sition claimed the credit of originating.
The order was issued on the 9th of jan
uary, 1875, to take effect on the 18th OF
February. MCDONALD was to be trans
ferred to Philadelphia, aud TUITION to st.
Louis. MUM was 10 leave Chicago, where
he had managed matters in the interest of
Senator LOGAN, and others were to 60
elsewhere.
Immediately great pressure was
brought by Ring Senators, Representa-
tives, and managers, rs well as by the
Supervisors, who did not want 80 change
their profitable places, to get this order
revoked. They did not go near the Secre-
tary of the Treasury, under whose author
ity it was issued. They rushed TO the
White House, and the President, as he tes-
tifies himself, dictated the order of revoca-
ton without even consulting Mr.. BRIsTow.
While this movement was going on, the
Ring at st. Louis, who had their retained
| agents in Congress and in the departments.
| were fully Informed OF every step that was
taken, and lslew every phase the case as
sumed. In the midst of 1t JOYCE tele-
| graphed BABcocK rs follows:
"sT. LOWS. Feb. 8. 1875
| " Gen, o F. BAHcocK TasiiHgio, We have onieal
"sYIPu."
Commissioner DOUGLASS did weaken.
BABcocK saw him and represented the in
jury that would follow persistence in the
| policy of changing the Supervisors, and
when pretext for resembling the order
was fabricated, the President gave direc-
tons TO revoke the measure, which was
the first practical step to arrest and dis
cover the frauds
1t is thus seen that BADcocR's Sylph
| telegram was sent to MCDONALD. and that
| JOYCE used the same signature when adj
| dressing BADcoCK. The consplrators evil
IDENTIFY adopted that word as sign among
them common to all. There was no fat OF
thin woman in the case, rs BABcocK told
his counsel, and il n conspiracy to plumber
the Treasury by deliberate frauds be a
Jest" that perpetrated by BABCocK,
MCDONALD, JOYCE and their associates was
too broad 10 be relishcd by plain people
The tricks, evasions, lodges, and perjury
which made the BEECHER trial an event "a
he remembered, have been paralleled in
| the trial OF BABCoCK.