The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-08-14

have increased watchfulness during IL
next ten dayE after tho writing Of The le
ter to prevent their escape, but be sal
he meant 10 stand or fall by that iette
He only wanted the truth in regard TO !
to be understood. Itold him that accotC
ling to my understanding, the letter hal
not been shown to the President, and tina
saw no necessity Of It's being shown hin
He then asked me PERSONAL 10 show thi
letter TO the President and 10 state 10 .hit
that the "W. H." was interpolated in th
copy Andalso 10 make 10 the President th
same explanation which he had made /
mes You will, observe that l had cop
OF tho letter with me, not an original lei
ter, and not purporting to be an origina
letter, and that the letters wv. H. wer
not inserted in an original letter and in
different handwriting, as has been assert
ed, so that l could not have said saw
this forgery in the original letter. 80.
Mr.. Plaisted-Was ii all in the sam,
Handwriting, the wv. H."and the rest; o
it?4t.l' i....- aiIH-Hm ]
Witness-Itwas all in the same hand
writing. nU .gsr tas !.
Mr. Plaistcd-Go on aud give the sue
cinct history Of the whole affair in your
way. l..ti, ,,'. 4.-I! 4.
Witness-In the course Of the CONVEX
sation, Mr.. Wilson asked me what I un-
derstood 10 be the origin Of the term
"Sylph," and the explanation OF the Sylph
dispatch. ! knew nothing in regard to
the origin Of that term, or any circpm.
stances connected with il, Of my. own
knowledge. merely repeated 10 Wilson
what General Babcock had told me at
Long Branch the previous summer, when,
from motive OF curiosity, | asked. him
what the explanation was, which I re.
peated to Wilson as coming from Gener:
nj Babcock, and was rs follows: That
in the fall Of 1874, General Babcock Wis.
tied ST. Louis with the Presidents party;
that on one occasion Mcdonald, the n
Supervisor OF that district, was present,
with some other Government officers,
with General Babcock, either at the hotel
or at fair which was being held in The
city;that Mcdonald pointed out a hand.
some woman, ,but rather large in size, and
called her a "Sylph;" that it was done in
such manner as to create considerable,
amusement; that it was referred 10 after
wards by way Of n JOKE and that It be-
came sort OF by-word. Did not under.
stand that the President. was present on
this occasion, nor did / understand that
there was any. reflection upon tho lady'
character. $la' -
The allegation that ! uttered or even
repeated gross and vulgarslander upon
the President in that connection, or in
any other connection, or that | ever Mt.
tered language which could be by any
possibility construed into a reflection
upon his character, is so unutterably alb
surd as 10 bear its own refutation on It's
face; but want right here, under the so.
lemnity OF an oath, to. give 10 that state
ment broad and absolute andunqualitied
denial. BIuford Wilson says, or insinu-
ated, that ! said the Sylph telegram re-
ferred TO the movements Of some parties
who were going TO ST. Louis on the bridge
business. Now, mark The perversion.
What l stated TO him iii regard TO that
was precisely this: In speaking Of tele-
grams, and for the purpose Of illustrating
how suspicious telegram mightbe on its
face, and yet how innocent might be its
nature, l stated that Colonel Stevens had
recently told me.he once received tele-
gram from General Babcock'in Washing
ton while he Colonel Stevens was in st.
Louis, which read as follows: "No one
going from here" The Colonel remark
ed that on its face, without explanation,
that Telegram might look very suspicious,
but that lie had a day or two before (he
being n railroad manager, and hearing
that the President and his party were
coming to 81. Louis to attend the opening
Of the st. Louis bridge on the 4thof JULY
General Babcock to know |
when the President would reach there
and Of how many his party would consist, |
and that il was in answer 10 that telegram
that General Babcock sent him the very
innocent reply: "No one going from
here"
l took occasion, in compliance with
Mr.. Wilson's request, 10 speak to the
President in relation TO "tlle bottom or
Iop" letter in my interview with the
President. | showed him copy, ex-
plained TO him that had compared il
with Wilson's letter-press copy, and that
'W. H." was an Interpolation, and l
gave him the explanation which Wilson
had given TO me. The President exhib-
tied considerable feeling III regard to the
letter, and did not appear TO regard the
wv. H." as at all important. 1t was the
general tone Of the letter TO which he OBJ
ected. lsuggested that he should send
ior Wilson, see the letter.press copy him
Ielf, and hear the explanation from Will
son himself, as did not want to be the
vehicle for transmitting any explanation.
Now | want to say here that I made this
,ali on Wilson from motives of kindness
and with disposition TO do him m act OF
ustice, and the only reward / have re-
,eived thus far is having myname drawn
into an unseemly discussion in reference
10 matter about which | know little or
nothing and care still less.
Mr.. Plaisted-You may state what the
President said. t.
Witness-The President was annoyed
~ the letter, and looked upon it as very
lisrespectful and as an aiIront TO set spies
Upon him during his visit to 81. Louis.
Mr.. Plaisted-I should like to hear
ust what the President said about it,
Witness-I cannottrdst my memory to
'ccollect The exact expression used.
@. Was there anything said about Will
on's removal-tbat is, that he ought to |
,e removed, or anything Of that kind ?
\. The President said that Wilson ought
3 be removed, and that was what led me
o ask that he might send for Wilson
himself. 'a' a' ~
q. State Just what the President did say
IN that head. 4. His, manner and Lam
,uage loft the impression upon me that
le was going to remove Wilson,. -,
In the cross.examination General Por-
er was asked: Did the President. at any
ime after this conversation with Wilson,
ny anything to you about Wilson's hay:
NJ given him the conversation between
i'm and Wilson about this Sylph dis
,atch? A. Hc did not. The President
lcver said 10 me that Wilson had made
o him this statement, as related in his
estimohy. '..
Q. Do you know Of the President hav.
ng at any time. spoken OF conversation
With Wilson in regard to your explana-
ion OF the Sylph telegram; II so, what
I'D the President say, and what are your
means Of knowlelpe2 WitnRRA nj 1rsL /