The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-04-03
BELLS STORY.
District Attorney Dyer Before
the C0mmittee---S0me Of Bells
Statements DiSeredited.

DbAA . oAOnAs
District Attorney Dyer BefOr,
the COmmittee---SOme Of Bell,
Statements Diseredited.
WASHINGTON, April 1.-The Commit
tee on War Expenditures to-day heart
Col. D. P. Dyer, District Attorney at St
Louis, in reference to the testimony o
c. s. Bell, who testified Yesterday.
The witness first met Bell in St. Louis
in the fall OF 1875. He came to the Dis
trict Attorneys office one day, and show
ed an envelope, with note on the bacl
signed "Avery," and he (witness) under
stood it to be be written to Fitzroy, Il
deliver any lpapers in his possession Il
Bell. He understood Bell was seeking
evidence for the Government. Bell wa
to see Joyce, and il possible, get the cor
respondence that passed between Joyce
Avery, and Babcock. He wrote a note tc
the Warden Of the Jail, and asked him tc
deliver the papers to Bell, the bearer
Bell subsequently came to ST. Louis. Dur,
ing the time Of the Babcock trial, the
witness, met him at the house Of Mr.. Ea'
ton, n special counsel for the Govern
ment.
Bell, soon after the proposition to fur.
nish this information, delivered to him
the cipher and the Bradley letter. After
the trial he returned them to Bell and has
not seen them since, except as produced
in the New York Herald. These papers
were not produced till nearly the end Of
the trial. The reason they were not used
in evidence was because Luckey was sum.
moned there for the Government, and was
finally claimed as witness for the de-
fense. At the consultation between the
witness and his associates, Brodhead and
Eaton, as to the advisability Of calling
Bell as witness, it was decided to wait
until Luckey was put upon the stand and
then produce him in rebuttal. It was
understood that Bradley was there, also
called by the defence, and It was intended
Bell should not be brought in as wit
ness in chief. Had the prosecution known
or believed that the defense would not'call
Luckey, thew would have brought Bell
forward and used him rs a witness in
chief.
Bell, who was in the room, asked Col
Dyer whether it was because OF his sup
posed unreliability he was not put on the
stand. Colonel Dyer answered that when
he told him he had stolen the Avery pa.
pers from the District Attorneys office,
he did not look upon him us a witness he
wanted to tie to without corroborative
evidence, and he did not believe much in
him until he got all the papers. But il
Luckey had been called he would have
certainly put Bell upon the stand in re-
buttal.
Mr.. Bell then asked Mr.. Dyer If in such
cases extraordinary means are not nee.
essary to get evidence? Mr.. Dyer said
he was not in that kind OF business, and
he did not feel competent to answer the
question. He never found it necessary
either as prosecuting lawyer or other
wise, to resort to such means, either to
purchase the abstraction or the suppress
sion Of evidence. or any such violent and
questionable tactics. That was not his
way Of conducting business.
Mr.. Dyer said that Mr.. Bells testimony
was substantially correct, SO far as he
had seen it printed in the Washington
papers, and SO far as it referred 10 him.
Mr.. Bell was, however, incorrect in To-
eating the conversation at the District
Attorneys Office. 1t took place at the
house Of Lucien Eaton, one Of his associ-
ate counsel.
Colonel Luckey says that Mr.. Bell
came to him several times, and profess
ing to be friend OF General Babcock,
gave him what he claimed were secrets OF
the prosecution, but he never employed
him. Judge Krum, Babcock's attorney,
Is also here, and says Mr.. Bell was never
employed in the case, to his knowledge.
1t is stated on the authority OF mem
ber OF the Judiciary Committee, which is
investigating the whisky trials, that Mr..
Bell came to them and offered to tell what
he knew for $1,000.
The Congressman from Mississippi all
knew Mr. Bell, he having beer mixed in
politics down there some, and they unit
edly declare him to be rascal and pro.
fessional blackmailer.
COL. DYER's OPINION OF BELL.
District Attorney Dyer, OF st. Louis, ia
here, and says that Bell is a fraud, and
that he had come to him and professed to
know all about Babcock's movements, and
was willing to expose them for money.
At one time he intended to put Bell on
the stand at Babcock's trial, but dared not
do it. He intimated he had got Ayery's
papers from the files OF the District At
torney's office, and exhibited them to
Avery and wife at the Lindell Hotel.
Witness asked him the character OF the
papers in order to ascertain the truth OF
his statement. Bell said he had pencil
memorandum from Bluford Wilson, apd
a dispatch from the Treasury asking the
witness to come to the Secretary's room.
he remembered he had such papers in his
possession, and was satisfied from Bells
conversation he knew something about
their disappearance. lBell had been asked
ifhe had any dispatches signed !B. Finch
or "Bullfnch." Bell said he had certain
documents in his possession in New York,
and had telegraphed for them to be for.
warded to st. Louis by express. That pa
per consisted Of cipher, partly in his
and partly in Luckeys handwriting; also
letter from A. G. Bradley, telling him
to come to Washington and he would be
cared for. The substance Of his state
ment was that 4 proposition had been
made 10 him by Luckey and Babcock to
extract testimony in Babcock's case from
the District Attorneys Office. The wit
ness had been very careful Of the dis
patches and letters relating to the Bah
cock case, because he feared some such
exploit as was resorted 10 in the Avery
case. He placed them in a box and de-
posted them in the Safe Deposit vault.
Before that, Bell was one day seen in the
District Attorneys office oyerhauling
some papers, and was informed that no.
body was allowed to do that in the ab.
sence OF Colonel Dyer. Bell excused him
self by saying he was hunting a match to
light his cigar.
BELL ASSAULTED.
C. S. Bell, who yesterday testified be.
fore the Committee on War Expenditures,
was assaulted tonight by a man named
MOliere in hotel in this city. Bell was
seated in the hotel, when Moliere entered,
and walking up to him struck him on the
head with cane. The parties were sep