The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1876-04-20


"BITTERSwEEr."
A SHOCKING AND TERRIBLE CON
SPIRACY.
You. good friend. who rend this, you
are probably an honest farmer, perhaps
something of a politician, perhaps an
economist in public affairs. Suppose you
had reason to believe, and did believe,
that your county affairs were misman-
aged, that you and your iellow-tax-pay-
ers were being Systematically robbed by
a ring" and your county hopelessly in
voived in debt. Suppose you called
meetings, made speeches, circulated pc
titions To the legislature, etc, to arrest
lno evil and expose the evil. doors and
save yourselves from ruin. And suppose
that the ring" proceeded to .'put up a
job on you They send man to you
who offers, for sum named, to deliver
to YOU, on certain night. certain docu-
M nts which he possesses that will ex-
pose the ring" and drive them cut f
office. You and your friends agree to
pay the sum named, at the time agreed
u, Oh. Then the ring secure the services
OF iwo pro essional burglars to break
open a safe belonging to one Of their
number and extract therefrom certain
papers; the agent then takes the papers
! to you, and, just as you are paying him
the money for them, the police enter
and arrest you and your friends for par
,icipation in burglary, and you are at
one blow dashed down from high and
honorable positions to the level of felops,
and consigned to end your days in the
penitentiary while the ring continue
to plumber the community.
This reads like q romance like one OF
those yeIlow-covered novels, the oistort-
ed outgrowth Of q dyspeptic stomach and
a diseased mind. And yet just such
game as this was put up on Columbus
Alexander, and the other reformers OF
the District OF Columbia, by Boss Shep-
herds ring. Ii failed in its dramatic de-
movement through stupid policeman ar
resting the go-between Oh the street, in
stead of waiting until he had made his
way to Columbus Alexander's presence,
as at first agreed. Rhen there were some
witnesses who saw Harm gton, the dis
trict attorney, the party whose safe had
oeen robbed, quietly watching the whole
performance and an exposure followed.
This whole scheme OF putting the hon
est men into the position Of robDing the
rogues. and taking the rogues' deserts
Vas horrible and dcvllish enough; but
nov it transpircs that the inception Of
the ylllany was in the White House and
that its CHIEF rnorer uos President Gron">
Private secretary.
Banticld, one oil Babcock's friends,
sent to New York for Whitley. at that
time an officer OF thd government secret
police, to come 10 Washington. White
ley went there. We quote:
He then gave Whitley one Of Baboock',
cards, with direction on it in Babcoc ks hand
, writing, and ne went at once to Babcock'
house and then to the Executive Mansion
; where he found MIN At that interview Bah
I cock told MIN that the memorai.sts Who At
. that time were n hitlS the ring-xere trump
:, ing mp evidence against them AMI thu admin
issration; that they were in trouble, and that
2 | they wanted him 10 carry through plan which
: | would blow them the M morlalists) out OF tn
| water. The particulars o, that plan, Babcocl
said, would b. unfoided ny Harrington, Their
the assistant district attorney, whom he woL X
y meet Att O'Clock that day, at the Washington
{ Club House After leaving Babcock he me
= Ranfeld, to whom he reported what was to b
J. done. Banfsld said he would 60 with him 1
< the club house. did - with him, and Taitet
inside till Harrington went apart with him ARK
| unfolded the plan for the blowing M of th
cistyic. attorneys safe and the fastening of III
crime OF burglary on Columbus Alexander, III
head Of the msrnoriAliSts Whitley promise.
to send an abb man Who would do the job, AM
q went TO New York and sent on Net&leshlp. q
: the s.cr3 service. Prom that time on the Iol
: Vas in Nettleskip's charge, under Harrington
9 direction Whitley met Babcock ia Washing
T ton thr.e or four days after tbs safe explosion
g when Babcock said that the job had been bun
a 1lingly MANAGED and regretted that White
had no: been Pr<sn. % sup*rin,snd T.
The most utterly unanewerable testimony
= however. IS ) Letter written By Baocock /
Whitley who Eas then out 0. ofice and j
B.stoa The detectives had not been paid
and Wni.e.ey informed BAbDock Of this FAC,
said they were getting uneasy, and expresse
some tears himself .. to the. uitinse resu.
!, To this. ON the 18th Of September, 1874, Bat
cock sent the following answer written in lead
4 pencil and undated.
DgA2 COLONEL. fcnr lss.r from Boston Ia
II been reoeiyei I attended 70 the mater yes
i. t.rday Before this r.aches yon, you and you
men will be PAID They have sent ma
= to pay them. You may bids your time an
! wait in confidence the result. Your servics
are bound u Be Appreciated
D Fonrs. &c, U. 3. BABoocK.
e. Th...vour mear who were TO be pai
= we're the swo cr1cksmen OF New Yor.
= OF eourss Babc0ck denies everything
30 do Al to csnvisls u Saltwater.
w. u .ss,..s = II d i9,sIs i,
= ident hiring burglars = create ev
, cence to send Aons1e citineno r. he be.
s itsntiary.