The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-02-19
Che 1aiig Argya's,
A Convictine Coincidence,

There is no theory reconcllable with |
innocence or integrity, upon which the
connection between Baecock and the chiefs |
of the whisky ring can be explained or |
relieved. The letters and the kilograms |
under disguised names which have already |
been exposed, bear upon their face |
evidence of guilty compiicity. Babcoek's |
arrangement with Major Grimes to send |
letters for Mcdonald under cover of the |
formers address, so as to mask their rela- |
tons, tells its own story.
The repeated efforts made to influence
the official action of Douglass, while com
missioner of internal revenue, especially
in regard to investigations and in relation
to the order for the change OF supervisors,
leave no doubt 10 whose interest Babcock
was working, or with what object In this
matter one extraordinary coincidence has
been developed in the last few days, which
cannot fail to produce decided impress
sion.
Last Friday, when Douglass was on the
stand, he swore as follows:
.sOnca. in 1874 Babcock came to my Office. and
we talked about the supposed charges against
| Ford, who was dead at the Time. told HIM there
were charges against Ford that the charges
was getting up were against the living
! ale asked what examination had been made,
and said something about 6tdckentng me memory
| Of Ford; that the only way mans memory coata
| be bIackened who dead was by an examlna-
/ ton -
On Monday, among the kilograms pro
dnced on the trial, was one from Joyce.
which exactly fits in with this testimony,
and, strangely enough, contains the pre-
else words which Babcock used to Doug
lass. Here it is:
! ST LOUIS, March IL, 1874.
| Sen o. E. BABcocK, Washington:
start for San Francisco TO morrow light Make
d TDorsias>1 cali off his scandal hounds that only
6tecken the memory IF poor Ford and friends,
~
/ An explanation is necessary to make this
telegram intclligible. From 1872 down.
charges of whlSkey frauds at St. Louis and
other cities were constantly made at the
internal revenue office. The agents OF
the ring were always powerful enough al
the White House and the treasury t.
avoid or to control any investigation. Sen
ators and representatives, through whom
supervisors, agents, gaugers, storekeepers
and the like were appointed, took care l(
guard every point, and to prepare then
, contederates by notice, when an examina
zion was threatened.
These frauds at ST. Louis at length as
! suued such vast proportions as to attrac
public attention and to become an oper
. scandal. They could no longer be disre
4 garied, and at least the appearance CT al
investigation was demanded. The rims
r we're doing an immense business, and dl
viding many thousands Of dollars eyer!
week. Any interference would be inlurl
Gus, and an honest inquiry would be ruin
Gus.
Douglass ordered Joyce to San Francis
p co, in order, as he alleged on the stand, f
/ get him out of the way, and thus to maxi
| the examination more thorough by tw
special agents who were detailed for tina
duty, Joyce did not start, however, with
= out notifying his confederate in the Whit
a House, and urging him to make Douglas
d call off his scandal hounds.
. A pretext was necessary to stop the IN
he yestigation, and Joyce furnished it by tie
lgg egraph when he told Babccck the Who'll
n effect of that proceeding would be
s. ''blacken the memory of poor Ford,
oa Therefore, when B4bcock went to Doug
ID lass to persuade him recall his speci
at agents from St. Louis, his best argumet
ed ed was that they would 'backcn the memor
Of Ford" by an examination into tt
- whiskey frauds.
Babcock was for the moment throw
OK back by Douglass answer that there WEI
es mo charges against Ford, and that Il
charges were against the living. b
he recovered his equilibrium and carrie
nr his point. Joyce soon returned to :
no Louis. and the crooked ran in great
on streams than ever before, until Mr.. Br
tow wound his net around the ring, al
With one great blow crushed its power al
NJ stopped lis sWindliug.
- With such proofs as these, to say nothi
of the money traced into Babeock' hanc
ing it is absurd to suppose that he was not
srs. the whiskey ring. and that his relatio
\ with Joyce were wholly disconnected WI
}. that corrupt conspiracy. No sensible "a
can come to any other conclusion than tt
~ Babcock was the head and front OF
. Washington erd Of that huge rascality.
Y. !. .Stta.
rrrTSr, NJ OF = ARG