Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-03-31
The War Department Investigation.
Sensational TESTIMONY To- Dav.
What Detective Knows About Bel.
KNAPP and BabcOck.

I ar
upon which his commission as post trader
| was revoked; nor had Daniels any arrange
| meht with a man named Tracy concerning
| the pay ent OF money TO- the post. Wit
| hess never knew there was money haryatn
| between Tracy and Daniels until SO informeI
! ny The Secretary Of War. He then told
| Tracy mat he would have Daniels removed.
| A GOVERNMENT DETECTIVES STORY ARoUr
| BELKNAP.
| CO BeH sWorn.-ResideSa al Jackson, Miss
was DESTROYS OF occurring the post tradership
| AT ort Davis, Texas; came 10 Washington
! 10 secure Ii; saw Secretary Belknap in June.
ara told him was DESTROYS TO get a post
uadeIship He sand if he had known that
| " a. the object OF my visit he would not have
| seen me ! said: well, it woa't take long
| 10 get out" and left. He then seut for me
! before got out of the building, and went
back. He said he had been greatly ANNOYED
| by applicants for these positions. He as ked
! me what the position was worth. / told him
/ L DIDN'T knew. says he: as il worth 81 0uO
1 n year. L said: 81 suppose IL is worth
| hat" He said: "Can you pay 50 900 a year
| for it?" said: 81 can't pay anything" and
| went out. My impression was that he was
| Try Ing to trap me, for some sharp words that
passed between us. These were Occasiored
On account Of the way he received me- Wit
hess said he was at present detective in the
| Inter or department, and had been appointed
ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF PRESIDENT
GRANT.
HIS cuties were to examine into pension
frauds in st Louis.
Cross-examiued by Mr.. Dauford:-o Did
You ever report 10 the President what Won
deemed An infamous proposition, made you
by the Secretary OF War?
y. No, sir.
q. Why didn't you?
a. Well, the Secretary of War weighed a
niue bit more than me. have had expe-
rlence in being bluff5d at the depa rtmants
and unless a man is strong enough To carry
an ass tult on public officer through. he
had ie better e let it alone Men have been
Witness was sharply Intercepted as to
what he did i'm st. Louis
IN THE BABCOCK CASE.
he said he was employed by LucKey to look
INTO the hands OF District Attorney Dyer and
see what evidence they had against Bah
cock.
2 Did you get hold oft?
q. With Colonel Dyer's consent?
A No, sir
q. SurreptiliCTg'y?
a. Yes, sir.
q And you reported to Colonel Luckey?
n. did in November last. / told him the
ev derce against BabcOck WAS weak. Col.
Dyer did not know l was the agent Of Col.
I.uckey. read over great many OF the
papers IN the case in Col. Dyer'S Office. but
ne did not know Oft ! got the papers out
fee. Subsequently | took measures 70 in
form the President that
BELIEVED RABCOCK TO DE GUILTY,
because he had tod me if he was that ne
wanted to know IL. was then dismissed.
z. Did BabcOck tell you he was guilty?
A. Wen, A. Z. Bradley, who was also en-
plOyed in Babcock's interest, told me to get
papers from the district attorneys Office,
Dring them to the Lindell hotel and destroy
them. Luckey had told me to act under
Bradley's orders. l did not get the papers
for them. / met General Babcock, was sent
for rather at 2l00 Pennsylvania avenue, in
this city. told him what Bradley had told
me 10 do. lie said L must get all the papers;
part of them would do no good. He told
me If got the evidence / would be well re-
warded: A letter was read written TO Bell
Dy bradley, telling him to come from Lex
III y nd ha yprrlI
be well taken care Of Witness continued
] was TO be appointed special agent In the
Attorney Generals Office; had a card from
the President TO Mr.. Pierrepont, saying:
This is the man of whom spoke" didn't
get 1t because Dyer told Pierrepont th at he
would not allow me TO work in mis- office be
cause be had an idea what l was coming IN
iOr.
A CIPHER DISPATCH.
witness also submitted a cypher dispatch
given him by Luckey, through which they
could telegraph one 10 the other.
Odd you inform the President that Bat
cock was guilty?
trust anything I'm writing in any one else's
hands, and i hal tried several times to see
the President; The information was made
@ did youEever say TO Gen. Babcock that
you had the proof of his guilt?
Ale repeatedly said that there were tel
tion got bold OF he could not explain. was
paid in St. Louis by Bradley and Babcock;
the former paid me $50 and the latter about
500. l was not employed for any other puI
TO PREVENT THE CONVICTION OF GEN
BABCoCK.
The President however. did not so under
stand il; be told me at the start that il Gen.
Babcock was guilty he wanted to know IL. |
took papers and kilograms from the District
Attorneys office in st. Louis concerning the
Avery case. As long as l believed General
BabcOck was innOcent-and l believed they
were trying to pull him down for political
purp oses-I was his friend. When 1 found
out he was guilty quit the case, and in
formed the President through the published
statement made in the Herald that / be-
lieved him to be guilty. Attorney General
Pierrepont was ayerse to my going 10 st.
Louis and
PLAYING THE SPY ON DYER.
de did not appoint me, although he was re.
quested 10 do so by the President. He said
at one time that he had had my Instructions
written out, brit that high official of the
Treasury had consulted with him about IL.
| then said, "Well, If you have talked in
that quarter, there is no use Of my going"
The effort OF the President In sending me 20
st. Louis was proper one. He wanted me
TO find out whether Babcock was guilty or
innocent, but Luckey, Babcock, Bradley and
Storrs
WANTED ME TO DESTROY ALL EVIDENCE
found OF his guilt: When arrived in st.
Louis. on the 1lth of February, 1 had con
versstiOn with District Attorney Dyer al his
house. told him what came for, and ne
knew what i was doing.
q. What other persons were employed by
BabcOck in this kind OF service?
A. do not know. When l was operating
was careful to conceal what ! was doing
from the Secretary of the Treasury. / saw
kilograms in Dyer's Office from Babcock
which were not offered in eviderce.
THE SIGNATURES USED BY BABCoCK
were Dab" and sometimes "Sylph." L was
also 10 get all kilograms signed " Bull Finch"
Never spoke to Ba bcock about the whisky
business In the executive office; always went
10 his house, or some other place where we
mad made previous appointment. Babcock
TOLD me II got the evidence off would be
well paid for II. When first went into the
case believed Babcock was innocent.
pers to get?
A. No. He wanted all there was-every-
thing. was to take them from the District
Attorneys office, and they were to be de-
Q. Who is A. c. Bradley?
A. believe he is q brother-in-law OF A.
X. Shepherd. He lives on Corcoran street
When Lucky first saw me on the subject, he
said Babcock is innocent; that the matter
was aimed at him, but 1t was simply
"a BLOW AT THE OLD MAN."
q. A blow from whom?
A. Well, that was understood. The whole
matter, 1t was understood, was In the inter-
est of Mr.. Bristow. The impression was
with all that the war was being made by