Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-07-29
The Whisky Ring Investigation.
Revelations by Biuford Wilson
Inside History Of the Prosecu-
fieHs-Gea. Babcock's Conaec-
fion srifh the Matter.

eating the St Louis whisky frauds.
Mr.. Cochran, the chairman OF the sub
committee, asked Mr.. Wilson TO state any
acts of the President indicating that he was
| lions.
Answer. Before I proceed 20 answer tina,
| question i wish TO make an addition 10 NV
testimony OF Thursday In reference TO tue
contents OF the Barnard letter, on which the
President made the well known endorse
ment, 81 Let no guilty man escape" 81 II can
be avoided. Either In the body OF that letter
or In an accompanying document there is a
statement from Emory 8. Foster, of 81.
Louis, 10 the effect that the President MIN
self was charged with being a party TO the
n s continuation In that city TO de-
want that fact TO be noted, because have
DO doubt that the President made his en-
dorsemept as much with references TO that
1act and that allegation as with reference to
the allegations that Babcock was a party
al d that Jim Casey, the Presidents brother
IN law, was openly asserting that the Secre
tary or the Treasury would not hold his
ofhce for thirty days. Another point-I was
asked Thursday whether the President con-
scented willingly To the publication OF the
endorsement on the Barnard letter, which
has been SO often referred 10. BY reference
TO the letter addressed 10 me by General
Bristow, under date OF August Z, written in
The Treasury department, Ind that the
Secretary OF the Treasury had addressed an
Official communication TO the President ask
lng MIN Tor permission 10 publish that en-
IA ~
he bad received no response. For the puTl
pose OF liking the date when the "Sylph
telegram was discovered, / refer 10 letter
Of General Bristow 10 me, written from New
York, August 9th, 1875, and which have no
objection 10 make part OF the record. 1t is
SECRETARY BRIsrows LETTER.
Nav YoRK, August 5, ISIS
NY Dear Wilson Your letter OF YESTERDAY with
S aIS y reoe,ed; The tune Is very near al
thieves and scoundrels who have combined e. de
esty or / must aud Icta break / fear the compli-
cations such that the former cannot be done and
talking to ANYBODY, have heard here that the mat,
ter about the "Sylphn Dispatch and our having seen
7. and b meaning Porter snd Baboock), and they
are greatly disturbed Don't suffer yourself 10 talk
for censure, but caution. | suppose must make u
my mind 10 bear the abuse of the .'ring papers.
friends out Of prison and 20 save Themselves from
posture, and Of course, will seek 10 destroy anybody
not turn back nor will stop parley with thieves
have no ambition 10 serve and no purpose o. ac-
honest collection Of the revenue will comprpmiss
on nothing short Of this but on this issue a ready
2. S.-Ask Webster to write the President fully
his views about the Chicago custom house aud whS-
II - going to require the utmost watchfuuess Of hi
real friends 10 prevent his being msled by men who
erOusly. Tell Webster 90 write strongly and give
HIM the plain truth, and mark his letter .coniden-
ID. III ID
Now, in response to the question of the
chairman, may say that the Secretary of
the Treasury and myself having been ordered
by the PRESIDENT TO see that no guilty man
should escape If 1t could be avoided, on con-
sultation mutually concluded that the Pres
ident could not 60 back on that Injunction
without stultifying himself and placing us,
bis ofncers, In q false position, and we there
fore resolved to leave the whole matter O,
Gen. Babcock's alleged connection with the
whisky ring at ST Louis TO be dealt with by
fhnra al II
or December, and, indeed, ! may say, until
IL was known absolutely that Gen. Babcock
had been indicted, the relations OF Gen. BrIs-
low and myself with the President were
Iassable, but as soon as It was seen that
Gen. Babcock was 10 be indicted the idea OF
military court OF inquiry was brought to
tne mont, TO my knowledge, by Gen. Bah
cock aud his friends. The idea OF a military
court was broached before the Indictment
was found against Babcock, and the fact
that the President OF the United States took
the ground that that military court should
supercede the proceedings before the civil
tribunals at st. Louis, was taken by MYSELF
and by the Secretary TO be a marked iudica-
in that city. On the Sd or ith OF December
wrote q letter 70 Gen. Henderson advising
him fully of my views, and indicating To
tbe Te Of ths Of
means, that the proceedings before the civil
tribunal should not be postponed or DELAYED
or embarrassed by any proceedings IL he
stituted or had before the military tribunal
OF that letter have not copy, but General
Henderson, 1 believe, has the original. In
the next place IL is q fact that i heard moth
ing from the President OF the charge that
had put spies on him, or Of q forced letter
which was adduced against me, as stated
known that Gen. Babcock was indicted.
THE CONFERENCE
between the President and myself, which, i
think stated Thursday to have taken place
November q II -
reference To cotempOraneOus document, on
the Sth OF December, 1878. 1t Will be remem-
expressed himself to me with regard to Gen,
Henderson and Mr.. Dyer with great bitter
ness, and Immediately thereafter Gen. Hem
derson was dismissed from the prosecution.
He was dismissed In opposition to my writ
ten protest, addressed TO the Secretary OF the
Treasury, In which 1 called the attention OF
the Secretary TO the fact that was advised
ofhcially by Mr.. Eaton, OF cou nsel for the
Government, that j. Judge Treat, the presiding
Justice at the trial in which the alleged OBJ
Jectionable remarks OF Gen. Henderson were
ton, and to have requested Mr.. Eaton to
notify the authorities here, that In his judg-
ment Gen. Henderson's remarks contained
no reflection whatever on the President. I
also called his attention to the fact that Mr.
Eaton, Mr.. Dyer and Mr.. Henderson had all,
In writing, Informed me that no such pur-
on the contrary IL appeared from the official
records lin my possession at that time aud
now In the Treasury Department. that Gen.
Henderson went out of his way In an argu-
ment in that case TO state that In his judg-
ment the President OF the United States was
altogether above the reproach, 80 far as be
knew, and to pay the President compli-
ment. ] said, therefore, TO the Secretary of
the Treasury, that accepted the judgment
of Gen. Henderson's colleague and OF the
court as conclusive ON that question, and
that In my Judgment the President OF the
United States ought to rise above personal
considerations In view of the fact that the
public interests imperatively required Gen.
Henderson's retention In the prosecution.
The dismissal of Henderson was in my juds-
ment, fatal blow 10 the prospect OF sue
cessful prosecution In Gen. Babcock's case.
q By MI. Plaisted.-Have you the protest
TO which you have just referred?
A. have not, but IL 10 now on the dies OF
the Treasury department, and win make
IL an exhibit before get through.
LATTER TO MR.. EATON.
BY reference 70 my private letter book
md, under date OF December 4th, the follow
ing letter writ en- by ree
Deor Edtoa:-I wrote General Henderson Q con-
hdental letter last night giving the situation Of
know here what you are doing, but presume, Of
course, you are doing your duty"
That In the letter In which have made
reference to the controversy In regard 70 the
military and the civil tribunal Another