Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-04-14

trial at 1t. LOUIS Ola mol conNlnVe e'S'1
b1dy that be had nothing to do with the
whiskey conspiracy. and subsequent de'e-
lopments have raised new doubts IN the
minds of some who then were willing to
accept the verdict as conclusive in his favor
We accept the testimony Of professional &c
tectives always with caution. As a rule,
they get and give the evidence they Ind
IL best worth their while to get and give,
irrespective of the facts. Yet they some
times tell the truth The story Of the
detective Bell, of his employment by Blb-
cock and his friends to steal the evidence
Of the government was not Of itself impor-
tani, because the character of the witness
made his unsupported testimony harmless
bat corroborated as it was in part by Dis
trict Attorney Dyer, it was serious, and tie
explanation offered by Babcock was hardly
satisfactory. But the hardest blow Bah
cock has yet received Is the evidence given
to the Judiciary committee in regard to his
connection with the notorious safe robbery
in Washington.
Many of our readers may have forgotten
tie particulars of that affair, though it made
noise enough at the time. An investigation
was then in progress Of the transactions Of
the government Of the District of Columbia.
1t was charged by several respectable and
worthy citizens Of the district that shep-
herd The governor, and Others associated
with him in what was called the Sc district
ring, had mismanasci the affairs Of the dis
tric; and added enormously to the burdens
Of the taxpayers by their corrupt AM ex-
travagant expenditure of the money raised
To- carry ont the costly system of district
Improvements Among the foremost in
demanding Investigation and supplying
evidence against the district ring was
Cllumba, Alexander, gentleman Of
good reputation and large property.
While this Investigation was going
Oh. it Wa announced one morning that the
safe in tie Office ofthe District Attorney had
been broken open the night before, certain
papers carried away, and a man having the
stolen rapers in bis possession found and az
rested on Mr.. Alexander door sters, trying
t. gain admittance.
1t was soon discovered that the robbery
Wa sham, designed to get Mr.. Alexander
into trouble by delivering the stolen papers
/ TO him, and 50 creating the imuression that
the robbery was planned by the enemies Of
the ring in order to obtain in this ie'onioas
manner evidence TO be used against Shepherd
and his associates lie plot failed through
tie c.lm,ine,- Of the cJu,pirat1r- and their
tools. AMI il was suspected that Mr.. IIar-
rin-t1a. the Assistant b strict Attorney. had
arranged the robbery. and that he had CON-
iederate, even higher in official station and
influence. shortly alterward the Attorney
General was directed TO take charge Of the
prosecution Of tie safe robbers. and one or
more Of them were put on trial. Colonel
Whi;ly. at that time Chief Of the Govern
meat Detectives. was found to have some
mysterious connection with this business and
one " Two of his men. who were wanted as
witnesses or defendants, disappeared ofp1r-
tgncly. Harrington, the District Attorney.
was also put on trial, but the iary disagreed
anu further proceedings were abandoned
Now this matter ], rcorenei. Whidv
testified that he was employed by Ba5cock
70 arrange thi, sham robbery tor the ruin of
Mr.. Alexander. Nettle>hip. one Of Whity'- |
former ~uboriinate~, who was wanted a, a
witness in the trial. but could 10, he found. /
and WHO has since been converted, II is said. |
under the preaching Of M Moody. confirms
Whitly'> testimony
It j. also confirmed by reported state
meut- Of Miles, the Barre Bank rotber.
Me, wa, interviewed in the Vermont
state Prison. a. Windsor. on Tue-iav. "
a reporter Of tie New York Herald. who
say that Miles told him tina, he wa- hired
to rob the safe by Harrington, wiki the
knowledge of Babcock who was present It
one of hi- Miles, interviews with Harriu--
ton. Miles, As thus reported, said
candIlly believe the job was originated
hv Babcock. that he manufactured the il.t
and cot the others into it by his influence.
After the job had proven failure | me,
Blbcock on the train between Washington
and New York when the President dausa-
III. - -...'..l-i -. W..
n bave 1roreT 80 t',,- ~ ~. .5
Rabcoct III ia ,,5 -. g e. ..
called Babc5ll-. s,,s,-,;-,, - -i'e TO-. .....
tho e+e,so ,,'.' - ~ nc --l. '.'
ting high Babcock said he was aware
that' but l would have TO look 10 other
la 'e't iol II. 2-l.s nave ascertain e
wa maxim Efforts - Close nv nv. ,nor-l ~
sending NE to this prison now make IN,
statement public for the first time, and IL is
.Iue ~ e'eIs ta5'lcliAl, 1nere are Other
ami the men Ar Ws.b;,- ~ -, ,rb az
me into that Job. and who made solemn
pledges and promises to me that the whole
Io oT tr u .ns ;'efnrenI W9a.a I be oehnl
en- these promises. Now, nv plan Props
Cd = those men %as tins After breaking
b3ots n rstain -, - 'He p'PeI. 1Il
then thew could be taken mn "a Alexan5e-'.
house but Harrington would not listen 70
IL H. rs 2g must pe competed that night
has been under inre.ri,atia ion, an, a. tr .,i
have been offered $4,000 for what | have
,ta'ed to-day refused 70 say one word.
90 ho' expect any sympathy from the pub v
lc. am mere Tor fourteen years and pro- t.
''9e 10 'egin 10 unload O
H. 3. So.