, 1876-03-05
It Declares that Babcock,s AcQuittat
Was Entirely Due to the At
torney- Generals Efforts.


|
| saVe that gentleman. With this view it
| asserted that the Attorney General sent TO
| Dist.-Atty, Dyer to come to Washington. Dye
went, and while there Pietrepont. on tho pie
that it was very important, and eyen necessar
! that he as tho head of the Department OF Jus
| tice, shonIa know what the prosecution woult
bo in the Babcock case, and thus obtained frou
him by the grossest and most in
excueablo hypocrisy a detailed state
mont Of all the oral testimony agains
Babcock, the whole plan Of the prosecution
what ho intended to prove By each witnees, the
order in which ho intended to present the
evidence, etc. This information, it is al
legged, Pierrepons made over to Bah
cocks counsel, in order to frustrate the
prosecution. and this. too, with the presi
dents knowledge and consent. Storra seniol
counsel for Babcock, remained in " Washington
and whatever Pierrepont received from Dyer If
regard to the case he first repeated to the Presi-
dent, and, after consultation With him,
sToDRs GOT TIE BENEFIT
of all thai he had learned. Tho Attorney Gen.
erals private Office was the place where the plan.
to dofoat the Government in its case against
Babcock were matuIed. Every night pre-
ceding the time set for tho Babcock
trial Babcock and Porter met Piorepont in his
office, and closely studied every point contained
in the evidence for the Government, aud pre-
pared to overcome it. Babcock was admitted to
tho conference between the President and
Pierrapont when the plan was first arranged,
and whenever Dyer sent sny additional evidence
to Washington. S,orrs was sent for, and
when the plan OF prosecution was fuily
uaturad, he was rs familiar with It as the
Attorney General himself. Those familiar With
all tho circumstances absolye Col. Dyer from MI
consure. Dyer had reposed implicit confidence
IN the integrity of Pierrepont and had been de-
ceived. Dyer could not be made to believe
that one Of the chief officera OF the Gov
ernmont would violate his oath OF Office
and disregard his duty. Hence he ac-
copied Plerzopont's pretended interest in
the vigorous prosecution as serious, and even
and counsel. 1t is then asserted that while
Picrrepont was ut the outset earnest IN prose-
cutting the Whisky Ring, believing it would re-
dound to his credit as chief prosecuting officer
Of the Government, he soon found he was
OvEnsBADowEn DY RE1srow,
the people and prosecuting officers giving that
gentleman credit for every blow struck against
the ring. THIS filed Piorrepout with envy He
became jealous Of Bristow'e popularity, and
joined heart and soul with the Grant faction
against the Brlstow combination. This gave
him firm hold on tho regard Of the President.
Rristows plans, and thus weakening
Bristow among the people, and With
the whole Administration. So he had double
purpose in joining in the move to save Babcock
from conviction. Ho would establish his posi-
ton with Grant for the present and future, and
weaken Bristow by making it appear that tho in
dictmsnt OF Babcock was a scheme to injura
Grant and advance Bnstow'B political iDtereatA
AS to why Solicitor Wilson did not warn Dyer
of pierrepout'a plan to defeat it, is explained as
coming from Wilson himself, that he (Wilson)
had already been represented as scheming
against the President and Babcock. Every set
be had performed in the fur1herance Of
bis duty Was distorted and borne to
Grants ears rs part of Drlesov's plan to
obtain the nomination for the Presidency. Viii
almost exclusively to working up evidence
against, and preparing to convict, the leaders
If the Chicago Whisky-Ring. He had acquired
knowledge and had arranged plans to this end,
.hich madc it impossible for any other man to
3lip into his position and carry this out He
NEW that gseas pressure was boing brought to
Dear to
SECURE u1s REMOVAL
md he wished to avoid it untit tile Chicago ring
cadezs we're convicted. Just at this juncture,
against tue scheme OF the Attorney General
sould have proved Vnluable. be dared not inter-
nose. lesk it might result in his removal and the
scape Of tho whisky thieves in Chi
;ago- y Tho Secretary = regarded him
Q have exposed Pierrepont's plans his removal |
roald certainly have followed the discovery by |
'ierrepont Of the act. Besides Col Dyer placed |
he most implicit faith in the professions Of !
'icrepont, and any suggestions as to the
Generals scheme against tho
rosecution might have becn resented.
Considerations OF this kind prompted
o]icitor Wilson to refrain from /
living advice that might haze undermined his
ian. Wilson did not forget that he sent Hen
ersou letter advising him to keep detective
IT Babcock's track during his visit in tho fall Of
375 and that copy Of that letter was seat to
10 President Henderson lost tho letter. and
' some means copy found its way to the White
ouse. Dyer aud his assistants arc fully aware
{ P1er1epont's troacherY nav. Tho day Bab-
ock waB acauitted, Dyer said publicly that ho
ID coutended against in element which WAS
ouud to defeat him. He declined to give any
splanation, but tho fact that his eyes had Just
zen open to the element OF opposition Was cyi-
mt
Tie article also accuses Pierrepont with ma
,uyerlng for tho removal Of Gen, Henderson,
,ecial counsel for the Government here, but
ere is nothing said on this point that has not
,en already published.